Is DWORD FILL only used with DLL's?

[Mike Doty]

Is DWORD FILL only used when passing values in memory?
DWORD FILL adds 2-bytes to the structure when writing to disk.
Without DWORD FILL the records are read correctly by a Visual Basic program using the same structure.

'Records are 203 bytes (if DWORD FILL is added they become 205 bytes)
Type ClientType
  A As Integer              '1,2
  B As String * 7           '3,7
  C As String * 20          '10,20
  D As String * 20          '30,20
  E As String * 10          '50,10
  F As String * 11          '60,11
  G As Long                 '71,4
  H As String * 30          '75,30
  I As String * 30          '105,30
  J As String * 20          '135,20
  K As String * 2           '155,2
  L As String * 1           '157,1
  M Phone As String * 7     '158,7
  N As Integer              '165,2
  O As Long                 '167,4
  P As Long                 '171,4
  Q As Integer              '175,2
  R As String * 2           '177,2
  S As String * 3           '179,3
  T As String * 3           '182,3
  U As String * 8           '185,8
  V As String * 4           '193,4
  W As Integer              '197,2
  X As String * 1           '199,1
  Y As String * 4           '200,4
End Type
 
Function PBMAIN() As Long
    On Error Resume Next
    Dim hFile As Long, x As Long, sFileName As String, client As ClientType
    sFileName = "TEST.DAT"
    hFile = FreeFile
    Open sFileName For Binary As hFile
    For x = 1 To LOF(hFile) \ Len(client)
      Get #hFile, , client
      Print client.a; client.c
    Next
    client.a = x
    client.c = "Added record" + Str$(x)
    Put #hFile, , client
    Print client.a; client.c
    Close #hFile
End Function

[Michael Mayerhoffer]

Print will add a CR/LF aka 2-bytes if there is no ";" at the end of the print statement.

[Mike Doty]

Thanks, but that is not it.
I'm using GET and PUT.

[Michael Mattias]

DWORD FILL is used whenever you need or want that particular alignment of UDT members. Disk, memory, whatever.

IIRC (and this is from a long time ago), Visual Basic itself may not treat writes to disk the same as it does passing in memory.

[Michael Mayerhoffer]

Aye says the blind one, just seen the word print ...forget that CC uses that.

[Mike Doty]

When reading/writing the data does not need to be aligned so
the structures can be the same. If passing data in memory it
appears the Visual Basic structure must be padded
There may be a better way, but haven't found it.

[Michael Mattias]

>There may be a better way, but haven't found it

Read and write the file using a memory-mapped file object. Then it will always "look like" memory and utilize the DWORD FILL alignment.

See this demo for an example:
Memory Mapped Files instead of RANDOM disk file access 5-8-04

That's not set up for I-O, but that is just a couple of small changes which you can look up in your Windows API reference.

Or maybe it *is* set up for I-O, I can't remember. I know my library version of the MapTHisFile function is set up with an I-O flag parameter but I don't know if that demo came before I did that or not.

MCM

[Mike Doty]

I' will check it out. Thank you.
For now, I'm just passing through a disk buffer which wouldn't
be too bad if no disk activity took place. The memory mapped file
seems like a good solution.

[Michael Mattias]

I'm not quite sure what the VB program does and what the PB code must do, but another possibility is to put ALL the I-O into a PB DLL and call those functions from both programs whenever I-O is required.

[Mike Doty]

Michael, that is it!
I'll handle all I/O in a PB/DLL the same as when using CGI programs.

