PosKeyboard Implementation
2/27/2008
A PosKeyboard Service Object reads keys from a POS keyboard. A POS keyboard may be an auxiliary keyboard, or it may be a virtual keyboard consisting of some or all of the keys on the system keyboard. The POS keyboard Base class is PosKeyboardBase.
A PosKeyboard Service Object follows the general input device model:
- When input is received from the POS keyboard, a DataEvent is queued.
- If the AutoDisable property is true, then the device automatically disables itself when a DataEvent event is queued. This is done automatically by the PosKeyboardBase class.
- A queued DataEvent event will be delivered to the application when the DataEventEnabled property is true and other event delivery requirements are met. The PosKeyboardBase class will manage event delivery automatically.
- An ErrorEvent event is queued if an error while gathering or processing input, and is delivered to the application when DataEventEnabled is true and other event delivery requirements are met.
- The DataCount property, which is maintained by the PosKeyboardBase class, may be read to obtain the number of queued events.
- All queued input may be deleted by calling ClearInput.
The POS keyboard is an exclusive-use device:
- The application must claim the device before enabling it.
- The application must claim and enable the device before the device begins reading input.
This section contains a sample PosKeyboard Service Object that generates simulated keystrokes which are sent to the application by using DataEvents. This sample depends on the thread-helper object presented in Introducing Service Object Reader Threads. To compile this sample, you need to include the code from that topic.
To write a Service Object
Add using directives for Microsoft.PointofService, Microsoft.PointOfService.BaseServiceObjects, and System.Threading.
Add the global attribute PosAssembly.
Choose an appropriate namespace name for your project.
Create a Service Object class derived from PosKeyboardBase.
Add the ServiceObject attribute to your Service Object class, using the DeviceType.PosKeyboard value as your device type.
To add features to the sample keyboard Service Object
Create a thread helper class, KeyboardThreadingObject, derived from ServiceObjectThreadHelper from the Service Object Read Threads section.
Implement the ServiceObjectThreadProcedure method in the KeyboardThreadingObject class. This is the procedure that will be run on a separate thread. In the sample code below, this method simulates keyboard input.
This sample class implements a method called SendKey and another called ChangePowerState. These methods are wrappers around protected members. Because they are protected, they cannot be invoked directly from the threading object.
Override the PosCommon.Open method to specify capabilities supported by this Service Object and create a new thread-helper object.
Override the PosCommon.DeviceEnable specifically to Open and Close the thread-helper.
Implement the abstract virtual methods from PosCommon, providing minimum functionality.
Running the Application
This sample Service Object can be run in conjunction with the test application provided with the POS for .NET SDK.
To test the Service Object
Start the test application and select SamplePosKeyboard from the Keyboard drop-down list.
Open and Claim the device, and then select the device with the DeviceEnabled check box to enable it.
Checking the DataEventEnabled box will allow the Service Object to send a single simulated key to the application. The DataEvent is queued automatically by the PosKeyboardBase class when KeyDown is called.
Selecting the Automatically enable data events box allows the Service Object to continue delivering characters, two seconds apart.
The Service Object will send simulated key strokes for characters 'a' through 'z'. After that, a StatusUpdateEvent event will be sent indicating the device is now offline. This event is sent automatically by the PosKeyboardBase class when Properties.PowerState is changed.
Example
This sample demonstrates how to develop a simple PosKeyboard Service Object. It supports a separate reader thread to send DataEvents asynchronously to the application. Once compiled, you can execute the Service Object in conjunction with the test application included with the POS for .NET SDK.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading;
using Microsoft.PointOfService;
using Microsoft.PointOfService.BaseServiceObjects;
[assembly: PosAssembly("Service Object Contractors, Inc.")]
namespace SOSamples.Keyboard
{
[ServiceObject(
DeviceType.PosKeyboard,
"SamplePosKeyboard",
"Sample PosKeyboard Service Object",
1,
9)]
public class SampleKeyboard : PosKeyboardBase
{
KeyboardThreadingObject ReadThread = null;
public SampleKeyboard()
{
// DevicePath must be set before Open() is called.
// In the case of Play and Plug hardware, the
// POS for .NET Base class will set this value.
DevicePath = "Sample Keyboard";
// NOTE: You can test the power notification events
// sent from this Service Object by selecting the
// "Power Notify" check box.
// Let the application know advanced power
// reporting is supported.
Properties.CapPowerReporting = PowerReporting.Advanced;
Properties.CapKeyUp = false;
}
~SampleKeyboard()
{
// Code added from previous sections to terminate
// the read thread started by the thread-helper
// object.
if (ReadThread != null)
{
ReadThread.CloseThread();
}
Dispose(false);
}
// Expose the protected KeyDown() method so that it can be
// called from our threading helper.
public void SendKey(int key)
{
KeyDown(key);
}
// Expose the protected PowerState property so it can be
// changed from the threading helper.
public void ChangePowerState(PowerState state)
{
Properties.PowerState = state;
}
#region Override Virtual PosCommon Members
public override void Open()
{
base.Open();
// Create the reader-thread object.
