>>I've got the CommTools comunication library for VFP 5 and I haven't been able to figure out how to determine if a modem is present, available and ready to be used. I don't do a lot of programming in this area (communications), so maybe I'm just not understanding something trivial.
>>
>>I've tried reaching CommTools via e-mail and fax but I've had no success...in fact my emails have been bouncing back, even when I click on their link at their web site. :-(
>>
>>My boss won't let me release my app until I have this test and a graceful way of handling things when the modem is not there or is not ready. If you could give me some help with this I'd appreciate it.
>>
>>Thanks.
>Richard,
>
>While I've never done this, I believe the API provides a way. From hwat I know, you'd use the CreateFile() function to retrieve a handle to the device (COM1:?) then use that as one of the properties to GetCommState(). If you where able to retrieve a handle, or if GetCommState() returned a number other than 0, it would be a good indication that there *may* be a modem present. It could be a serial mouse, for example. However, the members of the structure you pass to GetCommState() should contain enough information to allow you to distinguish between a modem and a mouse.
>
>Alternately, there may be information in the registry. However, I don't know if there would be a registry key that would unfailingly provide this information.

A single registry key, no. You can recursively search the registry subkey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\SERENUM for a node with a registry value named 'Class' with a REG_SZ value of "MODEM" or "Modem". This node will also contain a registry value "ClassGUID" that contains a REG_SZ GUID for the configuration of the modem. You can then recursively search HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\Root for a node with a matching "ClassGUID"; this node's name will be the device assigned to the modem. From there, you're on your own...