worked on conversion of strings,

changed sending data as bytes rather than as encoded string,
fixed bug in MultiFormatTextBox

MultiTerm.Core/Model/MultiFormatString.cs

@@ -197,14 +197,15 @@ public class MultiFormatString: ObservableCollection<IFormattedCharacter>
         }
     }
 
-    #region ToString
+    #region GetBytes, Conversions
     /// <summary>
-    /// Converts the <see cref="MultiFormatString"/> to a string that only contains Unicode (UTF-16) characters.
+    /// Converts this <see cref="MultiFormatString"/> to a byte array. Associated bundles of <see cref="FormattedCharacter"/> are converted to bytes.
+    /// Characters of Format <see cref="FormatType.Character"/> are are ASCII Encoded.
     /// </summary>
-    /// <returns>converted string</returns>
-    public override string ToString()  // TODO Implement Unit Tests!
+    /// <returns>byte array of this <see cref="MultiFormatString"/></returns>
+    public byte[] GetBytes()
     {
-        StringBuilder stringBuilder = new();
+        List<byte> bytes = new();
         string hexConversionCharacters = String.Empty, binaryConversionCharacters = String.Empty;
 
         // Internal function to check and finalize a Hexadecimal Conversion
@@ -219,8 +220,8 @@ public class MultiFormatString: ObservableCollection<IFormattedCharacter>
                     formattedChar.Format != FormatType.Hexadecimal ||
                     hexConversionCharacters.Length == charsPerHexBundle)
                 {
-                    // finalize conversion
-                    stringBuilder.Append(FromHexString(hexConversionCharacters));
+                    // finalize conversion, expects one byte only => therefore use first
+                    bytes.Add(GetBytesFromString(hexConversionCharacters, 16, charsPerHexBundle).First());
                     // reset ongoing conversion
                     hexConversionCharacters = String.Empty;
                 }
@@ -239,19 +240,18 @@ public class MultiFormatString: ObservableCollection<IFormattedCharacter>
                     formattedChar.Format != FormatType.Binary ||
                     binaryConversionCharacters.Length == charsPerBinBundle)
                 {
-                    // finalize conversion
-                    stringBuilder.Append(FromBinaryString(binaryConversionCharacters));
+                    // finalize conversion, expects one byte only => therefore use first
+                    bytes.Add(GetBytesFromString(hexConversionCharacters, 2, charsPerBinBundle).First());
                     // reset ongoing conversion
                     binaryConversionCharacters = String.Empty;
                 }
             }
         }
 
-        // go through every character
-        foreach (var character in this.Items)
+        foreach (IFormattedCharacter character in this.Items)
         {
-            // can only handle FormattedCharacters
-            if (character is not FormattedCharacter formattedCharacter) { continue; }
+            // skip all characters that are not of type FormattedCharacter
+            if(character is not FormattedCharacter formattedCharacter) { continue; }
 
             // finalize ongoing conversions if there are any
             finalizeHexConversion(formattedCharacter);
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ public class MultiFormatString: ObservableCollection<IFormattedCharacter>
             switch (formattedCharacter.Format)  // switch by format
             {
                 case FormatType.Character:
-                    stringBuilder.Append(formattedCharacter.Character);
+                    bytes.Add(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(formattedCharacter.Character).First());
                     break;
 
                 case FormatType.Hexadecimal:
@@ -272,44 +272,74 @@ public class MultiFormatString: ObservableCollection<IFormattedCharacter>
                     break;
 
                 default:
-                    throw new NotImplementedException($"'{nameof(ToString)}()' does not implement conversion for format {formattedCharacter.Format}");
+                    throw new NotImplementedException($"'{nameof(GetBytes)}()' does not implement conversion for format {formattedCharacter.Format}");
             }
+
         }
 
         // fully finalize after the loop, finish all unfinished conversions
         finalizeHexConversion(null);
         finalizeBinaryConversion(null);
 
-        return stringBuilder.ToString();
+        return bytes.ToArray();
     }
 
-    // from: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/724862/converting-from-hex-to-string
-    // test with: returns: "Hello world" for "48656C6C6F20776F726C64"
-    // see https://www.fileformat.info/info/charset/UTF-16/list.htm
-    private static string FromHexString(string hexString)
+    // TODO Implement Unit Tests!
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Converts the <see cref="MultiFormatString"/> to a string that only contains ASCII characters.
+    /// Therefore this method converts all parts of other formats (e.g. <see cref="FormatType.Hexadecimal"/> or <see cref="FormatType.Binary"/>) to ASCII characters.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <returns>converted string</returns>
+    public string ToAsciiEncodedString()
     {
-        // Added PadLeft so strings with one character do not get ignored
-        string internalHexString = hexString.PadLeft(charsPerHexBundle, '0');
-        var bytes = new byte[internalHexString.Length / 2];
-        for (var i = 0; i < bytes.Length; i++)
-        {
-            bytes[i] = Convert.ToByte(internalHexString.Substring(i * 2, 2), 16);
-        }
-
-        return Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytes);
+        return Encoding.ASCII.GetString(this.GetBytes());
     }
 