'CGIWRITE.BAS    Demonstrates open/get/put/lock/unlock/flush/close functions on the internet
DECLARE FUNCTION GetModuleFileName LIB "KERNEL32.DLL" ALIAS "GetModuleFileNameA" (BYVAL hModule AS DWORD, _
                 lpFileName AS ASCIIZ, BYVAL nSize AS DWORD) AS DWORD
DECLARE FUNCTION GetModuleHandle LIB "KERNEL32.DLL" ALIAS "GetModuleHandleA" (lpModuleName AS ASCIIZ) AS DWORD
DECLARE FUNCTION OpenFile(FilName AS STRING)AS LONG 'rename if using win32api.inc
DECLARE FUNCTION LockFile(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION UNLockFile(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION GetRecord(RecordNumber AS LONG, Buffer AS STRING,FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION PutRecord(RecordNumber AS LONG,Buffer AS STRING,FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION CloseFile(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION FlushFile(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION KillFile(FileNam AS STRING) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION exename AS STRING

[Edwin Knoppert]

Even if you solve this with PB your structure is still a very uncommon nowadays.
Better align to dword anyway.
This would make it somewhat easier with other languages as well.
The structure *may* ever be used to be passed through functions as well.

[Mike Doty]

PowerBASIC I/O from Visual Basic

Edwin,
Yes, I should figure out how to align the 203-byte structure above.
Maybe someone will do it for me with this as a reward .

The code below uses only PB code for I/O from Visual Basic using PBIO.DLL.
An example program with VB is also included.

'PBIO.BAS        PB File I/O from Visual Basic
#COMPILE EXE    '#COMPILE EXE to test, #COMPILE DLL to create DLL
DECLARE FUNCTION GetModuleFileName LIB "KERNEL32.DLL" ALIAS "GetModuleFileNameA" (BYVAL hModule AS DWORD, _
                 lpFileName AS ASCIIZ, BYVAL nSize AS DWORD) AS DWORD
DECLARE FUNCTION GetModuleHandle LIB "KERNEL32.DLL" ALIAS "GetModuleHandleA" (lpModuleName AS ASCIIZ) AS DWORD
DECLARE FUNCTION PBOPEN(FilName AS STRING)AS LONG 'rename if using win32api.inc
DECLARE FUNCTION PBLOCKFILE(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION PBUNLOCKFILE(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE SUB      PBGET(FileHandle AS LONG, RecordNumber AS LONG,Buffer AS STRING, Ecode AS LONG)
DECLARE FUNCTION PBPUT(FileHandle AS LONG, RecordNumber AS LONG,Buffer AS STRING) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION PBCLOSE(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION PBFLUSH(FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION PBKILL(FileNam AS STRING) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION PBLOF(TheFileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
DECLARE FUNCTION PBProgramName AS STRING
DECLARE FUNCTION PBPROGRAMDIR AS STRING
 
