Byte block returns integer instead of byte

[cymplecy]

returns

cr = 13;

but should be JS representation of a byte or a char (I don't understand how JS deals with bytes/chars

[cymplecy]

Maybe get it to return a buffer of length 1 ?

[bartbutenaers]

@cymplecy

I have introduced the byte-block to have control over the values inside a buffer:

Indeed a buffer consists of a series of byte values. Each value of the buffer is between 0x00 and 0xFF (hex) OR 0 and 255 (decimal): see documentation. Therefore you can only enter number values between 0 and 255 in the byte-block...

An example flow:

[{"id":"da21f21b.aaf46","type":"function","z":"279b8956.27dfe6","name":"","func":"msg.payload = new Buffer([ 0, 6, 7, 5, 0, 255, 256, 257, 258]);\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":3720,"y":320,"wires":[["d5e89ebd.c0475"]]},{"id":"f4c54da1.da58d","type":"inject","z":"279b8956.27dfe6","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":3560,"y":320,"wires":[["da21f21b.aaf46"]]},{"id":"d5e89ebd.c0475","type":"debug","z":"279b8956.27dfe6","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","x":3870,"y":320,"wires":[]}]

In this flow, a buffer is created from an array of byte values (i.e. numbers!!!):

msg.payload = new Buffer([ 0, 6, 7, 5, 0, 255, 256, 257, 258]);
return msg;

In the debug panel you will see that he starts counting again from 0 when you specify as value 256:

P.S. I had also planned to create a hex-block in the future:

Does this make sense to you ?? Otherwise it might be better to discuss this on the forum ...

Bart

[cymplecy]

My point is that it returns 13 when Blockly convert it to JS whereas I think it should convert it to a 1 byte buffer object

[cymplecy]

e.g

should return something like

cr = new buffer([13]);

not

cr= 13;

[bartbutenaers]

Well my point is that I have introduced the buffer block to have control about which values can be set in a buffer at index X. For example:

myBuffer[15] = 33;

This is very handy when you do e.g. image processing, like I use it heavily in my node-red-contrib-multipart-stream-decoder node ...

When we would do it your way it would become this:

myBuffer[15] = new Buffer([33]);

This would mean that each element in myBuffer would be another buffer containing only a single number. A byte is just a byte, nothing more nothing less. Correct me if I'm wrong !

[cymplecy]

Well my point is that I have introduced the (I think you meant to say byte not buffer here) buffer block to have control about which values can be set in a buffer at index X. For example:

myBuffer[15] = 33; Doesn't need a byte type to do that - you just take simple number block and convert to your JS

When we would do it your way it would become this:

myBuffer[15] = new Buffer([33]);

I'm not asking for this - I'm asking that if I set a variable to a byte with a value of 13 - that it sets the variable to a buffer, length 1, with a value of 13 in it.

At the moment, its ignoring my instructions that I'm using a byte and converts it (in error) to an integer with a value of 13

A byte is just a byte, nothing more nothing less. Correct me if I'm wrong !

No - your are right with that paragraph

[cymplecy]

[cymplecy]

IM(H)O

Get byte should return a buffer object length 1

Byte 13 should return buffer([13]) not 13

Maybe change get/set to

set value of index 1 of buffer empty buffer to 0

get value at index 1 of buffer empty buffer

[cymplecy]

Closing this issue and restarting the discussion from a different angle :)