OVERVIEW:
Serial Thing is a serial terminal written with Hollywood 8.0
It makes use of the new serial library feature introduced in 8.0, and
the RapaGUI plugin, to provide a native GUI on any platform.
It started as an exercise to learn the Hollywood programming language
and to have a terminal program with the features I needed most to
interact with microcontrollers like the Arduino and Esp32/Esp8266,
various serial LCD displays, voice command modules, etc.
While I was at it I tried to make it as useful to others as possible.
FEATURES:
- Serial port parameters are fully configurable, including manual
control of DTR/RTS lines if present.
- Serial RX pattern matching: Can watch incoming stream for any string
pattern, and when there is a match, send user-defined strings to
serial, and/or run user-defined commands.
All the Hollywood PatternReplaceStr() character classes can be used
for advanced pattern matching.
The strings or commands can also contain placeholders like $1 $2 etc
which are replaced with specifc portions of the matched patterns.
This is a very powerful feature as it simplifies automating
interactions with microcontrollers and other devices.
- Terminal buffer: The terminal text can be saved to file and loaded.
Any marked terminal text is automatically copied to the clipboard.
- Input history: Recall any string previously sent.
History can be saved to file and loaded back.
- Input presets: Store any typed string as a preset.
Presets can then be recalled on the input gadget by selecting them,
or sent at once by double-clicking on them, which is handy for quickly
sending often-used commands.
Presets can be edited, saved to file and loaded back.
Saving the program settings also stores existing presets which are then
loaded back automatically the next time the program is launched.
- Line termination control: Add/strip/swap CR/LF line terminators
- Logging: Log incoming data to file, append to existing log files.
- Freeware with fully documented source code to help other Hollywood
beginners understand what the code does and learn how to use the
serial library, RapaGUI plugin, and various Hollywood functions.
The many functions written for the terminal can be reused to quickly
make streamlined device-specific programs, like a weather station or
home automation control system.
REQUIREMENTS:
To run the program on OS4 and OS3:
- MUI4
To run the .hws script or .hwa applet:
- Hollywood8 or HollywoodPlayer8 (once released) and the RapaGUI plugin.
To compile for other platforms:
- Hollywood 8 and the RapaGUI plugin for that platform (if linking it)
- Adjust the serial port menu and requester to allow using a path to
specify a device like '/dev/ttyS0' or 'COM1', instead of a unit number
- Adjust the icon reference in the xml.hws file
INSTALLATION:
OS4:
- Copy the executable and its icon or the whole SerialThing drawer
wherever you like.
OS3/MOS:
- Same as OS4 but replace the PPC executable with the 68k one from the
OS3 drawer. (Hollywood requires a 68020 or better)
USAGE:
Quick Start
SerialThing can be launched from its icon or the Shell
Set the serial port and bauds as desired, unless the defaults
(serial.device unit 0, 115200, 8N1) work for you.
Click the "Closed" button or press [Amiga]+[S] to open the serial port.
Type any string you wish to send to the serial port and press Enter.
Enjoy!
The nice icon is ©2007 Ken Lester. Thanks Ken!
Thanks to Andreas Falkenhahn too for making Hollywood!
If you would like to support further research and development, consider
sponsoring an item from my R&D wish list at http://a.co/99ThKsr
//
\X/ Amiga... Duh!
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