Using habridge to send string by tcp

[guy1958]

Hello. I've set up the habridge and it's working great. I'm using the command line option to run a small executable that then communicates with my own X10 bridge (connected to a CM11A), ultimately controlling lights. My executable connects to my bridge using a socket connection, and waits for the bridge to acknowledge reception of the string (it sends back "ok") to close the socket.

I see here that the habridge seems to support executing a tcp connection and sending a string. The only example I found on the site is like this:

[{"item":"tcp://192.168.3.3:9000/sendthismessage","type":"tcpDevice"}]

I want to send "A1 ON" to IP address 192.168.0.80 port 554, which is what my command line executable does. So I set it up like this:

Type:
tcp Device

Target item:
[{"item":"tcp://192.168.0.80:554/A1 ON","type":"tcpDevice"}]

Content type:
text/plain

The other fields were left blank (default)

When I try this, I'm not even getting a connection request on my X10 bridge. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

[beandi]

I think you need to escape the blank between "A1" an "ON", either by "%20" or by "\ " (both without quotes)

[bwssytems]

It already compensates for the spaces in the code. You will need to put a "\n" at the end of the line:

[{"item":"tcp://192.168.0.80:554/A1 ON\n","type":"tcpDevice"}]

[guy1958]

Ah, I think I've found it. Almost stumbled across it really. Looks like the documentation doesn't match how it actually works. All the examples shown like:

[{"item":"tcp://192.168.0.80:554/A1 ON\n","type":"tcpDevice"}]

...assume you're using an alternate editing mode that's not the default. If you click on "Add/Edit" on the main menu, you get the "Edit/Copy a device" menu. The fourth choice there is "Change Edit Mode". If you click on that, then the "On URL", "Off URL",etc. edit areas become single, large boxes. There, you can paste the example I just gave above and it will actually parse it into the individual fields that are more familiar in the device editing menu. If you save the above example in and entry, save it, and then change back to the default editing mode, you will see that Type becomes "TCP Device", "Target Item" becomes "tcp://192.168.0.80:554/12 ON". I also selected "text/plain" in the "Content Type" field though I don't know if that's necessary. And...the item now works! I get a connection to the socket and receive the string.

I'm guessing that the alternate, detailed device editing mode was added in a later version (and became the default), but that the documentation wasn't updated.

There remains one question in my mind: the "Delay" field. Does it simply state how long the bridge will wait until executing a subsequent item line, or does it also specify or affect how long the socket will be held open until it is closed after sending the string to the socket?

[bwssytems]

The delay field states how long it will wait until executing the next line, not keeping the socket open as each command is a separate invocation.

[guy1958]

Ok thanks.