Flash - Java - SerialData Translation issues

Question

This is for an art installation we're building in a gallery here in NYC. It opens Saturday, and we are in a jam with a problem.
I'm using Dan O'Sullivan's Serial Server http://itp.nyu.edu/~dbo3/SerialServer/SerialServer.html , which is a little java server that connects to Flash via XML socket and to the serial port. It passes data back and forth since Flash doesn't talk to the serial port.
The problem is this: Flash won't put the incoming data into the object and trigger the onData handler until it sees a null byte delimiter. On the other side, my serial device -- an encoder & adapter -- has no interest in producing a delimiter and cannot be programmed to do so. The data from the encoder is generally in the form of 4 bytes. You send it 1 byte to poll it.
Thus the server app has to step in and patch things up, either (a) by indiscriminately appending 0's to everything it sees from the encoder (and figuring it all out in Flash) or better, (b) by having the server do the polling and keeping the current 4 bytes in a string, ready for when Flash requests it.
This doesn't seem too bad - the server code is relatively simple - but I'm not a Java programmer (sorry, wish I were). I'm inserting the code here - any chance someone can help us out ... immediately?? Thanks very much.
/Eric Liftin
MESH Architectures http://mesh-arc.com
* SerialServer.java
* Title:               SerialServer
* Description:          This relays bytes between a serial port and a socket connection.
* @author               Administrator
* @version               
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Frame;
import java.awt.Toolkit;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.StringTokenizer;
public class SerialServer extends java.applet.Applet  implements SerialListener {
     // IMPORTANT: Source code between BEGIN/END comment pair will be regenerated
     // every time the form is saved. All manual changes will be overwritten.
     // BEGIN GENERATED CODE
     // member declarations
     java.awt.Choice baud = new java.awt.Choice();
     java.awt.Checkbox interpretation = new java.awt.Checkbox();
     java.awt.Choice ports = new java.awt.Choice();
     java.awt.TextField socketPort = new java.awt.TextField();
     java.awt.Label softwarePort = new java.awt.Label();
     java.awt.Button sendToSocket = new java.awt.Button();
     java.awt.Button sendToSerial = new java.awt.Button();
     java.awt.TextField sendText = new java.awt.TextField();
     java.awt.TextArea traffic = new java.awt.TextArea();
     java.awt.Checkbox debugButton = new java.awt.Checkbox();
     java.awt.Label socketStatus = new java.awt.Label();
     java.awt.Label serialStatus = new java.awt.Label();
     java.awt.Label numbersFootnote = new java.awt.Label();
     java.awt.Button clearButton = new java.awt.Button();
     java.awt.Button cover = new java.awt.Button();
     // END GENERATED CODE
     String serialType = null;
     static Socketer mySocket;
     static Serial mySerial;
     boolean isStandalone = false;
     static boolean debug = false;
     public SerialServer() {}
     static HashMap argsHash;
     int substituteChar = 0;
     public void start() {
          //figure out what driver to use
          if (isStandalone == false) {
                    serialType =  getParameter("SerialDriver");
               } else {
                    serialType = (String) argsHash.get("SerialDriver");
          if( serialType != null){  //if they did not specify
               serialType= serialType.toLowerCase();
          newSerial();
          if (isStandalone == false) {
               System.out.println("This is an Applet");
               useParameters(getParameter("Baud"), getParameter("SerialPort"), getParameter("SocketPort"), getParameter("Sub0ForChar"), getParameter("SerialDriver"));
          } else {
               useParameters((String) argsHash.get("Baud"), (String) argsHash.get("SerialPort"), (String) argsHash.get("SocketPort"), (String) argsHash.get("Sub0ForChar"),(String) argsHash.get("SerialDriver"));
          newSocket();
          connectSerial();
          //          event handling
          baud.addItemListener(new java.awt.event.ItemListener() {
               public void itemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
                    baudItemStateChanged(e);
          interpretation.addItemListener(new java.awt.event.ItemListener() {
               public void itemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
                    interpretationItemStateChanged(e);
          ports.addItemListener(new java.awt.event.ItemListener() {
               public void itemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
                    portsItemStateChanged(e);
          socketPort.addTextListener(new java.awt.event.TextListener() {
               public void textValueChanged(java.awt.event.TextEvent e) {
                    socketPortTextValueChanged(e);
          sendToSocket.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
               public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {
                    sendToSocketPerformed(e);
          sendToSerial.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
               public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {
                    sendToSerialActionPerformed(e);
          sendText.addTextListener(new java.awt.event.TextListener() {
               public void textValueChanged(java.awt.event.TextEvent e) {
