# PIP: Getting started

Getting started

Many novice programmers are solved many common task with system integrity: output to console, keyboard buttons press detecting, working with serial ports, ethernet or files, and many other. These tasks can solve this library, and code, based only on PIP will be compile and work similar on many systems: Windows, any Linux, Red Hat, FreeBSD, MacOS X and QNX. Typical application on PIP looks like this:

#include <pip.h>
// declare key press handler
void key_event(char key, void * );
PIConsole console(false, key_event); // don`t start now, key handler is "key_event"
// some vars
int i = 2, j = 3;
// implicit key press handler
void key_event(char key, void * ) {
switch (key) {
case '-':
i--;
break;
case '+':
i++;
break;
case '(':
j--;
break;
case ')':
j++;
break;
};
};
class MainClass: public PITimer {
PIOBJECT(MainClass)
public:
MainClass() {}
protected:
void tick(void * data, int delimiter) {
piCout << "timer tick";
// timer tick
}
};
MainClass main_class;
int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
// enabling auto-detection of exit button press, by default 'Q' (shift+q)
console.enableExitCapture();
// if we want to parse command-line arguments
PICLI cli(argc, argv);
cli.addArgument("console"); // "-c" or "--console"
cli.addArgument("debug"); // "-d" or "--debug"
// enabling or disabling global debug flag
piDebug = cli.hasArgument("debug");
// configure console
console.addTab("first tab", '1');
console.addString("PIP console", 1, PIConsole::Bold);
console.addVariable("int var (i)", &i, 1);
console.addVariable("int green var (j)", &j, 1, PIConsole::Green);
console.addString("'-' - i--", 2);
console.addString("'+' - i++", 2);
console.addString("'(' - j--", 2);
console.addString("')' - j++", 2);
console.addTab("second tab", '2');
console.addString("col 1", 1);
console.addString("col 2", 2);
console.addString("col 3", 3);
console.setTab("first tab");
// start output to console if "console" argument exists
if (cli.hasArgument("console"))
console.start();
// start main class, e.g. 40 Hz
main_class.start(25.);
// wait for 'Q' press, independently if console is started or not
console.waitForFinish();
return 0;
};

This code demonstrates simple interactive configurable program, which can be started with console display or not, and with debug or not. MainClass is central class that also can be inherited from PIThread and reimplement run() function.
Many PIP classes has events and event handlers, which can be connected one to another. Details you can see at PIObject reference page (Events and Event handlers).
To configure your program from file use PIConfig.
If you want more information see Advanced using