Visual Basic + PHP Server - php

Question

I need a PHP Server to interact with my wireless sensors. But I also need that server to be controlled by a Visual Basic Application.
Some of the features I need in the Visual Basic Application:
Start/Stop Server
Server Configuration
Access files on the server directory.
The PHP file (server application) is simply to accept data from the wireless sensor module and store in a flat database file (CSV, XML). After this data has been written Visual Basic must access the flat database file to perform analysis.
Any suggestions on what server to use and what particular methods might provide the easiest solution?

Answer 1

Well, what you want is broad and yet, there is not enough information about your PHP part.
But I can help you with VB.NET. Here is a Class (And a Sub and an Event) that can really help.
Some Examples first
Simply loads a HTML code:
Dim Page As New WEBhtml("http://www.example.com/index.php?get=something")
While Page.IsReady = False
End While
If IsNothing(Page.Exception) Then
MsgBox(Page.GetHtml)
Else
MsgBox(Page.Exception.Message)
End If
Sends POST to destination (just the Dim line):
Dim Page As New WEBhtml("http://www.example.com/index.php?get=something", {"a=alpha", "b=beta", "c=I Don't Know :D !"})
Use Handling:
Private Sub form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim Page As New WEBhtml("http://www.e.com/i.php")
End Sub
Private Sub html_done(ByRef sender As WEBhtml) Handles Me.WebHtml_Done
MsgBox("Timetook: " & sender.TimeTook / 1000 & "s")
MsgBox("Url: " & sender.Url)
If IsNothing(sender.Exception) Then
MsgBox("Bandwidth: " & sender.Bytes / 1024 & "kb")
MsgBox("HTML: " & sender.GetHtml)
Else
MsgBox("Error: " & sender.Exception.Message)
End If
End Sub
See? very easy.
Now to Start
Follow these two steps
First: Add System.Web Reference
Go to Project > [Project name] Properties > Reference
After that press the "Add..." button, and check 'System.Web'
Then press Ok. also check it in 'Imported namespaces'
Second: Copy this block before the 'End Class'
Public Shared Event WebHtml_Done(ByRef sender As WEBhtml)
Friend Shared Sub RaiseDone(ByRef wh As WEBhtml)
RaiseEvent WebHtml_Done(wh)
End Sub
Public Class WEBhtml
Private thrd As Threading.Thread
Private Err As Exception
Private BytesUsed As ULong = 0
Private Time As UInteger = 0
Private Html As String = ""
Private _Url As String
Private tmr As New Timer
Private Sub initialize()
tmr.Interval = 50
AddHandler tmr.Tick, AddressOf Tick
tmr.Enabled = True
tmr.Start()
End Sub
Public Sub New(ByVal Url As String)
thrd = New Threading.Thread(Sub() WEB_POST(Url))
initialize()
thrd.Start()
End Sub
Public Sub New(ByVal Url As String, ByVal PostData As String())
thrd = New Threading.Thread(Sub() WEB_POST(Url, PostData))
initialize()
thrd.Start()
End Sub
Private Sub Tick(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
If thrd.IsAlive = False Then
tmr.Enabled = False
RaiseDone(Me)
End If
End Sub
Private Sub WEB_POST(ByVal url As String, Optional ByVal values() As String = Nothing)
_Url = url
Dim data As String = ""
Dim a, b As Integer
b = My.Computer.Clock.TickCount
Try
For i = 0 To values.GetLength(0) - 1
a = values(i).IndexOf("=")
If a >= 0 Then
data += System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode(Mid(values(i), 1, a)) & "=" & System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode(Mid(values(i), a + 2))
If i < values.GetLength(0) - 1 Then data += "&"
End If
Next
Catch
data = ""
End Try
Try
Dim request As System.Net.WebRequest = System.Net.WebRequest.Create(url)
request.Method = "POST"
Dim postdata As String = data
Dim byteArray As Byte() = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(postdata)
request.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
request.ContentLength = byteArray.Length
request.Timeout = 100000
Dim dataStream As IO.Stream = request.GetRequestStream()
dataStream.Write(byteArray, 0, byteArray.Length)
dataStream.Close()
Dim response As Net.WebResponse = request.GetResponse()
dataStream = response.GetResponseStream()
Dim reader As New IO.StreamReader(dataStream)
Dim responseFromServer As String = reader.ReadToEnd()
reader.Close()
dataStream.Close()
response.Close()
BytesUsed += responseFromServer.Length + byteArray.Length
Time = My.Computer.Clock.TickCount - b
Html = (responseFromServer)
Catch ex As Exception
Err = ex
Time = My.Computer.Clock.TickCount - b
Html = ""
End Try
End Sub
Public ReadOnly Property Exception() As Exception
Get
Return Err
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property TimeTook() As UInteger
Get
Return Time
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property Bytes() As ULong
Get
Return BytesUsed
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property GetHtml() As String
Get
Return Html
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property IsReady() As Boolean
Get
Return Not thrd.IsAlive
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property Url() As String
Get
Return _Url
End Get
End Property
End Class
I believe this works properly.
Hope It Helps.