                    sendTextTextValueChanged(e);
          ////     traffic.addTextListener(new java.awt.event.TextListener() {
          //     public void textValueChanged(java.awt.event.TextEvent e) {
          //          trafficTextValueChanged(e);
          debugButton.addItemListener(new java.awt.event.ItemListener() {
               public void itemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
                    debugItemStateChanged(e);
          clearButton.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
               public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {
                    clearActionPerformed(e);
          //populatePorts();
     // Initialize the applet
     public void init() {
          try {
               initComponents();
          } catch (Exception e) {
               e.printStackTrace();
     public void useParameters(String _baud, String _serialPort, String _socketPort, String _subChar, String _serialType) {
          System.out.println("Input Parameters Baud:" + _baud + " SerialPort:" + _serialPort + " SocketPort:" + _socketPort + " SubChar:" + _subChar+ " SerialType:" + _serialType);
          if (_baud != null) {
               baud.select(_baud);
          if (_subChar != null) {
               substituteChar = Integer.parseInt(_subChar);
          } else {
               substituteChar = 0;
          //else{
          //          baud.select("9600");
          if (_serialPort != null) {
               ports.select(_serialPort);
          } //else{
          //     ports.select("COM1") ;
          //if ((_baud != null) || (_serialPort != null)){
          //     newSerial();
          if (_socketPort != null) {
               socketPort.setText(_socketPort);
               //     newSocket();
     public void initComponents() throws Exception {
          // IMPORTANT: Source code between BEGIN/END comment pair will be regenerated
          // every time the form is saved. All manual changes will be overwritten.
          // BEGIN GENERATED CODE
          // the following code sets the frame's initial state
          baud.setVisible(true);
          baud.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(222, 31));
          baud.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(70, 21));
          interpretation.setVisible(true);
          interpretation.setLabel("Use decimals instead of letters.");
          interpretation.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(43, 175));
          interpretation.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(200, 20));
          ports.setVisible(true);
          ports.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(222, 10));
          ports.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(108, 21));
          socketPort.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(18, 10));
          socketPort.setVisible(true);
          socketPort.setText("9001");
          socketPort.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(40, 20));
          softwarePort.setVisible(true);
          softwarePort.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(60, 10));
          softwarePort.setText("<Socket > ------------- <Serial>");
          softwarePort.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(160, 20));
          sendToSocket.setVisible(true);
          sendToSocket.setLabel("<TestSend");
          sendToSocket.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(1, 60));
          sendToSocket.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(80, 20));
          sendToSerial.setVisible(true);
          sendToSerial.setLabel("Test Send>");
          sendToSerial.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(279, 60));
          sendToSerial.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(80, 20));
          sendText.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(82, 60));
          sendText.setVisible(true);
          sendText.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(197, 20));
          traffic.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(5, 95));
          traffic.setVisible(true);
          traffic.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(352, 80));
          debugButton.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Serif", 0, 12));
          debugButton.setVisible(true);
          debugButton.setLabel("debug");
          debugButton.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(130, 39));
          debugButton.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(50, 20));
          socketStatus.setVisible(true);
          socketStatus.setAlignment(java.awt.Label.CENTER);
          socketStatus.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(65, 26));
          socketStatus.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(45, 20));
          serialStatus.setVisible(true);
          serialStatus.setAlignment(java.awt.Label.CENTER);
          serialStatus.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(177, 26));
          serialStatus.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(40, 20));
          numbersFootnote.setVisible(false);
          numbersFootnote.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(49, 79));
          numbersFootnote.setText("*Put spaces between numbers for test send.");
          numbersFootnote.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(280, 20));
          clearButton.setVisible(true);