FUNCTION PBLockFile(FileHandle AS LONG) EXPORT AS LONG
  DIM Attempt&,MaxAttempts&
  MaxAttempts = 10
  Attempt = 0   'lock record/get/update/flush/unlock
  DO
    ERRCLEAR
    LOCK #FileHandle
    IF ERR THEN
      INCR Attempt
      SLEEP 100
    END IF
  LOOP UNTIL ERR = 0 OR Attempt => MaxAttempts
  IF Attempt => MaxAttempts THEN FUNCTION = ERRCLEAR
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBUnLockFile(FileHandle AS LONG) EXPORT AS LONG
  DIM Attempt&,MaxAttempts&
  MaxAttempts = 10
  Attempt = 0   'lock record/get/update/flush/unlock
  DO
    ERRCLEAR
    UNLOCK #FileHandle
    IF ERR THEN
      INCR Attempt
      SLEEP 100
    END IF
  LOOP UNTIL ERR = 0 OR Attempt => MaxAttempts
  IF Attempt THEN
    IF Attempt => MaxAttempts THEN
      FUNCTION = ERRCLEAR
    END IF
  END IF
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBLof(TheFileHandle AS LONG) EXPORT AS LONG
  LOCAL temp AS LONG
  Temp = LOF(TheFileHandle)
  IF ERR = 0 THEN
      FUNCTION = Temp
  ELSE
    FUNCTION = -ERRCLEAR
  END IF
END FUNCTION
SUB PBGet(FileHandle AS LONG, RecordNumber AS LONG, Buffer AS STRING, Ecode AS LONG) EXPORT
  Ecode = 0
  GET #FileHandle,RecordNumber,buffer
  IF ERR THEN Ecode = ERRCLEAR
END SUB
FUNCTION PBPut(FileHandle AS LONG, RecordNumber AS LONG, Buffer AS STRING) EXPORT AS LONG
  PUT #FileHandle,RecordNumber,buffer
  IF ERR THEN FUNCTION = ERRCLEAR
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBFlush(FileHandle AS LONG) EXPORT AS LONG
  FLUSH #FileHandle
  IF ERR THEN FUNCTION = ERRCLEAR
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBClose(FileHandle AS LONG) EXPORT AS LONG
  CLOSE #FileHandle
  IF ERR THEN FUNCTION = ERRCLEAR
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBOpen(FilName AS STRING) EXPORT AS LONG
  DIM Attempt AS LONG
  DIM MaxAttempts AS LONG
  DIM FileHandle AS LONG
  MaxAttempts& = 10
  Attempt = 0
  DO
    ERRCLEAR
    FileHandle = FREEFILE
    OPEN FilName FOR BINARY LOCK SHARED AS #FileHandle
    IF ERR THEN
      INCR Attempt
      SLEEP 100
    END IF
  LOOP UNTIL ERR = 0 OR Attempt => MaxAttempts
  IF Attempt => MaxAttempts THEN
      FUNCTION = -ERRCLEAR
      EXIT FUNCTION
  END IF
  FUNCTION = FileHandle
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBKill(FilName AS STRING) EXPORT AS LONG
  KILL FilName
  IF ERR THEN FUNCTION = ERRCLEAR
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBProgramName() EXPORT AS STRING
  LOCAL hModule AS LONG
  LOCAL temp AS ASCIIZ * 256
  hModule = GetModuleHandle(BYVAL 0&)
  GetModuleFileName hModule, Temp, 256
  FUNCTION = Temp
END FUNCTION
FUNCTION PBProgramDir AS STRING
  LOCAL sTemp AS STRING
  LOCAL org AS LONG
  sTemp$ = PBProgramName
  org = INSTR(-1,sTemp,"\")
  IF org THEN FUNCTION = LEFT$(sTemp, org)
END FUNCTION
 
