Non-blocking read of stdin? - vb6

Question

I need to have my form-based application check stdin periodically for input, but still perform other processing. Scripting.TextStream.Read() and the ReadFile() API are blocking, is there a non-blocking method of reading stdin in VB6?
With Timer1 set to fire every 100 ms, I've tried:
Private Declare Function AllocConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function FreeConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Dim sin As Scripting.TextStream
Private Sub Form_Load()
AllocConsole
Dim FSO As New Scripting.FileSystemObject
Set sin = FSO.GetStandardStream(StdIn)
Timer1.Enabled = True
End Sub
Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
Dim cmd As String
While Not sin.AtEndOfStream
cmd = sin.Read(1)
Select Case cmd
' Case statements to process each byte read...
End Select
Wend
End Sub
I've also tried:
Private Declare Function AllocConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function FreeConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function GetStdHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal nStdHandle As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadFileA Lib "kernel32" Alias "ReadFile" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nNumberOfBytesToRead As Long, lpNumberOfBytesRead As Long, lpOverlapped As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
Private Const STD_INPUT_HANDLE = -10&
Dim hStdIn As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
AllocConsole
hStdIn = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE)
Timer1.Enabled = True
End Sub
Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
Dim bytesRead as Long
Dim cmd As String
cmd = Space$(16)
cmd = ReadFile(hStdIn, ByVal cmd, Len(cmd), bytesRead, ByVal 0&)
' Statements to process each Line read...
End Sub
I've tried the ReadConsole() API, too, they all block.

Answer 1

Use vbAdvance add-in to compile following sample with "Build As Console Application" option checked.
Option Explicit
'--- for GetStdHandle
Private Const STD_INPUT_HANDLE As Long = -10&
Private Const STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE As Long = -11&
'--- for PeekConsoleInput
Private Const KEY_EVENT As Long = 1
'--- for GetFileType
Private Const FILE_TYPE_PIPE As Long = &H3
Private Const FILE_TYPE_DISK As Long = &H1
Private Declare Function GetStdHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal nStdHandle As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetConsoleMode Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hConsoleHandle As Long, lpMode As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetConsoleMode Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hConsoleHandle As Long, ByVal dwMode As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function PeekNamedPipe Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hNamedPipe As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nBufferSize As Long, ByVal lpBytesRead As Long, lpTotalBytesAvail As Long, ByVal lpBytesLeftThisMessage As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nNumberOfBytesToRead As Long, lpNumberOfBytesRead As Long, ByVal lpOverlapped As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function OemToCharBuff Lib "user32" Alias "OemToCharBuffA" (ByVal lpszSrc As String, ByVal lpszDst As String, ByVal cchDstLength As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function WriteFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nNumberOfBytesToWrite As Long, lpNumberOfBytesWritten As Long, lpOverlapped As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function CharToOemBuff Lib "user32" Alias "CharToOemBuffA" (ByVal lpszSrc As String, lpszDst As Any, ByVal cchDstLength As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function PeekConsoleInput Lib "kernel32" Alias "PeekConsoleInputA" (ByVal hConsoleInput As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nLength As Long, lpNumberOfEventsRead As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadConsoleInput Lib "kernel32" Alias "ReadConsoleInputA" (ByVal hConsoleInput As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nLength As Long, lpNumberOfEventsRead As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetFileType Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long) As Long
Sub Main()
Dim hStdIn As Long
Dim sBuffer As String
Dim dblTimer As Double
hStdIn = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE)
Do
sBuffer = sBuffer & ConsoleReadAvailable(hStdIn)
If dblTimer + 1 < Timer Then
dblTimer = Timer
Call OemToCharBuff(sBuffer, sBuffer, Len(sBuffer))
ConsolePrint "%1: %2" & vbCrLf, Format$(Timer, "0.00"), sBuffer
sBuffer = vbNullString
End If
Loop
End Sub
Private Function ConsoleReadAvailable(ByVal hStdIn As Long) As String
Dim lType As Long
Dim sBuffer As String
Dim lChars As Long
Dim lMode As Long
Dim lAvailChars As Long
Dim baBuffer(0 To 512) As Byte
Dim lEvents As Long
lType = GetFileType(hStdIn)
If lType = FILE_TYPE_PIPE Then
If PeekNamedPipe(hStdIn, ByVal 0, 0, 0, lAvailChars, 0) = 0 Then
Exit Function
End If
End If
If lType = FILE_TYPE_DISK Or lAvailChars > 0 Then
sBuffer = Space(IIf(lAvailChars > 0, lAvailChars, 512))
Call ReadFile(hStdIn, ByVal sBuffer, Len(sBuffer), lChars, 0)
ConsoleReadAvailable = Left$(sBuffer, lChars)
End If
If GetConsoleMode(hStdIn, lMode) <> 0 Then
Call SetConsoleMode(hStdIn, 0)
Do While PeekConsoleInput(hStdIn, baBuffer(0), 1, lEvents) <> 0
If lEvents = 0 Then
Exit Do
End If
If baBuffer(0) = KEY_EVENT And baBuffer(4) <> 0 Then ' baBuffer(4) = INPUT_RECORD.bKeyDown
sBuffer = Space(1)
Call ReadFile(hStdIn, ByVal sBuffer, Len(sBuffer), lChars, 0)
ConsoleReadAvailable = ConsoleReadAvailable & Left$(sBuffer, lChars)
Else
Call ReadConsoleInput(hStdIn, baBuffer(0), 1, lEvents)
End If
Loop
Call SetConsoleMode(hStdIn, lMode)
End If
End Function
Public Function ConsolePrint(ByVal sText As String, ParamArray A() As Variant) As String
' Const FUNC_NAME As String = "ConsolePrint"
Dim lI As Long
Dim sArg As String
Dim baBuffer() As Byte
Dim dwDummy As Long
'--- format
For lI = UBound(A) To LBound(A) Step -1
sArg = Replace(A(lI), "%", ChrW$(&H101))
sText = Replace(sText, "%" & (lI - LBound(A) + 1), sArg)
Next
ConsolePrint = Replace(sText, ChrW$(&H101), "%")
'--- output
ReDim baBuffer(1 To Len(ConsolePrint)) As Byte
If CharToOemBuff(ConsolePrint, baBuffer(1), UBound(baBuffer)) Then
Call WriteFile(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), baBuffer(1), UBound(baBuffer), dwDummy, ByVal 0&)
End If
End Function

