Microsoft KB Archive/46376

= How to Pipe ( | ) Input into a QuickBasic Program =

Article ID: 46376

Article Last Modified on 8/16/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft QuickBasic 4.0
 * Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.0b
 * Microsoft QuickBasic 4.5 for MS-DOS
 * Microsoft BASIC Compiler 6.0
 * Microsoft BASIC Compiler 6.0b
 * Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System 7.0

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This article was previously published under Q46376



SUMMARY
It is possible to use DOS redirection to pipe output from a program into a QuickBasic program. To do this, the QuickBasic program must CALL INTERRUPT 21 Hex, with function 3F Hex, to get the input from the DOS device CON.

This information applies to Microsoft QuickBasic Versions 3.00, 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50 for MS-DOS, to Microsoft Basic Compiler Versions 6.00 and 6.00b for MS-DOS, and to Microsoft Basic PDS Version 7.00 for MS-DOS.



MORE INFORMATION
DOS redirection is a feature of DOS Versions 2.00 and later. It allows you to take the output that would normally go to a device like the terminal's screen and redirect or &quot;pipe&quot; the output into another program. The program on the receiving end then takes the input and processes or &quot;filters&quot; the input. This is why these programs are often called &quot;filters.&quot; The syntax for the DOS pipe command is the following: DOS-PROMPT> p1 | p2 In this command, p1 is the program performing the output, | is called the pipe symbol, and p2 is the program performing the input or filtering. An example of a common use for this feature of DOS is as follows: DOS-PROMPT> dir | sort The &quot;dir&quot; command gives a listing of the current directory, which is piped into the DOS &quot;sort&quot; program. Sort then filters the input and displays the directory listing in sorted order.

However, the output from p1, the first program, can be piped into a QuickBasic program as well. The QuickBasic program can then read the input from the DOS device CON. This is possible because DOS stores the output from the first program in a temporary file. The QuickBasic program can then CALL INTERRUPT 21H function 3FH to retrieve the input. This function inputs a specific number of bytes from a file or device, such as the CON device.

Interrupt 21 Hex, with function 3F hex, requires five register parameters to be passed:

AH = The function number, 3F Hex.

BX = Handle to the file or device.

CX = The number of bytes to read.

DS = Segment of the buffer area. The buffer will be a string.

DX = Offset of the buffer area.

For more detailed information on INTERRUPT 21 Hex and function 3F Hex, redirection, and filters, consult &quot;Advanced MS-DOS Programming&quot; by Ray Duncan, published by Microsoft Press, copyright 1988.

For more information on using the QuickBasic CALL INTERRUPT, search on the following word:

QB4INT

Note: You can pipe information into a QuickBasic program, but it is more difficult to pipe information from a QuickBasic program to another program. QuickBasic usually does not output information through DOS services but accesses the hardware directly. The PRINT statement, for example, displays text directly to video memory, not to the DOS CON device. To direct output from a Basic program to CON, you must either OPEN the Basic device &quot;CONS&quot; (with no colon) for output as a file and PRINT#n all information to that file number (#n), or use INTERRUPT 21 Hex, with function 40 Hex, to output to the CON device. This output could be piped into another program.

Code Example
'*********************************************************** '* This program calls the DOS INTerrupt 21H function 3FH  * '* in order to read any input that has been redirected    * '* to it with the | operator from DOS. It then echoes the * '* input to the screen, and filters out any extra Line    * '* Feed characters. * '***********************************************************

REM $INCLUDE: 'qb.bi' ' For BC.EXE and QBX.EXE for Basic 7.00 use the include file 'QBX.BI'

DIM inregs AS RegTypeX, outregs AS RegTypeX

REM $DYNAMIC DIM tempvar(10) AS STRING * 10 'NOTE: The length of the string and the number of bytes read '     (inregs.cx) should be the same.

DO ' Set up the parameters for the CALL INTERRUPTX inregs.ax = &H3F00 ' AH gets the functions number. inregs.bx = 0      ' The is the handle to the CON device is 0. inregs.cx = 10     ' Request to read 10 characters at a time. inregs.ds = VARSEG(tempvar(1)) ' Segment of the buffer area. inregs.dx = VARPTR(tempvar(1)) ' Offset of the buffer area.

'INT 21H function 3FH to read a file or device. CALL INTERRUPTX(&H21, inregs, outregs)

'The number of bytes actually read is returned in AX. 'We requested 10, so if it reads fewer, then we are done. IF outregs.ax < 10 THEN EXIT DO

' Filter the string returned FOR i = 1 TO LEN(tempvar(1)) a$ = MID$(tempvar(1), i, 1) ' DOS puts a line feed (LF) after its carriage return. ' We want to avoid this, because the PRINT will add an     ' extra carriage return after this line feed.

IF NOT (a$ = CHR$(10)) THEN PRINT a$; END IF   NEXT LOOP END

Additional query words: QuickBas BasicCom

Keywords: KB46376

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