Lua module wrapping the Windows COMM port API

[Ross Berteig <Ross@...>]

I have been working on a windows-specific wrapper for the COMM 
API. My hope is that this could satisfy one of the missing 
features identified for the Lua for Windows distribution.

My plan is to produce a C module that is the thinnest possible 
veneer over the Windows API. I am assuming that I don't need to 
support Unicode, and for the moment that support for 
asynchronous calls ("overlapped" mode) is not required either.

I would imagine that it would be possible to use this as a core 
module underneath a portability layer if there really is a good 
candidate for a platform-portable serial port API. However, I am 
not assuming that platform portability is a very high priority 
feature.

I am using SWIG to generate the majority of the wrapper code, so 
targeting languages other than Lua should be possible as well, 
althought that is not particularly a priority of mine either.

In addition to providing its own open, close, read, and write 
functions, it wraps access to BuildCommDCBA(), 
BuildCommDCBAndTimeoutsA(), ClearCommBreak(), ClearCommError(), 
CommConfigDialogA(), EscapeCommFunction(), GetCommConfig(), 
GetCommMask(), GetCommModemStatus(), GetCommProperties(), 
GetCommState(), GetCommTimeouts(), GetDefaultCommConfig(), 
PurgeComm(), SetCommBreak(), SetCommConfig(), SetCommMask(), 
SetCommState(), SetCommTimeouts(), SetDefaultCommConfig(), 
SetupComm(), and TransmitCommChar(). I also added wrappers to 
deal with Windows error codes, and to support MessageBoxA() just 
because it's there. I also had SWIG generate type handlers for 
the necessary types DCB, COMMCONFIG, COMMPROP, COMMTIMEOUTS, and 
COMMSTAT.

I intend to get it stable enough for use outside my PC real soon 
now, and will put it on LuaForge for review "soon".

In the mean time, I'm open to thoughts and suggestions...

Ross Berteig                               Ross@CheshireEng.com
Cheshire Engineering Corp.           http://www.CheshireEng.com/