What is the best way of telling when a message starts/ends with winsock?

[VaxoP]

Currently im doing this..

sckAccept(index).GetData data
data = addendum & data
 
lines = FindBetween2(data, "<My_Start_String>", "<My_End_String>")
For x = 0 To UBound(lines) - 1
data = Replace$(data, "<My_Start_String>" & lines(x) & "<My_End_String>", "")
debug.print "MESSAGE RECEIVED: " & lines(x)
next
 
addendum = data

But surely there is a better way out there.. (ps: findbetween2 returns the string data between 2 strings.. in case of multiple matches it returns an array)

[VaxoP]

How does this look? Can it be made faster?

Dim endPoint As Long
Const endString As String = "<My_End_String>"
 
Winsock.GetData Data 
Data = addendum & Data
 
Do
    endPoint = InStr(Data, endString)
    If endPoint > 0 Then
        Debug.Print "message: " & Left(Data, endPoint - 1)
        Data = Right(Data, Len(Data) - endPoint - Len(endString) + 1)
    Else
        Exit Do
    End If
Loop
 
addendum = Data

[randem]

The best way is to not use a string but one byte to start and one byte to end (STX and ETX). These are standard string communications protocols that you should look into.

[VaxoP]

The best way is to not use a string but one byte to start and one byte to end (STX and ETX). These are standard string communications protocols that you should look into.

this would be tough when sending binary data..

[CVMichael]

Just send a header data where you specify the data length, see this thread for an example:
http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=377648

[randem]

Yes, it would be tough but you stated you are sending string data not binary data...

[VaxoP]

yes but theres crazy characters in the string

[randem]

Then it's not a string, it's binary data...