The class DBusSignal (gb.dbus) allows to receive any message of type Signal sent by an application registered on the D-Bus on the D-Bus. You can create the class. The class DBusSignal has only one property and one event.
The Boolean Enabled property of the DBusSignal class is True if the signal observer is switched on. The default value is True. You can also set and read the value.
The event Signal ( Signal As String, Arguments As Variant[ ] ) is triggered when the DBus signal object receives a D-Bus signal from a selected transmitter. The following applies to both parameters:
To create a new DBus signal object:
Dim hDBusSignal As DBusSignal hDBusSignal = New DBusSignal ( Connection As DBusConnection, Interface As String [ , Every As Boolean ] ) As "SignalEventName"
In the following example, the D-Bus signal with the signal name 'StateChanged' is intercepted, which is sent by the D-Bus object “/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager” on the System D-Bus when the status (on/off) of the network changes.
Public hDBusSignalNM As DBusSignal Private $iNetworkState As Integer Private $cDBus As DBusConnection Private $sInterface As String Public Sub Form_Open() … $cDBus = DBus.System $sInterface = "org.freedesktop.NetworkManager" hDBusSignalNM = New DBusSignal($cDBus, $sInterface, True) As "ObservedNMSignal" … End
The signature of the signal is “i” - an integer value is transmitted. If the signal is intercepted with the signal name specified above, its value is read from the variant array of arguments and stored in a variable, for example:
Public Sub ObservedNMSignal_Signal(Signal As String, Arguments As Variant[]) If Signal = "StateChanged" Then $iNetworkState = Arguments[0] ' The array has exactly one element! Endif End
The signal observer is always turned off before the program window is closed:
Public Sub btnClose_Click() If hDBusSignalNM Then hDBusSignalNM.Enabled = False FMain.Close() End
In revision #7146, the ability to send D-Bus signals has been added to the gb.dbus component.
That's how it works:
To send a D-Bus signal on a specific D-Bus, use one of the two methods: DBus.Session.Raise(…) or DBus.System.Raise(…).
The DBus-Raise(…) method requires 3 arguments:
You do not have to define a signal signature because it is not used directly. But it makes sense to do it anyway. This ensures that the (pseudo) signal signature and the signal arguments match! Good to know: The data types of the individual signal arguments in the above array are automatically converted into D-Bus data types.
Before you can send a D-Bus signal, you must define it in a separate class file.
Signal definition
A signal to be sent in the MyProject application is prepared in the class file MySignal.class, for example. You can define the name of the class file and the signal name - in the following example State - yourself:
' Gambas class file (MySignal.class) Inherits DBusObject Create Static '' Signatur: "s" '' This signal has exactly 1 argument 'Flag' of the data type string Event org_gambas_MyProject_MySignal_State(Flag As String) End
As you can see, the'State' signal has exactly one argument with the data type string and thus follows the signature “s”.
Send a signal
The source code for the file FMain.class of the project MyProject is completely specified. The most important passages are highlighted in colour:
' Gambas class file Private hDBusObject As MySignal Private hDBusSignal As DBusSignal Public Sub Form_Open() hDBusObject = New MySignal FMain.Resizable = False FMain.Caption = ("Waiting for a D-Bus signal ...") DBus.Unique = True DBus.Session.Register(hDBusObject, "/MySignal") hDBusSignal = New DBusSignal(DBus.Session, Null, True) SendSignal("on") End Private Sub SendSignal(sState As String) Dim sSignalName As String Dim aArguments As New Variant[] sSignalName = "org.gambas.MyProject.MySignal.State" aArguments = [sState] DBus.Raise(hDBusObject, sSignalName, aArguments) End Public Sub Form_Close() SendSignal("off") If hDBusSignal Then hDBusSignal.Enabled = False If DBus.IsRegistered(hDBusObject) Then DBus.Session.Unregister(hDBusObject) FMain.Close() End <code> The source code for the signal receiver is also presented so that you can successfully test the project: <code gambas> ' Gambas class file Private $hDBusSignal As DBusSignal Public Sub Form_Open() FMain.Resizable = False FMain.Caption = ("Waiting for a D-Bus signal ...") $hDBusSignal = New DBusSignal(DBus.Session, Null, True) As "ObservedSignal" SetLEDColor(picStatus, "red") txaReport.Insert(gb.NewLine) End Public Sub ObservedSignal_Signal(Signal As String, Arguments As Variant[]) If Lower(Signal) = "state" And If Arguments[0] = "on" Then txaReport.Insert(" " & ("The data server is online!") & gb.NewLine) SetLEDColor(picStatus, "green") SendSound("on.wav") Else If Lower(Signal) = "state" And If Arguments[0] = "off" Then txaReport.Insert(" " & ("The data server is down!") & gb.NewLine) SetLEDColor(picStatus, "red") SendSound("off.wav") Endif End '' Sends a sound<br> '' Sound: Name of the sound file in the project folder 'sounds'.<br> '' Play back audio files on a PulseAudio sound server - the player is 'paplay' Public Sub SendSound(SoundFileName As String) If System.Exist("paplay") Then Shell "paplay " & Application.Path &/ "sounds" &/ SoundFileName Endif End Private Sub SetLEDColor(picBox As PictureBox, sLEDColor As String) picBox.Picture = Picture["LED/led_" & sLEDColor & ".svg"] End Public Sub Form_Close() If $hDBusSignal Then $hDBusSignal.Enabled = False FMain.Close() End
When starting and closing the program window, the server always sends the D-Bus signal 'State', which signals its status via the signal argument with the values 'on' or 'off'. The client waiting for the signal can react appropriately to the transmitted status.
Figure 24.9.6.0.1: The server is offline
Figure 24.9.6.0.2: The server is online
Figure 24.9.6.0.3: The server is offline
Hint:
If you need more information about which meta data the intercepted signal has besides the actual content, successfully use the class DBusObserver.
In the projects for the DBusSignal class in the following three chapters you will learn how to intercept signals, evaluate their content and how to send signals.