Answer 2

I am afraid that I haven't managed to get this to work as of yet, however someone else might be able to have a go. The ideas was to use asynchronous I/O with the console std input (I assume the idea of your app is to allow people to write directly into the console window, and read the input as it comes).
I separated off all the API stuff into a module (MAsynchConsole):
Option Explicit
Private Const GENERIC_READ As Long = &H80000000
Private Const GENERIC_WRITE As Long = &H40000000
Private Const OPEN_EXISTING As Long = 3&
Private Const FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED As Long = &H40000000
Private Const FILE_SHARE_READ As Long = &H1
Private Const FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING As Long = &H20000000
Private Type OVERLAPPED
Internal As Long
InternalHigh As Long
OffsetOrPointer As Long
OffsetHigh As Long
hEvent As Long
End Type
Private Type OVERLAPPED_ENTRY
lpCompletionKey As Long
lpOverlapped As Long ' pointer to OVERLAPPED
Internal As Long
dwNumberOfBytesTransferred As Long
End Type
Private Declare Function AllocConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function CancelIo Lib "Kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hFile As Long _
) As Long
Private Declare Function CreateFile Lib "Kernel32.dll" Alias "CreateFileW" ( _
ByVal lpFileName As Long, _
ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, _
ByVal dwShareModen As Long, _
ByRef lpSecurityAttributes As Any, _
ByVal dwCreationDisposition As Long, _
ByVal dwFlagsAndAttributes As Long, _
ByVal hTemplateFile As Long _
) As Long
Private Declare Function FreeConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function GetStdHandle Lib "kernel32" ( _
ByVal nStdHandle As Long _
) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadFile Lib "Kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hFile As Long, _
ByVal lpBuffer As Long, _
ByVal nNumberOfBytesToRead As Long, _
ByRef lpNumberOfBytesRead As Long, _
ByRef lpOverlapped As OVERLAPPED _
) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadFileEx Lib "Kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hFile As Long, _
ByVal lpBuffer As Long, _
ByVal nNumberOfBytesToRead As Long, _
ByRef lpOverlapped As OVERLAPPED, _
ByVal lpCompletionRoutine As Long _
) As Long
Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
Private m_hStdIn As Long
Private m_uOverlapped As OVERLAPPED
Private m_sUnicodeBuffer As String
Private m_oReadCallback As IReadCallback
Public Sub CloseConsole()
CancelIo m_hStdIn
Set m_oReadCallback = Nothing
m_sUnicodeBuffer = vbNullString
CloseHandle m_hStdIn
FreeConsole
End Sub
Private Sub FileIOCompletionRoutine( _
ByVal dwErrorCode As Long, _
ByVal dwNumberOfBytesTransfered As Long, _
ByRef uOverlapped As OVERLAPPED _
)
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "FileIOCompletionRoutine"
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "dwErrorCode = " & CStr(dwErrorCode)
If dwErrorCode Then
MsgBox "Error = " & CStr(dwErrorCode)
CloseConsole
Exit Sub
End If
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "dwNumberOfBytesTransfered = " & CStr(dwNumberOfBytesTransfered)
m_oReadCallback.DataRead Left$(m_sUnicodeBuffer, dwNumberOfBytesTransfered)
