I am trying to create a simple program to run some code on a lecroy oscilloscope. I have never used visual basic, so this is all new to me. I have read through a couple of intro tutorials, but the oscilloscope does not have visual studio and all I want is a super simple program. I have been editing the visual basic script file (.vbs) that the scope provides and then to run I just double click on that file in windows explorer. I have been using MsgBox() and InputBox() but what I would like is just two buttons Start and Stop. That could start my code and stop it gracefully. I was hoping to make the buttons into a flag and just check at the beginning of each loop for whether the flag was set to start or stop . Is there a simple way to do this?

Thanks,
Jordan

I don't believe Visual Basic Script supports such things as forms, right?

You could use Word, Access, Excel, or any other application with VBA. Use that app to show a UserForm, then use the code in the VBA to issue the .VBS command.
If Visual Basic Script supports command-line arguments, you could build a string with the settings held in the command line.

Maybe the easiest thing to do is to buy an old version of VB (VB4, VB5, maybe even VB6), which you probably could get pretty cheap. Then you could use it to create a really nice little user interface to take the actions with this ’scope that you want to take.

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I do not have a lot of time for this as the test that I need this for is next week. If I had more time I would, do just as you say and get vb6. Is there any way to gracefully exit a visual basic script that is set to run on a continuous loop?

Thanks,
Jordan

Exit Do will get you out of a Do loop.
Exit Sub will get you out of the subroutine altogether.

When you say “...set to run,” do you mean containing an unending loop, or being called again and again by some other process?

I am planning on running in an unending loop until the user decides to end the program. I am logging data for a test that is of variable length that will not be possible to determine before the test begins. If I use excel and enter the loop is there a way to check for button click inside the loop?

Thanks,
Jordan

The problem that you face in an endless loop is that under various circumstances the computer gets so busy that it stops “listening.” Then it will not respond to any changes, will not update the screen, etc.

The way to prevent this is to be sure to include the statement, “DoEvents” inside your loop.

So, if your loop and the button are both in/on the same form, at the top of the form's code module, create a Private Boolean variable that can be tested in the loop, and set by the button. (Being near the top of the module, outside any routines it will be visible/accessible to all code of the form (which is stated as having “Module-scope”).

In the button click event set the boolean variable to True.

In the loop, on each iteration, test the value of the Boolean. If True, exit the loop. (I'll use elipses to indicate the routine that the loop is in, in the following):

Thank you for your help Brian that is exactly what I have been trying to do. Now all I have to do is figure out how to call a visual basic script file inside the loop. Maybe I need to make it into a sub or function and call that?

You could try Shell... If you shell to a document, Word starts (I'm pretty sure). the same sort of thing hould happen with a .VBS.