To Ping or not to Ping... - Xtreme Visual Basic Talk

08-01-2002, 03:50 PM

Writer

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To Ping or not to Ping...

Hi!

I maintain a GUI based, "Ping" program that allows end-users to run the Ping.exe utility against multiple nodes and display the results within a text box. The current program version is exclusive to Windows NT 4.0/2000 due to a hardcoded reference to ping.exe.

I'm now trying to re-write the existing hardcoded code so that "Ping" will run any Windows based system that contains system32\ping.exe. I thought the quick and easy fix would simply involve pulling the system folder path using an environment reference and then combining the result with "\system32" and "\ping.exe." This is where I'm running into a jam. I'm sure I'm missing an obvious step, but my brain is near scrambled at this point. :-D

The code (in bold text) I'm trying to re-write exists within the following sub routine:

Code:

Private Sub cmdPink_Click()
  cmdClear_Click
If FileName = "" Then
  MsgBox "Select a Text file, and Click PING.", _
         vbOKOnly, "Error!"
  Exit Sub
End If
MousePointer = 11
ReDim sStatus(iLoop) As String
Dim rc As Integer
Dim sFilePing As String
Dim FileNum As Integer
Dim sTemp As String
Dim bGetResult As Boolean
Dim iTotal As Integer
iTotal = iLoop

[B][B]sFilePing = "c:\winnt\system32\ping.exe "[/B][/B]
  
[B][B]If Dir(sFilePing) = "" Then
MsgBox "The system can't find ping.exe. Please select it manually.", vbOKOnly, "Error!"
    sFilePing = GetFile
   End If[/B][/B]
  
  FileNum = FreeFile
  bGetResult = False
  iLoop = 0
  While (iLoop < iTotal)
  'While (iLoop < 6)
    rc = Shell(Environ$("comspec") & " /c " & sFilePing & _
               sMachineName(iLoop) & " > " & sResultFile, 0)
    Pause (rc)
    Open sResultFile For Input As FileNum
      While Not (EOF(FileNum) Or bGetResult)
        Input #FileNum, sTemp
        If InStr(1, sTemp, "reply from", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Active."
          bGetResult = True
        ElseIf InStr(1, sTemp, "bad ip address", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Bad IP Address."
          bGetResult = True
        ElseIf InStr(1, sTemp, "unknown host", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Bad IP Address."
          bGetResult = True
        ElseIf InStr(1, sTemp, "timed out", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Not Active."
          bGetResult = True
        End If
        DoEvents
      Wend
    Close FileNum
    
    txtResult.Text = txtResult.Text & sMachineName(iLoop) & vbNewLine
                     '" : " & sstatus(iLoop) & vbNewLine
    txtStatus.Text = txtStatus.Text & sStatus(iLoop) & vbNewLine
    bGetResult = False
    iLoop = iLoop + 1
    Label1.Caption = iLoop & " / " & iTotal
  Wend
  
  MousePointer = 0
  Beep
    
End Sub

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's Writer's version:

Private Sub cmdPink_Click()
  cmdClear_Click
If FileName = "" Then
  MsgBox "Select a Text file, and Click PING.", _
         vbOKOnly, "Error!"
  Exit Sub
End If
MousePointer = 11
ReDim sStatus(iLoop) As String
Dim rc As Integer
[B][B]Dim PingPath As String[/B][/B]
Dim sFilePing As String
Dim FileNum As Integer
Dim sTemp As String
Dim bGetResult As Boolean
Dim iTotal As Integer
iTotal = iLoop
  
[B][B]PingPath = Environ("windir") & "\SYSTEM32" & "\ping.exe"[/B][/B] 
[B][B]sFilePing = PingPath[/B][/B]   

  FileNum = FreeFile
  bGetResult = False
  iLoop = 0
  While (iLoop < iTotal)
  'While (iLoop < 6)
    rc = Shell(Environ$("comspec") & " /c " & sFilePing & _
               sMachineName(iLoop) & " > " & sResultFile, 0)
    Pause (rc)
    Open sResultFile For Input As FileNum
      While Not (EOF(FileNum) Or bGetResult)
        Input #FileNum, sTemp
        If InStr(1, sTemp, "reply from", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Active."
          bGetResult = True
        ElseIf InStr(1, sTemp, "bad ip address", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Bad IP Address."
          bGetResult = True
        ElseIf InStr(1, sTemp, "unknown host", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Bad IP Address."
          bGetResult = True
        ElseIf InStr(1, sTemp, "timed out", 1) Then
          sStatus(iLoop) = "Not Active."
          bGetResult = True
        End If
        DoEvents
      Wend
    Close FileNum
    
    txtResult.Text = txtResult.Text & sMachineName(iLoop) & vbNewLine
                     '" : " & sstatus(iLoop) & vbNewLine
    txtStatus.Text = txtStatus.Text & sStatus(iLoop) & vbNewLine
    bGetResult = False
    iLoop = iLoop + 1
    Label1.Caption = iLoop & " / " & iTotal
  Wend
  
  MousePointer = 0
  Beep
    
End Sub

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: I removed the condition check after the SFilePing assignment because I'm mulling over how I want to re-write the condition.

Help... :-)

-Writer-

Last edited by Robby; 08-01-2002 at 04:48 PM.

08-01-2002, 04:00 PM

reboot

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Join Date: Nov 2001

Location: Graceland

Posts: 15,612

If you want to ping on any Windows version, you need to use the api from icmp.dll

08-01-2002, 04:00 PM

BillSoo

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Join Date: Aug 2000

Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Posts: 10,441

I just skimmed your code....you can use GetSystemDirectory API function to return the path of your system directory. Similarily, GetWindowsDirectory returns the path to windows.

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08-01-2002, 04:02 PM

OnErr0r

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Join Date: Jun 2002

Location: Debug Window

Posts: 13,685

man.. that looks like a big jumble from here. Use vb tags and indent your if statements and loops.

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08-02-2002, 01:12 PM

Writer

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Reboot,

Quote:

If you want to ping on any Windows version, you need to use the api from icmp.dll

Interesting. Can you provide an example? :-)

-Chris-

08-02-2002, 01:18 PM

illsorted

Guest

Posts: n/a

VBNet

Check out this link for a good example:

http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/index.html...ernet/ping.htm

08-02-2002, 01:25 PM

Writer

Guest

Posts: n/a

Bill,

Quote:

I just skimmed your code....you can use GetSystemDirectory API function to return the path of your system directory. Similarily, GetWindowsDirectory returns the path to windows.

I just re-read my initial post, and I noticed that I didn't provide much detail about the issue. Oops. :-) I should have mentioned that I am able to retrieve the system directory path.

The issue seems to be specific to how the result is being captured into the SFilePing variable and then processed when I execute the program. That is, Ping.exe does not launch. I'm wondering if I should add an instruction that will parse ping.exe from SFilePing and then execute it. The question is: how do I do that? :-)

-Writer-