#IF 0
'VBTest.bas
OPTION EXPLICIT
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBOPEN LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FilName AS STRING) AS LONG 'rename if using win32api.inc
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBLOCKFILE LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBUNLOCKFILE LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
PRIVATE DECLARE SUB PBGET LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FileHandle AS LONG, RecordNumber AS LONG, Buffer AS STRING, Ecode AS LONG)
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBPUT LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FileHandle AS LONG, RecordNumber AS LONG, Buffer AS STRING) AS LONG
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBCLOSE LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBFLUSH LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBKILL LIB "PBIO.DLL" (FileNam AS STRING) AS LONG
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBLOF LIB "PBIO.DLL" (TheFileHandle AS LONG) AS LONG
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBProgramName LIB "PBIO.DLL AS STRING" ()
PRIVATE DECLARE FUNCTION PBPROGRAMDIR LIB "PBIO.DLL" () AS STRING
PRIVATE SUB Form_Load()
  CHDIR App.Path  'so VB finds DLL in default directory
  DIM FilName$, Buffer$, hits&, RecNum&, L$, programname$, programdir$, org&
  DIM RecordsToWrite&, Attempt&, FileHandle&, result&, RecordNumber&, RecordLen&
  RecordsToWrite = 10
  RecordLen = 10
  Buffer = SPACE$(RecordLen)
  FilName = "test.txt"
  result = PBKILL(FilName)                            'kill
  FileHandle = PBOPEN(FilName)                        'open
  IF FileHandle < 1 THEN EXIT SUB
  result = PBLOCKFILE(FileHandle)                     'lock
  FOR RecNum = 1 TO RecordsToWrite
    LSET Buffer = FORMAT$(PBLOF(1) + 1)               'lof
    RecordNumber = PBLOF(FileHandle) + 1              '
    result = PBPUT(FileHandle, RecordNumber, Buffer)  'put
  NEXT
  result = PBFLUSH(FileHandle)                        'flush
  result = PBUNLOCKFILE(FileHandle)                   'unlock
  FOR RecNum = 1 TO PBLOF(FileHandle) \ LEN(Buffer)
    RecordNumber = (RecNum - 1) * LEN(Buffer) + 1
    PBGET FileHandle, RecordNumber, Buffer, result    'get
  NEXT
  result = PBCLOSE(FileHandle)                        'close
  SHELL "notepad.exe " + FilName, vbNormalFocus      'show file
  Unload Me
END SUB
#ENDIF
FUNCTION PBMAIN AS LONG
  DIM FilName$,buffer$,hits&,RecNum&, L$,programname$,programdir$,org&
  DIM RecordsToWrite&,Attempt&,FileHandle&,result&,RecordNumber&, RecordLen&
  RecordsToWrite = 10
  RecordLen = 10
  Buffer = SPACE$(RecordLen)
  FilName = "test.txt"
  result = PBKILL(FilName)                            'kill
  FileHandle = PBOPEN(FilName)                        'open
  IF FileHandle < 1 THEN EXIT FUNCTION
  result = PBLockFile(FileHandle)                     'lock
  FOR RecNum = 1 TO RecordsToWrite
    LSET buffer = FORMAT$(PBLOF(1)+1)                 'lof
    RecordNumber = PBLOF(FileHandle) + 1              '
    result = PBPut(FileHandle, RecordNumber, Buffer)  'put
  NEXT
  result = PBFlush(FileHandle)                        'flush
  result = PBUnLockFile(FileHandle)                   'unlock
  FOR RecNum = 1 TO PBLOF(Filehandle) \ LEN(Buffer)
    RecordNumber = (RecNum -1) * LEN(Buffer) + 1
    PBGet FileHandle, RecordNumber, Buffer, result    'get
  NEXT
  result = PBCLOSE(FileHandle)                        'close
  SHELL "notepad " + filname                          'show file
END FUNCTION

[Michael Mattias]

Yes, I should figure out how to align the 203-byte structure above.
Maybe someone will do it for me with this as a reward

???

I do this all the time, not that it's so hard... just round every member up in size to the the next highest multiple of four.

[Mike Doty]

Except, I thought VB also uses some method of natural alignment to place adjacent binary fields within the same boundary.
Plus, do I place DUMMY string members after the members?
DUMMY1 AS STRING * 1, DUMMY2 AS STRING * 2, etc ...

[Michael Mattias]

Oh, I see, you want to match the VB definition? Not create a 'new' UDT which does not suffer from different aligments?

Then just make your PB UDT 'DWORD FILL' aligned

If you add DUMMY members, VB will re-align those, too because it don't know from "dummy."

If you have the luxury of defining the UDT from scratch, all you do is change STRING*1, 2 or 3 to STRING*4, STRING*5,6,or 7 to STRING*8, etc... round each member to next multiple of four in size. You can probably do some by twos, but as long as you are redesigning just 'do it' and have it done with for all time.

[Mike Doty]

That makes sense. Thanks, again.

[Mike Doty]

'PBIO.BAS
'1) Is the file access by the length of the new DWORD FILL length (increasing the size on disk from 203 to ?
'2) Can just the 203-bytes be accessed and the structure copied to another structure with DWORD FILL?
'3) Is this structure only 205-bytes?
'4) VB will make this structure 392 bytes with unicode.