          clearButton.setLabel("Clear");
          clearButton.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(260, 178));
          clearButton.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(58, 19));
          setLocation(new java.awt.Point(0, 0));
          setLayout(null);
          add(cover);
          add(baud);
          add(interpretation);
          add(ports);
          add(socketPort);
          add(softwarePort);
          add(sendToSocket);
          add(sendToSerial);
          add(sendText);
          add(traffic);
          add(debugButton);
          add(socketStatus);
          add(serialStatus);
          add(numbersFootnote);
          add(clearButton);
          setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(356, 274));
          // END GENERATED CODE
          baud.add("110");
          baud.add("300");
          baud.add("1200");
          baud.add("2400");
          baud.add("4800");
          baud.add("9600");
          baud.add("19200");
          baud.add("31250"); //   //31250
          baud.add("38400");
          baud.add("57600");
          baud.add("230400");
          baud.add("460800");
          baud.add("921600");
          baud.select("9600");
          cover.setVisible(true);
          //cover.setLayout(null);
          cover.setLocation(new java.awt.Point(-10, 57));
          cover.setSize(new java.awt.Dimension(964, 287));
     public void relayToSerial(int what) {
          boolean ok = mySerial.send(what).equals("OKAY");
          if (debug) {
               socketStatus.setText("<IN>");
               if (ok) {
                    serialStatus.setText("<OUT>");
               showText(what);
     public void gotFromSerial(byte[] _byteArray){
     //public void relayToSocket(int what) {
         for(int i = 0; i < _byteArray.length; i++){
             int what = (int) (_byteArray[i] & 0xff);
          if ((substituteChar != 0) && (what == substituteChar))
               what = 0;
          boolean ok = mySocket.send(what).equals("OKAY");
          if (debug) {
               serialStatus.setText("<IN>");
               if (ok) {
                    socketStatus.setText("<OUT>");
               showText(what);
     public void appendDebug(String what) {
          if (traffic.getText().toCharArray().length > 200)
               traffic.setText(traffic.getText().substring(50));
          traffic.setText(traffic.getText() + "\n" + what + "\n");
          String strMessage = traffic.getText();
          traffic.setCaretPosition(strMessage.length());
     public void showText(int what) {
          if (interpretation.getState()) {
               traffic.setText(traffic.getText() + " " + what);
          } else {
               traffic.setText(traffic.getText() + ((char) what));
          String strMessage = traffic.getText();
          traffic.setCaretPosition(strMessage.length());
     // Standard method to start the applet
     //public void start() {
     //     newSocket();
     //     newSerial();
     public void populatePorts() {
          ports.removeAll();
          ArrayList portList = mySerial.getPortsList();
          for (int i = 0; i < portList.size(); i++) {
               String[] portAndOwner = (String[]) portList.get(i);
               System.out.println("owner" + portAndOwner[1]);
               String port = portAndOwner[0];
               String owner = portAndOwner[1];
               //System.out.println(owner + " " + port + " number of Ports " + portList.size());
               if (owner == null || owner.equals("Port currently not owned")) {
                    boolean alreadyThere = false;
                    for (int j = 0; j < ports.getItemCount(); j++) {
                         String alrdy = ports.getItem(j);
                         //System.out.println(port+ " Ports Already " + alrdy );
                         if (alrdy.equals(port)) {
                              alreadyThere = true;
                              break;
                    if (alreadyThere == false) {
                         ports.add(port);
               } else {
                    System.out.println("Can't use it!" + port + owner);
               //ports.add(((String) portList.get(i)));
     public void newSerial() {
          serialStatus.setText("!");
          mySerial = new Serial(this, serialType);
          if (ports.getItemCount() == 0) {
               populatePorts();
     public void connectSerial() {
          if (ports.getItemCount() == 0) {
               appendDebug("No serial ports found.");
          } else {
               String status = mySerial.connect(ports.getSelectedItem(), Integer.parseInt(baud.getSelectedItem()));
               if (status.startsWith("Got")) {
                    serialStatus.setText("<OK>");
                    //mySerial.start();
               } else {
                    serialStatus.setText("Bad");
                    //populatePorts();
               appendDebug(status);
     public void newSocket() {
          mySocket = new Socketer(Integer.parseInt(socketPort.getText()), this);
     public void socketStatus(String status) {
          if (status.startsWith("Got")) {
               socketStatus.setText("<OK>");
          } else if (status.startsWith("Waiting")) {
               socketStatus.setText("Waiting");
          } else {
               socketStatus.setText("Bad");
          appendDebug(status);
     // Standard method to stop the applet
     public void stop() {
          mySerial.kill();
          mySocket.kill();