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
'
End Sub
Public Sub OpenConsoleForInput(ByRef the_oReadCallback As IReadCallback)
Dim sFileName As String
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Set m_oReadCallback = the_oReadCallback
AllocConsole
'm_hStdIn = GetStdHandle(-10&)
sFileName = "CONIN$"
'm_hStdIn = CreateFile(StrPtr(sFileName), GENERIC_READ, FILE_SHARE_READ, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, 0&, 0&)
m_hStdIn = CreateFile(StrPtr(sFileName), GENERIC_READ Or GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ, ByVal 0&, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED, 0&)
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "m_hStdIn = " & CStr(m_hStdIn)
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "LastError = " & CStr(Err.LastDllError)
m_sUnicodeBuffer = Space$(8192)
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
Err.Raise Err.Number, Err.Source, Err.Description
End Sub
Public Sub Read()
Dim nRet As Long
Dim nBytesRead As Long
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "About to call ReadFileExe"
'm_uOverlapped.OffsetHigh = 0&
'm_uOverlapped.OffsetOrPointer = 0&
'nRet = ReadFile(m_hStdIn, StrPtr(m_sUnicodeBuffer), LenB(m_sUnicodeBuffer), nBytesRead, m_uOverlapped)
nRet = ReadFileEx(m_hStdIn, StrPtr(m_sUnicodeBuffer), LenB(m_sUnicodeBuffer), m_uOverlapped, AddressOf FileIOCompletionRoutine)
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "nRet = " & CStr(nRet)
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "nBytesRead = " & CStr(nBytesRead)
If nRet = 0 Then
m_oReadCallback.DataRead "Err.LastDllError = " & CStr(Err.LastDllError)
Else
m_oReadCallback.DataRead StrConv(Left$(m_sUnicodeBuffer, nBytesRead), vbUnicode)
End If
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
Err.Raise Err.Number, Err.Source, Err.Description
End Sub
This relies on an interface (IReadCallback) to communicate with the main GUI.
Option Explicit
Public Sub DataRead(ByRef out_sData As String)
'
End Sub
This is my sample form (FAsynchConsoleTest) - which uses a Timer (Timer) and RichTextBox (txtStdIn):
Option Explicit
Implements IReadCallback
Private Sub Form_Load()
MAsynchConsole.OpenConsoleForInput Me
Timer.Enabled = True
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
MAsynchConsole.CloseConsole
End Sub
Private Sub IReadCallback_DataRead(out_sData As String)
txtStdIn.SelStart = Len(txtStdIn.Text)
txtStdIn.SelText = vbNewLine & out_sData
End Sub
Private Sub mnuTimerOff_Click()
Timer.Enabled = False
End Sub
Private Sub mnuTimerOn_Click()
Timer.Enabled = True
End Sub
Private Sub Timer_Timer()
MAsynchConsole.Read
End Sub
Unfortunately, whilst CreateFile() using FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED should create a file handle that can be used with async I/O, and the handle seems valid, ReadFileEx() returns 0, and GetLastError is 6, which is:
//
// MessageId: ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE
//
// MessageText:
//
// The handle is invalid.
//
#define ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE 6L
The console, interestingly, is frozen whilst this all happens.
Anyone else have any ideas? The docs seem to suggest that if you use CreateFile() with a console device name, the parameter is ignored.

