\**fScan Reference Manual, Chapter 2 (CmdLineOptions): connect**
===== Connect -- Open a network or external communication port connection=====

==== usage: ====
 -connect mode  name [flag] hostport timeout\\
 -connect READ  name [flag] storevarb [maxchars timeout]\\
 -connect WRITE name [flag] data [nchars]\\
 -connect QUERY name querystr [flag] replydata [timeout maxchars]\\
 -connect CLOSE name\\
 -connect POLL  name\\
 -connect NOPOLL name\\

 MODE:\\
  * SOCKET - network port (default mode)
  * SERVER - network connection for fScan image server/client
  * CLIENT - network connection for fScan image server/client
  * DBAX - network connection to DBAX database server
  * COM - serial port 

 FLAG:\\
  * Opening
    * 1 - open for reading\\
    * 2 - open for writing\\
    * 4 - listening port; wait for client to connect
  * Writing
    * 0 - default
    * 1,2 - write data variable DATA
		
  * Reading
    * 1 - expect single return value
    * 2 - expect table (list) to br read
		
Note: fScan server connects with flag=7; fScan client with flag=3.

If you attempt to WRITE or QUERY a connection, that has not yet been opened, CONNECT will
look for the HOSTPORT specification in a user variable called "connect_CNXNNAME" (where CNXNNAME is the name of the connection). If found, CONNECT will attempt an auto-connection to that network location before attempting the WRITE/QUERY.  This is equivalent to inserting the command:\\
<code>
   -connect name $connect_name
</code>
For example, if you routinely connect to a DBAX database server, you could define 'connect_dbax' in your  [[jvs:fscan:manual:chapter1:configfile|CONFIG]] file as:
    <uservarb name="connect_dbax">sagan.dhe.duke.edu:5570</uservarb>
Then you could communicate with that server by simply using commands like:
<code>
   -connect dbax query "select subjid,exam,sex,age from exams" 2 examtable
</code>

**See Also:**\\
[[jvs:fscan|fScan Home]], 
[[jvs:fscan:manual|fScan Manual]], 
[[jvs:fscan:manual:chapter2|CmdLineOptions]], 
[[jvs:fscan:manual:help|Manual Help]]