ReadThread = new KeyboardThreadingObject(this);
}
public override bool DeviceEnabled
{
get
{
return base.DeviceEnabled;
}
set
{
if (value != base.DeviceEnabled)
{
base.DeviceEnabled = value;
if (value == false)
{
// Stop the reader thread when the device
// is disabled.
ReadThread.CloseThread();
}
else
{
try
{
// By enabling the device, start the
// reader thread.
ReadThread.OpenThread();
}
catch (Exception e)
{
base.DeviceEnabled = false;
if (e is PosControlException)
throw;
throw new PosControlException(
"Unable to Enable Device",
ErrorCode.Failure, e);
}
}
}
}
}
#endregion Override Virtual PosCommon Members
#region Implement Abstract PosCommon Members
private string MyHealthText = "";
// PosCommon.CheckHealthText.
public override string CheckHealthText
{
get
{
// VerifyState(mustBeClaimed,
// mustBeEnabled).
VerifyState(false, false);
return MyHealthText;
}
}
// PosCommon.CheckHealth.
public override string CheckHealth(
HealthCheckLevel level)
{
// Verify that device is open, claimed and enabled.
VerifyState(true, true);
// Your code here:
// Check the health of the device and return a
// descriptive string.
// Cache result in the CheckHealthText property.
MyHealthText = "Ok";
return MyHealthText;
}
// PosCommon.DirectIOData.
public override DirectIOData DirectIO(
int command,
int data,
object obj)
{
// Verify that the device is open.
VerifyState(false, false);
return new DirectIOData(data, obj);
}
#endregion Implement Abstract PosCommon Members
}
#region Thread Helper Class
public class KeyboardThreadingObject :
ServiceObjectThreadHelper, IDisposable
{
// This is a helper class which will depend on
// being able to call back into the actual Service
// Object to pass along data. However, you cannot
// keep a strong reference to the Service Object,
// since that may prevent clean disposal, leaving
// hardware resources unavailable to other processes.
// Therefore, you create a weak reference. From this
// reference, you can get a temporary strong reference,
// which you can act on and then release.
WeakReference ServiceObjectReference;
// The name of the Service Object.
string ObjectName;
public KeyboardThreadingObject(SampleKeyboard so)
{
ObjectName = GetType().Name;
ServiceObjectReference = new WeakReference(so);
}
// This method will be called during initialization.
public override void ServiceObjectThreadOpen()
{
Logger.Info(ObjectName, "Keyboard Thread Open");
}
// This method will be called curing shutdown.
public override void ServiceObjectThreadClose()
{
Logger.Info(ObjectName, "Keyboard Thread Open");
}
// Your code used to monitor your device for input should
// go here. The implementation below generates simulated
// input as an example.
public override void ServiceObjectThreadProcedure(
AutoResetEvent ThreadStopEvent)
{
Logger.Info(ObjectName,
"Keyboard Thread Procedure Entered");
int KeyValue = (int)'a';
while (true)
{
// When this method is called by the
// ServiceObjectThreadHelper, it is obligated to
// exit when the event ThreadStopEvent has been
// set.
if (ThreadStopEvent.WaitOne(2000, false))
{
break;
}
if (KeyValue <= (int) 'z')
{
Logger.Info(ObjectName, "Reader Thread cycling");
// Try to get a strong reference to the Service
// Object using the weak reference saved when
// this helper object was created.
SampleKeyboard Keyboard =
ServiceObjectReference.Target
as SampleKeyboard;
// If this fails, that means the Service Object
// has already been disposed of - exit the thread.
if (Keyboard == null)
{
break;
}
if (Keyboard.DataEventEnabled == true)
{
// Call a method implemented in our Keyboard
// class to queue the key stroke.
Keyboard.SendKey(KeyValue);
// Simulate input by moving through the
// alphabet, sending one character at a time.
KeyValue++;
if (KeyValue >= (int)'z')
{
// Once you run out of input, simulate a
// power state change. Setting the SO's
// PowerState property to
// PowerState.Offline will cause a
// StatusUpdateEvent to be sent to the
// application.
Keyboard.ChangePowerState(
PowerState.Offline);
// Release the strong reference.
Keyboard = null;
// There is no more work, so exit the
// loop.
break;
}
}
// Release the strong reference.
Keyboard = null;
}
}
}
}
#endregion Thread Helper Class
}
Compiling the Code
- This sample requires that the code from the Introducing Service Object Reader Threads section be included.
- The assemblies Microsoft.PointOfService and Microsoft.PointOfService.BaseServiceObjects must be referenced.
See Also
Tasks
Introducing Service Object Reader Threads
Other Resources
Developing Service Objects Using Base Classes
Service Object Samples: Getting Started