LCD Library

It looks like the original LCD library author misread the Serial Library's "println()" (print line) method as "printIn" (print in), and duplicated it (erroneously) in the LCD lib for consistency. The method name is repeated in the LCD4Bit library too, with the following acknowleged by the author (neillzero) in LCD4Bit.cpp:

//print the given string to the LCD at the current cursor position.  overwrites, doesn't insert.
//While I don't understand why this was named printIn (PRINT IN?) in the original LiquidCrystal library,
//I've preserved it here to maintain the interchangeability of the two libraries.
void LCD4Bit::printIn(char msg[]) {

IMHO it should be updated, as it is neither intuitive nor consistent in its current state.

Is there too much momentum to change it now?

I share your view that it should be changed.

Why not add void LCD4Bit::println(char *msg) as a new method but keep the old one so it will still work with legacy sketches. The example sketches should be changed to use the new method and this would produce errors if used with old libraries but that is a worthwhile price to pay for a more consistent and intuitive interface for new people to the LCD libraries.

If the old method was still supported and the change was clearly documented in the code and wiki then I don't think it would be a great inconvenience to existing users.

If the old method was still supported and the change was clearly documented in the code and wiki then I don't think it would be a great inconvenience to existing users.

Is there a way to delcare library functions as depricated? So for now printIn will raise a comple-time warning to change your code. Then 1-2 years from now, take it out completely and let is raise an error.

I agree too that it should be changed, but not to println(). the Serial.println() function sends a line break after the text, so that the next thing sent will show up on the next line. This is not the way the LCD.printIn() function works. It leaves the cursor on the same line. It works the same way as Serial.print(). So lets change it instead to LCD.print()

Hi gradbert, I was thinking that both could be supported.

print would display text from the current cursor and leave the cursor one character beyond the end of that text, as per yr suggestion.

println would display text from the current cursor and leave the cursor at the start of the next line.

what would happen then if I have a 2 line lcd and i did
LCD.println("A");
LCD.println("B");
LCD.println("C");

would the last line roll off and lcd showing

A
B

or would it scroll up showing

B
C

or would it wrap around to the top showing

C
B

I would expect that printing beyond actual lines would do the same as printing beyond actual columns, nothing would be displayed.

what would happen then if I have a 2 line lcd and i did
LCD.println("A");
LCD.println("B");
LCD.println("C");

would the last line roll off and lcd showing

A
B

or would it scroll up showing

B
C

or would it wrap around to the top showing

C
B

In this case, I think the C would get lost, as the chips in a 16*2 LCD don't have memory for more than 2 lines and 0x27 characters per line. If the characters are printed off the screen, they do not get printed, but instead remain in the driver's DRAM. If the LCD received commands to scroll the text, then these hidden characters would start appearing on the screen.
Ultimately, it would depend on how the function was implemented.

Hi all,
I wrote the LCD4Bit library (it's really just a conversion of the existing 8-bit one).
I haven't done any electronics work in the last year, sadly, and don't see myself having time to maintain the library in the near future.
As documented on the wiki, the source is in google code. I'd be happy to make someone else an admin on that project so that they can maintain it and make future releases.

My main concerns would be:

  • backward compatibility (if a newbie has found or been given an old sketch, they should be able to download the library, wire up their arduino and have it just work) and
  • that the default download of the library be of a stable version. There's no reason not to also release a beta version of the library and ask for testers.

function naming:

As in the code comment crimony pasted, I intentionally kept the mistake in the function name so that existing programs written against the 8-bit library could be made to work with the 4-bit library with minimal effort.

I'd be in favour of (as mem suggests) introducing a correctly named version of the function, and keeping the old named one too (and documenting it as legacy, and having it cause a deprecation warning, if that's possible). This is my top concern - that we don't break existing sketches. Arduino beginners have enough problems. I have no idea of the number of people using the library.

With regard to choosing a good name, LCD.println() is indeed misleading as gradbert says, as it does not move the cursor to a new line afterward. LCD.print() is already being used to allow printing of an individual character (but could be renamed to LCD.printChar()). You could have LCD.printString() but I doubt that's consistent with anything else. You might look to other arduino or processing libraries for a model.

You guys decide how to go forward, and I'll do my best to assist promptly.
neill

Hi neill, thanks for responding and thanks for doing the original 4bit library.