'

 
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=4]#COMPILE EXE[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=4]TYPE ClientType DWORD FILL[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]'                 'Start  Length[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]A AS INTEGER      '1           2[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]B AS STRING * 7   '3           7[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]C AS STRING * 20  '10         20[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]D AS STRING * 20  '30         20[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]E AS STRING * 10  '50         10[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]F AS STRING * 11  '60         11[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]G AS LONG         '71          4[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]H AS STRING * 30  '75         30[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]I AS STRING * 30  '105        30[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]J AS STRING * 20  '135        20[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]K AS STRING * 2   '155         2[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]L AS STRING * 1   '157         1[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]M AS STRING * 7   '158         7[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]N AS INTEGER      '165         2[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]O AS LONG         '167         4[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]P AS LONG         '171         4[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]Q AS INTEGER      '175         2[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]R AS STRING * 2   '177         2[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]S AS STRING * 3   '179         3[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]T AS STRING * 3   '182         3[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]U AS STRING * 8   '185         8[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]V AS STRING * 4   '193         4[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]W AS INTEGER      '197         2[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]X AS STRING * 1   '199         1[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]Y AS STRING * 4   '200         4[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]END TYPE[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=4]FUNCTION PBMAIN AS LONG[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]LOCAL CLIENT AS clienttype[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]MSGBOX STR$(LEN(CLIENT))      'Total 205 bytes using DWORD FILL[/FONT][/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]END FUNCTION[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Courier New]'[/FONT][/SIZE]

[Michael Mattias]

1) Is the file access by the length of the new DWORD FILL length (increasing the size on disk from 203 to ?

The record size is SIZEOF(UDT_var)

'2) Can just the 203-bytes be accessed and the structure copied to another structure with DWORD FILL?

If you mean with one assignment statement, no. You'd have to move each member individually.

'3) Is this structure only 205-bytes?

See answer to #1

'4) VB will make this structure 392 bytes with unicode.

A. So what?

B. Then you are passing it to your I-O module incorrectly from your VB program.

MCM

[Mike Doty]

This works correctly
Posted in case someone else has trouble using DWORD FILL
DWORD FILL can be removed when complete and the size will be the same.
Note 3 rules on page 526 of the manual

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
TYPE MyType 'DWORD FILL 
'                               Start Length  Total
  A AS INTEGER                ' 1     2       2
  B AS STRING * 7             ' 3     7       9
  C AS STRING * 20            ' 10    20      29
  D AS STRING * 20            ' 30,   20      49
  E AS STRING * 10            ' 50    10      59
  F AS STRING * 11            ' 60    11      70
  DUMMY1 AS STRING * 2        ' 71    2       72   make divisible by 4
                              '
  G AS LONG                   ' 73    4       76
  H AS STRING * 30            ' 77    30      106
  I AS STRING * 30            ' 107   30      136
  J AS STRING * 20            ' 137   20      156
  K AS STRING * 2             ' 157   2       158
  L AS STRING * 1             ' 159   1       159
  M AS STRING * 7             ' 160   7       166
  DUMMY2 AS STRING * 2        ' 167   2       168  make divisible by 4
                              '
  N AS INTEGER                ' 169   2       170
  DUMMY3 AS STRING * 2        ' 171   2       172  make divisible by 4
 
  O AS LONG                   ' 173   4       176
  P AS LONG                   ' 177   4       180
  Q AS INTEGER                ' 181   2       182
  R AS STRING * 2             ' 183   2       184
  S AS STRING * 3             ' 185   3       187
  T AS STRING * 3             ' 188   3       190
  U AS STRING * 8             ' 191   8       198
  V AS STRING * 4             ' 199   4       202
  DUMMY4 AS STRING * 2        ' 203   2       204
 
  W AS INTEGER                ' 205   2       206
  X AS STRING * 1             ' 207   1       207
  Y AS STRING * 4             ' 208   4       211
' No padding needed with DWORD FILL at end of structure
END TYPE
FUNCTION PBMAIN() AS LONG
  MSGBOX STR$(SIZEOF(MyType))
END FUNCTION