I searched recently for information on serial port programming in Windows and found very little. Try this older MS Developer Support posting from 1995 for starters.
I ended up using a very basic c library for my serial routines. Send me a msg if you want the code.
Good luck, and tread lightly so as not to offend the pompous ones around here.
Python is basically a soft-typed, interpreted version of C++ which means it should be easy for you to learn. Either way, Python is very useful to know outside of the Arduino world and is well worth the investment. While C++ is fast, you'll find yourself saving a ton of software dev time by using something like Python for PC-based apps.
Okay, I got a few leads now. I'm also posted on StackOverflow, but only got one response so far. They suggested to search using "MSDN C++ Serial Port".
It seems clear that I am going to need to learn about file operations as part of the overall task. I have not covered that yet.
I would like to get this one simple project working (transmitting the PC system time to an Arduino through a serial port) as it would really encourage me to have some return on the time investment. I will continue to see if I can come up with something quick, if not I will continue to plod through my C++ book until I feel like I am ready to try again.
arduino_new:
Check this out if you want to learn it yourself: Serial Communication in Windows | CodeGuruHere is the library that looks good: SerialPort/src at master · manashmandal/SerialPort · GitHub
It took me a while to figure out how to put those files from the manashmandal library together in Code::Blocks as I am pretty green, but I did get it working. I am very confident that I can now modify it to transmit the time to my Arduino just the way I wanted.
I tried posting on one other site and only got one response that was not very useful. I was pretty sure that someone on this forum would be able to help me. That's why I asked here! Plenty of helpful people here.
If you want to learn C++, I want to recommend you to read C++ Primer Plus (6th Edition). The book will teach you-
*A new detailed chapter on the changes and additional capabilities introduced in the C++11 standard
*Complete, integrated discussion of both basic C language and additional C++ features
*Clear guidance about when and why to use a feature
*Hands-on learning with concise and simple examples that develop your understanding of a concept or two at a time
*Hundreds of practical sample programs
*Review questions and programming exercises at the end of each chapter to test your understanding
*Coverage of generic C++ gives you the greatest possible flexibility
*Teaches the ISO standard, including discussions of templates, the Standard Template Library, the string class, exceptions, RTTI, and namespaces
You can visit Best C++ Books for Beginners | Kick Start Your Journey for more.
mathewdex:
If you want to learn C++, I want to recommend you to read C++ Primer Plus (6th Edition). The book will teach you-
*A new detailed chapter on the changes and additional capabilities introduced in the C++11 standard
*Complete, integrated discussion of both basic C language and additional C++ features
*Clear guidance about when and why to use a feature
*Hands-on learning with concise and simple examples that develop your understanding of a concept or two at a time
*Hundreds of practical sample programs
*Review questions and programming exercises at the end of each chapter to test your understanding
*Coverage of generic C++ gives you the greatest possible flexibility
*Teaches the ISO standard, including discussions of templates, the Standard Template Library, the string class, exceptions, RTTI, and namespaces
You can visit Best C++ Books for Beginners | Kick Start Your Journey for more.
Thanks! I just picked up a Kindle version of the book. I have a Dummies guide, but I find multiple sources really help me to understand.