Please Help! beginner needs assistance with SP-FORTH...

[LuckMan212]

ok I am trying out the nnCron and it seems really powerful. I am using version v 1.91b11 Build 1049. I am not really a programmer but I usually can figure things out and I do know a little javascript, perl, and batch files hehe Anyway I have here a task which WORKS 99% except there a few things that I cant figure out even after hours of poring over documentation and even trying to read Thinking Forth.PDF which was suggested:

So basically it is an "advanced" time-sync Task, here are the features:

• 1) there is a file called "time_servers.txt" containing a list of NTP servers, one on each line, that will be tried until one succeeds to set the time
  
• 2) if this time_servers.txt file is missing or empty, do not attempt to sync the clock and pop a balloon hint showing an error
  
• 3) the filename (in my case "time_servers.txt") is stored in a variable (array??) so it can easily be changed
  
• 4) if console is open, activity will also be sent to the console
  
• 5) if no sync can occur after going through entire list of servers, then show a permanent "hint" window so in case I am away, I am alerted to the problem.

OK that's basically the idea. So everything is working, except I have a couple of questions, PLEASE!

• Q1) when I try to replace the following (on line #10):

  Code: Select all

  S" time_servers.txt" R/O OPEN-FILE-SHARED THROW time_server_list !

  ...with this (variable used):

  Code: Select all

  time_server_file COUNT TYPE R/O OPEN-FILE-SHARED THROW time_server_list !

  ....it doesnt work and I get strange errors and exceptions thrown in Console. I have also tried these variations:

  Code: Select all

  %time_server_file%
time_server_file @
S" %time_server_file COUNT%

  How can I insert the filename to open from the variable?
  
  
• Q2) This code is a little sloppy, is there a better way (instead of using EXIT command) to break out of the WHILE loop once it is successfully sync'ed? I would like to not have to repeat sections of the code, e.g. the line to CLOSE-FILE is repeated, can this be made more efficient? Ideally, I would like the fork on the WHILE loop to test for BOTH conditions-- like this (in human-language):

  Code: Select all

  IF
    there is another line to be read from the text file
AND
    the time has not yet been synced
THEN
    continue trying
ELSE
    exit the loop and close the file handle
ENDIF

  
  
• Q3) is there some place I can read a beginner's tutorial of using variables, especially string variables, in SP-FORTH? I am finding this very difficult to grasp, all the different ways to reference and declare variables like VARIABLE, CREATE, ALLOT, @, W@, C@, %var% etc etc.. I am lost!!

so anyway here is the code....

Code: Select all

#( Time_Sync
VARIABLE time_server_list
CREATE time_server_file 256 ALLOT
S" time_servers.txt" time_server_file PLACE
CREATE curNtpSrv 256 ALLOT
Time: 45 0,4,8,16,20 * * * *
Action:
   FILE-EXIST: "%time_server_file COUNT%" FILE-EMPTY: "%time_server_file COUNT%" NOT AND
    IF
      S" time_servers.txt" R/O OPEN-FILE-SHARED THROW time_server_list !
      BEGIN curNtpSrv 1+ 255 time_server_list @ READ-LINE THROW WHILE
      curNtpSrv C!

      TP-SYNC: "%curNtpSrv COUNT%"
      TP-SYNC-RESULT 0<>
      IF
         ." NTP      : could not sync with " curNtpSrv COUNT TYPE CR
      ELSE
         1 BalloonIcon !
         BALLOON: "NTP Update Succeeded" "Synchronized with %curNtpSrv COUNT% (%TP-SYNC-DELAY% ms)"
         ." NTP      : synchronized with " curNtpSrv COUNT TYPE ."  (" TP-SYNC-DELAY . ." ms)" CR
         time_server_list @ CLOSE-FILE DROP
         EXIT
      THEN

      REPEAT
      DROP
      HINT-OFF
      HINT-POS: 837 960 HINT-SIZE: 436 27
      HINT: "NTP Error: Could not synchronize with any of the time servers provided."
      time_server_list @ CLOSE-FILE DROP
    ELSE
        3 BalloonIcon !
      BALLOON: "NTP Configuration Error" "The '%time_server_file COUNT%' file is missing or empty."
    THEN
)#

can anyone please help me? thanks!!

[Nicholas_Nemtsev]

1. Use ZPLACE and ASCIIZ> instead PLACE and COUNT.

Code: Select all

CREATE time_server_file 256 ALLOT
S" time_servers.txt" time_server_file ZPLACE
...
FILE-EXIST: "%time_server_file ASCIIZ>%" ...
...
time_server_file ASCIIZ> R/O OPEN-FILE-SHARED THROW time_server_list !


2.

Code: Select all

: get-next-line ( -- a u true | -- false ) ... ;
: sync-time ( -- ?) ... ;
...
BEGIN
   get-next-line
   IF  sync-time
   ELSE TRUE THEN
UNTIL

3. There is not documentation for all sp-forth/nncron words. See sources.

[LuckMan212]

Thank you, #1 works perfect

as for #2, I see you are asking me to define some new "words". But what does this mean:

Code: Select all

 ( -- a u true | -- false ) ... ;

is that just comments? I am not sure where I am supposed to put this. I am supposed to chop up the code into subroutines I guess?
Do these word declarations go inside the "action" portion of the Task,or before it, or completely in a separate .spf "plugin" file..?
Please can you pretend I don't know anything (because I really dont) and try to give me a little more details, sorry to be a pain but I just did buy the software and am looking for some help... thanks

[Nicholas_Nemtsev]

Yes, ( -- ... ) is comment.

