VBB DEV CSharpExpress2008

8/2/2019 VBB DEV CSharpExpress2008

1/13

Creating a VBB Component with C# Express 2008

C# Express 2008 is the freely available power entry level development

tool from Microsoft.

Here we use the C# language in C# Express 2008 to create the Lampcomponent for VBB3. It is assumed you are somewhat familiar with C#Express and VBB3.

Step 1: Create a C#Class Library Project

Your VBB components will

reside in a class librarywhich will be instantiatedby VBB3 using reflection

Step 2: Add VirtualBreadboard References

Add references to theIOpenVBB.DLL andOpenVBBLib.DLLcontained in the

Normally this is in theC:\VBB3 directory


2/13

Step 3: Rename the default class to MyLamp and enter thefollowing code

What this code actually does will be explained in a future tutorial. First wejust want to see how we can build it and plug it into C#

using com.virtualbreadboard.interfaces;

using com.virtualbreadboard.sim;

using com.virtualbreadboard.graphics.svg;

namespace MyVBBComponent

{

publicclassMyLamp : OpenVBBComponent

{

IopenVBBSVGFrame myLampON;

IopenVBBSVGFrame myLampOff;

IopenVBBXMLDOMNode myPinout;

IopenVBBVoltage myInputPin;

publicoverridevoid initSVGRenderer()

{

IopenVBBSVG svg = getSVG();

myPinout = svg.createGroup();

myPinout.appendChild(svg.createRectangle(0, 0, 5 *

SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, 5 * SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, "black", "black"));

myPinout.appendChild(svg.createPinCircle(2.5F *

SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, 6.0F * SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, 2, 1));

svg.setActiveGraphic(myPinout);

myLampON = svg.createFrame();

myLampON.append(svg.createCircle(2.5F * SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, 2.5F *

SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, 2 * SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, "red"));

myLampON.setVisible(false);

myLampOff = svg.createFrame();myLampOff.append(svg.createCircle(2.5F * SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, 2.5F

* SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, 2 * SVGDefs.GRIDSIZE, "darkred"));

myLampOff.setVisible(true);

}

publicoverridevoid wirePins(IopenVBBPortInterface portInterface,

IopenVBBWiringErrors errors)

{

myInputPin = portInterface.getPin(1);

myInputPin.RegisterAsVoltageSink(this);

}

publicoverrideint getPinCount()

{

return 1;

}

publicoverridevoid sweepPins(double elapsedTime)

{

myLampON.setVisible(myInputPin.isHigh());

myLampOff.setVisible(!myInputPin.isHigh());

}

}

}


3/13

Step 4: Save the project and configure the target .net runtime

Next we need to configure the target .net platform. This is needed because VBB3 is

currently being developed using VS2005 and the .NET 2.0 runtime. C# Express 2008

presently defaults to .NET 2.5 runtime but it does allow you to target earlier

platforms.

However before you can target a different platform C# Express requires you to save

the project. I Saved the project as MyVBBComponent and C# Express placed this

automatically in the default development directory which for me on Vista is

C:\Users\James\Documents\Visual Studio

2008\Projects\MyVBBComponent\MyVBBComponent\bin\Debug

Keep note of this directory as we will use it later.

Now that the project is saved you can configure the runtime. Select the project

properties and select the target framework as .NET Framework 2.0


4/13


5/13

Step 5: Edit the User.xml

Next we need to tell VBB where to find your new component. This is done via the

plugin XML documents. There is one document User.xml ready for use with your

own components. Edit the document

/skin/vbb/User.xml

Update the tag with the name of your component not forgetting to prepend

the project namespace to the component. Also update the tag of the assembly

to point to the .dll you built in step 4

UserUser defined lamp

MyVBBComponent.MyLamp

assembly

C:\Users\James\Documents\VisualStudio 2008\Projects\MyVBBComponent\MyVBBComponent\bin\Debug\

MyVBBComponent.dll

Step 6: Locatingyour Componentin VBB

Run VirtualBreadboard

and create a new VBB

Project. Your component

is located in the UserToolbox


6/13

Step 7: Testing your component

You can test out your new component by placing it on a breadboard and wiring it up.

A simple test is to connect it to a DIP power component.

Running the breadboard you can select the DIP high to power the light.


7/13

Using C# Express in debug mode

You can also configure C# Express to debug your component using the full power of

Visual Studio including dynamic hotcode development.

C# Express does not allow you to launch a component library directly. Instead we

first need to add a separate launcher project.

First right click on the solution and

Add a New Project

Next select a Windows Form Application Project and call it VBBLauncher or similar


8/13

Step 1: Configuring the VBBLauncher project

There are a couple of things we need to do to configure the new project in no

particular order

Set the VBBLauncher as the default startup project Set the .net runtime target as .net 2.0 Add a reference to the MyVBBComponent library Deselect the loaderlock in the Exceptions manager Remove unneeded references

Set the VBBLauncher as the default startup project

From the VBBLauncher application right click and choose Set as Startup Projectoption. This configures the solution to launch the VBBLancher application on startup.


9/13

Set the .net runtime target as .net 2.0

Select the project VBBLauncher properties and select the .NET Framework 2.0

Add a reference to the MyVBBComponent library

Add a reference to the MyVBBComponent library by right licking on the referencesof the VBBLauncher application and selecting Add reference. From the Projects Tab

select the MyVBBComponent and click OK.


10/13


11/13

Step 2: Add the launcher code to the default Form

Now the project is configured you just need to add a launch button to the default

form.

Add a button on the default form called Launch VBB and double click the button to

enter the startup code.

Enter the following code

using System;

using System.ComponentModel;

using System.Data;

using System.Drawing;

using System.Text;

using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace VBBLauncher

{

publicpartialclassForm1 : Form

{

public Form1()

{

InitializeComponent();

}

privatevoid button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

AppDomain vbb = AppDomain.CreateDomain("VBB");

vbb.ExecuteAssembly("C:\\VBB3\\VirtualBreadboard.exe" );

}

}

}


12/13


13/13