Why not declare the new function as follows:
void print(const char[]);
This should overload the existing print statement so the correct one will be called for the argument type passed. This is similar to the way HardwareSerial works, so is consistant with other Arduino libraries.

I'm planning to include a LiquidCrystal library in Arduino 0012. It will support both 4 and 8 bit modes (though is there any reason you'd want to use the 8-bit one?). The API mirrors the Wiring one (http://wiring.org.co/learning/libraries/LiquidCrystal/index.html) - using the same print() and println() functions as the Serial class. The code is at: Arduino Starter Kit kaufen [verschiedene Ausführungen]

mellis: great to hear.

Hi,

I'm planning to include a LiquidCrystal library in Arduino 0012. The API mirrors the Wiring one

I would suggest to add another command that allows switching the cursor to
Off - 0x0C
On - 0x0E
Blinking - 0x0F

Is it useful to be able to switch the display off completely? (0x08)
Then it could be wrapped into a single function:
displayMode(boolean displayOnOrOff, boolean cursorOnOrOff, boolean cursorBlinkOrStatic);

That would make the Lib complete...
Eberhard

Me again,
I looked at the code and it supports only 1-line displays?
Most displays are 2 and 4 lines I think. There should be a way initialize the display for that.

Eberhard

I'm planning to include a LiquidCrystal library in Arduino 0012. It will support both 4 and 8 bit modes (though is there any reason you'd want to use the 8-bit one?). The API mirrors the Wiring one (http://wiring.org.co/learning/libraries/LiquidCrystal/index.html) - using the same print() and println() functions as the Serial class. The code is at: Arduino Starter Kit kaufen [verschiedene Ausführungen]

The interface for the wiring lcd library is not as friendly as I would hope for the arduino. The init routine doesn't allow for fine enough control of the location of the data pins, and it does not have any way to set the number of lines on the display. Also it doesn't have any way to send arbitrary control codes (or any high level interface to the functions on the LCD)

I would think that the interface could look somewhat like this:

class LCD {
LCD(int numLines, int ePin, int rwPin, int rsPin, int d4Pin, int d5Pin, int d6Pin, int d7Pin);
LCD(int numLines, int ePin, int rwPin, int rsPin, int d0Pin, int d1Pin, int d2Pin, int d3Pin, int d4Pin, int d5Pin, int d6Pin, int d7Pin);
init();
clear();
enable();
disable()
cursorMode(int mode);
cursorTo(int row, int column);
commandWrite(int value);

// print() and println() functions as in serial

}

notice that which constructor you use will set either 4bit or 8bit mode

Another thing that we could do would be to make Serial, SoftwareSerial and LCD all inherit from a common base class. That way all the number printing routines and such would only have to be implemented once. This might cost space if only one of the 3 was used, but we might wave space when using 2 or more.

I've been doing multiline support the way that wiring does: not explicitly configuring it that way, but allowing you to move the cursor to any line you want. I can write to all the lines on the 2 and 4 line displays I have.

gradbert: The constructor for the LiquidCrystal library on Arduino will be basically what you suggest. The rest of the API will mirror Wiring's, although we could certainly add some functions (either now or later).

Ok, I figured code speaks louder than words, so I took the LCD4bit library and combined it with the code from SoftwareSerial. The constructor it the interface described previously. It has the most of the same print() and println() functions as SoftwareSerial. The print(uint8_t) is replaced with rprint(uint8_t). something with the casting was giving me grief. All the printing functions have been moved to a class called Printable. the LCDnew class only has to implement rprint(). I don't have the carrage return/line feed handling implemented in the LCD class yet.

check it out at http://www.gradbert.org/ldcnew.zip

I still need to do some work on this but I figure some early feedback would be good

hi gradbert, I am looking forward to trying your LCD library but your site is not responding.

gradbert: cool. I actually did something similar (see: Arduino Starter Kit kaufen [verschiedene Ausführungen]), but you've got some nice improvements. I like the name Printable better than Print, which is what I used. Also, did you get this to work on the Arduino? I had trouble getting virtual functions to compile, so I hacked together my own version.

hi gradbert, I am looking forward to trying your LCD library but your site is not responding.

I should be more careful posting late at night. The correct url is http://www.gradbert.org/lcdnew.zip