short SerialPort::open(int portNum, const string &settings){
   stringstream deviceName;
 
   deviceName << "\\\\.\\COM" << portNum;    // weird \\.\ allows emulated ports to work
 
   return open(deviceName.str(), settings);
   }
 
short SerialPort::open(const string &deviceName, const string &settings){
   cout << "SerialPort::open()" << endl;
 
	hComm = CreateFile(deviceName.c_str(), GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE, 0, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0);
 
   DCB dcb;
 
// the following commented lines have been abbreviated
//GetCommState(hComm, &dcb)
//BuildCommDCB(settings.c_str(), &dcb)
//SetCommState(hComm, &dcb)
//SetCommTimeouts(hComm, &timeouts)
 
   cout << "Serial Port " << deviceName << " opened OK" << endl;
	return 0;
   }