     // Standard method to destroy the applet
     public void destroy() {}
     // Main entry point when running standalone
     public static void main(String[] args) {
          SerialServer applet = new SerialServer();
          applet.isStandalone = true;
          Frame frame = new Frame();
          frame.addWindowListener(new java.awt.event.WindowAdapter() {
               public void windowClosing(java.awt.event.WindowEvent e) {
                    Frame f = (Frame) e.getSource();
                    f.setVisible(false);
                    f.dispose();
                    System.exit(0);
          frame.setTitle("Serial Server");
          frame.add(applet, BorderLayout.CENTER);
          frame.setSize(400, 320);
          Dimension d = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize();
          frame.setLocation((d.width - frame.getSize().width) / 2, (d.height - frame.getSize().height) / 2);
          frame.setVisible(true);
          applet.init();
          argsHash = new HashMap();
          for (int i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
               String pair = args;
               String parts[] = pair.split(":");
               if (parts.length == 2) {
                    argsHash.put(parts[0], parts[1]);
               }else{
                    System.out.println("Problem with format of parameter "+ pair);
          applet.start();
          frame.pack();
     public void sendTextTextValueChanged(java.awt.event.TextEvent e) {}
     public void interpretationItemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
          numbersFootnote.setVisible(interpretation.getState());
          System.out.println("Interpretation" + interpretation.isVisible());
     public void socketPortTextValueChanged(java.awt.event.TextEvent e) {
          mySocket.kill();
          mySocket = null;
          newSocket();
          System.out.println("Changed Socket");
     public void sendToSocketPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {
          if (interpretation.getState()) {
               StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(sendText.getText(), " ");
               while (st.hasMoreTokens()) {
                    try {
                         int what = Integer.parseInt(st.nextToken());
                         if ((substituteChar != 0) && (what == substituteChar))
                              what = 0;
                         //System.out.println(substituteChar + "debugSend" + what);
                         mySocket.send(what);
                    } catch (NumberFormatException nfe) {
                         System.out.println("You are are entering letters but you checked the decimal interpretation.");
          } else {
               byte[] asbytes = sendText.getText().getBytes();
               for (int i = 0; i < asbytes.length; i++) {
                    int what = asbytes[i];
                    if ((substituteChar != 0) && (what == substituteChar))
                         what = 0;
                    System.out.println(substituteChar + "debugSend" + what);
                    mySocket.send(what);
     public void sendToSerialActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {
          if (interpretation.getState()) {
               StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(sendText.getText(), " ");
               while (st.hasMoreTokens()) {
                    try {
mySerial.send(Integer.parseInt(st.nextToken()));
} catch (NumberFormatException e1) {
     appendDebug("Enter a number.");
          } else {
               byte[] asbytes = sendText.getText().getBytes();
               for (int i = 0; i < asbytes.length; i++) {
                    mySerial.send(asbytes[i]);
     public void portsItemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
          mySerial.kill();
          mySerial = null;
          newSerial();
          connectSerial();
          System.out.println("Serial Port Changed");
     public void baudItemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
          mySerial.kill();
          mySerial = null;
          newSerial();
          connectSerial();
          System.out.println("Serial Baud Changed");
     public void debugItemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent e) {
          debug = debugButton.getState();
          if (debug) {
               cover.setLocation(-1000, -1000);
          } else {
               cover.setLocation(-10, 57);
               //cover.setVisible(true);
          //System.out.println("debugl Changed" + debug);
     public void clearActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent e) {
          traffic.setText("");

Answer 1

Whoops, I'll fix it up so it's more presentable
for (int row = 0; row <= 8 ; row++){
    for (int column = 1; column <= row; column++ )
     System.out.print(" ");
    for (int i = 0; i < row; i++){
     System.out.print(" " + (int) Math.pow(2,i));
    for (int j = row-1; j >= 0; j--)
     System.out.print(" " + (int)Math.pow(2, j));
    System.out.println();
}About the space, I was checking to see what adding and removing them would do, although even after fixing it I seem to get a bunched up mass.
-edit-
Another thing I've noted is that pasting the text here seems to throw off the indentations which look normal in eclipse.
Edited by: Yummyfishman on Oct 5, 2007 8:33 PM
Edited by: Yummyfishman on Oct 5, 2007 8:35 PM
Edited by: Yummyfishman on Oct 5, 2007 8:36 PM
Edited by: Yummyfishman on Oct 5, 2007 8:40 PM