Answer 3

wqw's answer doesn't work for a form-based application, but the prototypes given there for Peek/ReadConsoleInput allow for one that does:
Private Declare Function AllocConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function FreeConsole Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetStdHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal nStdHandle As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function PeekConsoleInput Lib "kernel32" Alias "PeekConsoleInputA" (ByVal hConsoleInput As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nLength As Long, lpNumberOfEventsRead As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadConsoleInput Lib "kernel32" Alias "ReadConsoleInputA" (ByVal hConsoleInput As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nLength As Long, lpNumberOfEventsRead As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function ReadFile Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hFile As Long, lpBuffer As Any, ByVal nNumberOfBytesToRead As Long, lpNumberOfBytesRead As Long, ByVal lpOverlapped As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetConsoleMode Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hConsoleInput As Long, dwMode As Long) As Long
Private Const STD_INPUT_HANDLE As Long = -10& ' GetStdHandle()
Private Const KEY_EVENT As Long = 1 ' PeekConsoleInput()
Private Const ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT As Long = &H1 ' SetConsoleMode()
Private Const ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT As Long = &H4
Dim hStdIn As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
AllocConsole
hStdIn = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE)
SetConsoleMode hStdIn, ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT ' Or ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT ' uncomment to see the characters typed (for debugging)
Timer1.Enabled = True
Exit Sub
End Sub
Private Sub Form_QueryUnload(Cancel As Integer, UnloadMode As Integer)
CloseHandle hStdIn
FreeConsole
End Sub
Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
Dim bytesRead As Long
Dim buffer As String
Dim baBuffer(0 To 512) As Byte
Dim lEvents As Long
PeekConsoleInput hStdIn, baBuffer(0), 1, lEvents
If lEvents > 0 Then
If baBuffer(0) = KEY_EVENT And baBuffer(4) <> 0 Then ' baBuffer(4) = INPUT_RECORD.bKeyDown
buffer = Space$(1)
Call ReadFile(hStdIn, ByVal buffer, Len(buffer), bytesRead, 0)
' buffer now contains one byte read from console
' Statements to process go here.
Else
Call ReadConsoleInput(hStdIn, baBuffer(0), 1, lEvents)
End If
End If
End Sub
PeekNamedPipe, GetConsoleMode and PeekConsoleInput will all return zero if your app isn't a true VB6 console app (though all that may be required is linking with the console subsystem, e.g., "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\vb98\LINK.EXE" /EDIT /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE MyApp.exe, I haven't tested it that far). They still work, however, at least Peek... does.
It is key that only one byte is read on each pass, as reading what is in baBuffer is problematic past the first record (INPUT_RECORD structure), but one byte at a time non-blocking is better than none at all. For me, Timer1 is set at 100 ms, but a better setting might be 55 ms, the events time slice.
Also key is that ReadConsoleInput is non-blocking if there is an event present on stdin, not just a key to be read. Using it when the recognized event isn't a key, effectively clears the event, allowing the application to proceed. It is possible to use this to read the bytes from the buffer without using ReadFile at all:
PeekConsoleInput hStdIn, baBuffer(0), 1, lEvents
If lEvents > 0 Then
Call ReadConsoleInput(hStdIn, baBuffer(0), 1, lEvents)
If baBuffer(0) = KEY_EVENT And baBuffer(4) <> 0 Then
' Chr(baBuffer(14)) now produces the character typed...
This hasn't been tested for reading true human input, except in the simplest debugging during construction, but it does work and should allow most VB6 form-based apps to effectively use a console. Thank you wqw!