# Serial Port Search List

This dialog indicates what serial ports will be scanned, and the order they will be accessed, whenever a BASIC Stamp identification or download process is started. Use this feature to fine-tune the BASIC Stamp search to include or exclude certain serial ports.

To access this dialog, click the "Edit Ports..." button that appears on the Identification Window or the Preferences > Editor Operation tab:

- Identification Window: This appears when you press Ctrl+I or select the Run > Identify menu.
- Preferences > Editor Operation tab: This appears when you press F5, or select the Edit > Preferences... menu, and select the Editor Operation tab.

## Port List

The port list automatically updates whenever ports appear and disappear; such as USB-to-Serial ports. This is an interactive control; use your mouse to view and modify the list as indicated below.

- Port ID column: Indicates the Port ID.
- Port Description column: Indicates the friendly name for the port, similar to that shown in the Windows Device Manager tool.
- Present column: 'Yes' if the port is currently present on the system, 'No' if not; this indicates a user rule is including a port in the search list that isn't currently present on the system.

### Viewing and Modifying the List and Association Rules

The list of ports is shown in the order in which they will be scanned during BASIC Stamp identification and/or download processes. The ports to be scanned, and the order in which they are scanned, can be set through this interface, described below.

Changing the Scan Order

To change the order in which ports are scanned, left-click and drag port rows up and down. In this example, we selected the COM11 row, left-clicked it and dragged it up to be above the first Bluetooth Communications Port row (COM3). This results in a new scan order of COM11, COM3, COM6, and lastly COM12.

Viewing the Inclusion/Exclusion status

Ports may be included or excluded from the search list based on one or more user-defined rules.

To see what rule is applying to a particular port, point the mouse at the port's row and read the hint that appears. The example shown here indicates that port COM12 is being "Included by default" which means there is no rule explicitly including or excluding the port.

To exclude or include a port by the port's ID, right-click the port's row and select the "Exclude/Include Port (COMxx)" item. In this example, we chose to exclude COM12.

After excluding it, the ports list will update as shown below. Notice that it appears ghosted and in italics to indicate it will not be scanned; it will be ignored during an identification and download process. Also, hovering the mouse over it will display a hint saying, "Excluded by Port ID rule."

Tip: You can remove this Port ID rule by right-clicking on the port's row and selecting the "Re-include/exclude port (COMxx)" item.

Excluding or Including a Port by Description

- To exclude or include a port by its description, right-click the port's row and select the "Filter Port(s) by Description…" item.

This will open a new dialog that allows you to set the desired description rule. In this example, we set it to "Exclude" any ports matching "Bluetooth Communications Port" in their description.

Click OK to update the ports list. Notice that COM3 and COM6 (the ports whose descriptions read "Bluetooth Communications Port") appear ghosted and in italics to indicate it they will not be scanned; they will be ignored during an identification and download process. Also, hovering the mouse over those ports will display a hint saying, "Excluded by Port Description rule."

Tip: You can edit or remove this Port Description rule for a single port by by right-clicking on the port's row and selecting the "Include Port (COMxx)" option. You can change or remove it from all ports with the "Edit Port Description Rule..." or "Remove port description rule…" options.

Tip: On the Filter Port(s) by Description dialog, the Port Description field can be as general or as specific as necessary by using asterisk (*) characters as wild cards. For example, to exclude all ports beginning with the word "USB," enter "USB *" in the field. To exclude all ports with the word USB appearing anywhere within them, enter "*USB*" in the field. The bottom of the dialog shows the number of "Matches Found;" the number of existing ports that the rule applies to.

Tip: To exclude all ports except specific ports, right-click on any port row and select "Exclude all ports by default," then right click on any desired ports and select either "Include Port (COMxx)" or "Filter Port(s) by Description…" and enter the desired match string of ports to include.

## Buttons

- Restore Defaults: Press this button to remove all user-defined serial port rules and return the BASIC Stamp Editor Serial Port Search List to its default scanning sequence. Note that Bluetooth ports are excluded by default.
- Accept: Press this button to apply all modifications made to the serial port search list and corresponding rules.
- Cancel: Press this button to cancel all recent modifications made to the serial port search list and corresponding rules.

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BASIC Stamp Help Version 2.5.4

Copyright © Parallax Inc.

8/8/2012