Re: xAPLabs BSC test application

["kriskurran" <kriskurran@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, that is not good news.   I had hoped we could test against these
applications as I had thought it was yourself that recommended them for
this purpose.

What other saplication can you suggest that offers the 3 BSC device
categories in both input and output versions ?

It seems I need to read the BSC specification again as some of what you say
below is different to my understanding. I thought TEXT devices could
contain any text and not just for numeric data , that a text input device
would be something like a keyboard or a text entry field and that the text
or displaytext keys could appear in xapbsc.cmd messages too.  Seems I have
a lot still to learn.

I tried addressing a specific endpoint in your application with a 
xapbsc.query message and there were no replies at all. I could only get a
response by sending the message without any endpoint identifier.

regards Kris

--- In xap_automation@xxxxxxx, "turner228" <kevin@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi
> I wrote the xAPLabs applications back in 2005. This was for me
pimarily an exercise in learning Visual Basic 6 and using the xAPIntranet
ocx.
>
> In addition they were an attempt to provide some attractive test and
demo applications for use with other xAP applications such as xAP Desktop
and xAP Floorplan, and with hardware like xAP-Netiom.
>
> You will see that the applications have not been updated since they
were originally posted back in 2005. This is primarily because there was
little feedback, positive or negative. I have written many other xAP apps
since, but these have been to suit my own needs, and and were not posted
because I did not feel inclined to document and support them long term.
>
> Regrettably I do not currently have a test and development environment
suitable for my old VB6 applications available. If necessary i can
re-create one, but this would not be for a couple of weeks.
>
> I am not part of the original xAP Team, or part of the specification
group, just a user like you. The xAPLab applications are not formal
references to test against, but are aids to testing and implementation.
>
> So specific asnwers to your questions:
>
> 1) "We can only find xAP Labs for the BSC binary type - where is
the level based example device ?"
>
> I never posted a level device example
>
> 2) "There is an LCD output Text display device but we are not
sure if it is BSC and also where is the BSC Text input device ?"
>
> The LCD simulation was specifically not for the xAPBSC schema. It was
designed as a way of displaying messages of the
"message.display","xap-osd.display",
"cid.incoming" and "cid.lookup" schema which come from,
typically, applications like xAP Switchboard.
>
> The text key in the xAPBSC schema is for "Stream" Device
types which are how xAPBSC supports analog devices. Text values are normaly
numeric only, eg 24.2
>
> The Displaytext key is optional for any xAPBSC device type and can be
alphanumeric and normaly expands on the text key eg Indoor temp 24.2 C
>
> Both the text and displaytext keys only appear in xAPBSC.event and
xAPBSC.info messages.
>
> I am not aware of a "BSC Text input device"
>
> 3) "When we send a xapbsc.cmd to the lamp devices the ID= value
is ignored. Even if the ID does not match the device the lamp is changing.
The BSC specification indicates this is wrong."
>
> None of these xAPLab apps implemented the extra complexity of the
multisection xAPBSC.cmd or of wildcarding commands and so ignored the ID=
key. I was not particularly happy with the idea of allowing wildcarding for
commands and I have not come accross any xAP application which implements
it.
>
> 4) "When we send a query to the xAPLab application to just one
lamp it does not reply with a message. Only if we send a message to every
lamp does it reply. Again this does not match the BSC specification."
>
> As I recall, a xAPLab application will respond to a xAPBSC.query to
any endpoint with xAPBSC.info messages from all the enpoints. Granted this
is a lazy implementation, but the required information is provided.
>
> 5) "We have some problems with the wildcard matching also, again
it does not seem to follow the xAP specification."
>
> This is entirely possible as some of the wildcarding concepts are
complex.
>
> Sorry these may not be the answers you had possibly hoped for.
>
> kevint
> (the other kevin)
>
> --- In xap_automation@xxxxxxx, "kriskurran"
<kriskurran@> wrote:
> >
> >   We are trying to add xAP BSC support into our application .  As
we have no xAP hardware it was recommended we use xAPLabs to emulate the
devices,  but we have some problems it seems.
> >
> >    1) We can only find xAP Labs for the BSC binary type - where
is the level based example device ?
> >
> >    2) There is an LCD output Text display device but we are not
sure if it is BSC and also where is the BSC Text input device ?
> >
> >    3) When we send a xapbsc.cmd to the lamp devices the ID= value
is ignored. Even if the ID does not match the device the lamp is changing.
The BSC specification indicates this is wrong.
> >
> >    4) When we send a query to the xAPLab application to just one
lamp it does not reply with a message.  Only if we send a message to every
lamp does it reply.  Again this does not match the BSC specification.
> >
> >    5) We have some problems with the wildcard matching also,
again it does not seem to follow the xAP specification.
> >
> >    We assume xAPLabs is a reference to test against , can you
help us please to test this application as we have just a few days to work
on this.
> >
> > regards Kris
> >
>




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