Code: Select all

#( Time_Sync
VARIABLE time_server_list
CREATE time_server_file 256 ALLOT
S" time_servers.txt" time_server_file PLACE
CREATE curNtpSrv 256 ALLOT
Time: 45 0,4,8,16,20 * * * *
: next-line ( -- ? )
  curNtpSrv 1+ 255 time_server_list @ READ-LINE 0<> SWAP 0= OR
  IF DROP FALSE ELSE curNtpSrv C! TRUE THEN ;
: sync-time ( -- ?)
      TP-SYNC: "%curNtpSrv COUNT%"
      TP-SYNC-RESULT 0= ;
Action:
...


[LuckMan212]

Nicholas,
I know English is not your 1st language. And I see you are a man of few words. I can respect that.

But please.. I am really begging you . Pretend I don't know anything about programming and can you please tell me how to make this task (complete) . Posting these small code fragments is not helping me, it just leads to more frustration.

I have tried to help support you by purchasing the program. I really need a little bit more help with this.
Thank you.

Can you please fill in the incorrect portions of this? (completely broken code below!)

Code: Select all

#( Time_Sync
VARIABLE time_server_list
CREATE time_server_file 256 ALLOT
S" time_servers.txt" time_server_file ZPLACE
CREATE curNtpSrv 256 ALLOT
Time: 45 0,4,8,16,20 * * * *
: next-line ( -- ? )
  curNtpSrv 1+ 255 time_server_list @ READ-LINE 0<> SWAP 0= OR
  IF DROP FALSE ELSE curNtpSrv C! TRUE THEN ;
: sync-time ( -- ?)
      TP-SYNC: "%curNtpSrv COUNT%"
      TP-SYNC-RESULT 0= ;

Action:
   FILE-EXIST: "%time_server_file ASCIIZ>%" FILE-EMPTY: "%time_server_file ASCIIZ>%" NOT AND
    IF
      time_server_file ASCIIZ> R/O OPEN-FILE-SHARED THROW time_server_list !
      BEGIN next-line THROW WHILE
         sync-time
         IF
            ." NTP      : could not sync with " curNtpSrv COUNT TYPE CR
         ELSE
            1 BalloonIcon !
            BALLOON: "NTP Update Succeeded" "Synchronized with %curNtpSrv COUNT% (%TP-SYNC-DELAY% ms)"
            ." NTP      : synchronized with " curNtpSrv COUNT TYPE ."  (" TP-SYNC-DELAY . ." ms)" CR
         THEN

      REPEAT
      DROP
      HINT-OFF
      HINT-POS: 837 960 HINT-SIZE: 436 27
      HINT: "NTP Error: Could not synchronize with any of the time servers provided."
      time_server_list @ CLOSE-FILE DROP
    ELSE
        3 BalloonIcon !
      BALLOON: "NTP Configuration Error" "The '%time_server_file ASCIIZ>%' file is missing or empty."
    THEN
)#


[Nicholas_Nemtsev]

:)

Code: Select all

#( Time_Sync
VARIABLE time_server_list
CREATE time_server_file 256 ALLOT S" time_servers.txt" time_server_file ZPLACE
CREATE curNtpSrv 256 ALLOT
Time: 45 0,4,8,16,20 * * * *
: next-line ( -- ?)
  curNtpSrv 1+ 255 time_server_list @ READ-LINE 0<> SWAP 0= OR
  IF DROP FALSE ELSE curNtpSrv C! TRUE THEN ;
: sync-time ( -- ?)
      TP-SYNC: "%curNtpSrv COUNT%"
      TP-SYNC-RESULT 0= ;
VARIABLE flagSynchronized
Action:
    FILE-EXIST: "%time_server_file ASCIIZ>%" FILE-EMPTY: "%time_server_file ASCIIZ>%" NOT AND
    IF
      flagSynchronized OFF
      time_server_file ASCIIZ> R/O OPEN-FILE-SHARED THROW time_server_list !
      BEGIN next-line WHILE
         sync-time
         IF
            flagSynchronized ON
            1 BalloonIcon !
            BALLOON: "NTP Update Succeeded" "Synchronized with %curNtpSrv COUNT% (%TP-SYNC-DELAY% ms)"
            ." NTP      : synchronized with " curNtpSrv COUNT TYPE ."  (" TP-SYNC-DELAY . ." ms)" CR
         ELSE
            ." NTP      : could not sync with " curNtpSrv COUNT TYPE CR
         THEN
         flagSynchronized @
      UNTIL THEN
      flagSynchronized @ 0=
      IF
        HINT-OFF
        HINT-POS: 837 960 HINT-SIZE: 436 27
        HINT: "NTP Error: Could not synchronize with any of the time servers provided."
      THEN
      time_server_list @ CLOSE-FILE DROP
    ELSE
      3 BalloonIcon !
      BALLOON: "NTP Configuration Error" "The '%time_server_file ASCIIZ>%' file is missing or empty."
    THEN
)#


[LuckMan212]

wow this is genius!!
thank you so much

I am going to study each line to try to figure out how you did it
Thank you for this help!!