-    private static string FromBinaryString(string binaryString)
+    // TODO Unit Tests
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Converts an input string to a bytes array with the given base (<paramref name="fromBase"/>) and bundle size (<paramref name="byteWidth"/>).
+    /// Input string gets padded with zeroes left. 
+    /// Idea from: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/724862/converting-from-hex-to-string
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="str">input string, without separators between individual bytes! </param>
+    /// <param name="fromBase">number base of the input string (e.g. 2 for binary)</param>
+    /// <param name="byteWidth">amount of characters required for a complete byte in the <paramref name="fromBase"/> format (e.g. 8 for a binary byte)</param>
+    /// <returns>byte array of the given input string</returns>
+    private static byte[] GetBytesFromString(string str, int fromBase, int byteWidth)
     {
-        string internalBinaryString = binaryString.PadLeft(charsPerBinBundle, '0');
-        var bytes = new byte[internalBinaryString.Length / 8];
+        // Added left padded zeroes (total width + spill) so the block size matches the number base
+        string paddedString = str.PadLeft((str.Length + (str.Length % byteWidth)), '0');
+        // creates bytes array of correct size
+        var bytes = new byte[paddedString.Length / byteWidth];
+        // convert every part of the string to 
         for (var i = 0; i < bytes.Length; i++)
         {
-            bytes[i] = Convert.ToByte(internalBinaryString.Substring(i * 8, 8), 2);
+            bytes[i] = Convert.ToByte(paddedString.Substring(i * byteWidth, byteWidth), fromBase);
         }
+        return bytes;
+    }
+
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns ASCII encoded string from a hex string of <see cref="charsPerHexBundle"/> amount of hexadecimal characters.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="hexString">hex string with maximum amount of hex characters according to <see cref="charsPerHexBundle"/>. hex characters must be without any separator (no : or - inbetween bytes)!</param>
+    /// <returns>ASCII Encoded string of the <paramref name="hexString"/></returns>
+    private static string GetAsciiEncodedStringFromHexString(string hexString)
+    {
+        var bytes = GetBytesFromString(hexString, 16, charsPerHexBundle);
         return Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytes);
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns ASCII encoded string from a binary string of <see cref="charsPerBinBundle"/> amount of binary characters.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="binaryString">hex string with maximum amount of binaryString characters according to <see cref="charsPerBinBundle"/>. binary characters must be without any separator (no space or - inbetween bytes)!</param>
+    /// <returns>ASCII Encoded string of the <paramref name="binaryString"/></returns>
+    private static string GetAsciiEncodedStringFromBinaryString(string binaryString)
+    {
+        var bytes = GetBytesFromString(binaryString, 2, charsPerBinBundle);
+        return Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytes);
+    }
     #endregion
 }

MultiTerm.Core/ViewModel/SendReceiveViewModel.cs

@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ public partial class SendReceiveViewModel : TerminalViewModel
         // Temp
         //var items = this.CommunicationData.SelectedReceivedData;
         //Debugger.Break();
-        this.TempSentDataString = this.SendableData.ToString();
+        this.TempSentDataString = this.SendableData.ToAsciiEncodedString();
         // send data
-        this.SendToCommunicationProtocol(this.SendableData.ToString());
+        this.SendToCommunicationProtocol(this.SendableData.GetBytes());
 
         // clear textbox
         this.SendableData.Clear();

MultiTerm.Core/ViewModel/TerminalViewModel.cs

@@ -151,11 +151,11 @@ public abstract partial class TerminalViewModel : ObservableObject, ITerminalVie
     #endregion
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Sends the given string to this instances <see cref="CommunicationProtocol"/>, UTF-16 encoded. 
+    /// Sends the given data to this instances <see cref="CommunicationProtocol"/>. 
     /// Appends configured <see cref="SendNewlineSeparatorType"/> to the end of string.
     /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="data">data string</param>
-    protected void SendToCommunicationProtocol(string data)
+    /// <param name="data">data in form of enumerable (e.g. array)</param>
+    protected void SendToCommunicationProtocol(IEnumerable<byte> data)
     {
         // guard null values
         if(this.CommunicationProtocol == null) { throw new NullReferenceException($"'{nameof(SendToCommunicationProtocol)}()' was called but {nameof(CommunicationProtocol)} is null."); }
@@ -168,22 +168,21 @@ public abstract partial class TerminalViewModel : ObservableObject, ITerminalVie
         }
 
         // add newline sequence to end of data
-        string newlineSequence = this.SendNewlineSeparatorType switch
+        byte[] newlineSequence = this.SendNewlineSeparatorType switch
         {
-            NewlineSeparatorType.None => String.Empty,
-            NewlineSeparatorType.CR => "\r",
-            NewlineSeparatorType.LF => "\n",
-            NewlineSeparatorType.CR_LF => "\r\n",
+            NewlineSeparatorType.None => Array.Empty<byte>(),
+            NewlineSeparatorType.CR => new byte[] { (byte)'\r' },
+            NewlineSeparatorType.LF => new byte[] { (byte)'\n' },
+            NewlineSeparatorType.CR_LF => new byte[] { (byte)'\r', (byte)'\n' },
             _ => throw new NotImplementedException($"'{nameof(SendToCommunicationProtocol)}()' " +
             $"does not implement handling for {nameof(NewlineSeparatorType)} {this.SendNewlineSeparatorType}.")
         };
-        string modifiedData = data + newlineSequence;
 
-        // extract unicode byte array
-        var byteArray = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes(modifiedData);
+        // join data and newline sequence
+        var dataWithNewlineSequence = data.Concat(newlineSequence);
 
         // send
-        this.CommunicationProtocol.SendBytes(byteArray);
+        this.CommunicationProtocol.SendBytes(dataWithNewlineSequence.ToArray());
     }
 
     #region Protocol Settings

MultiTerm.Wpf.CustomControl/MultiFormatTextBox/MultiFormatTextBox.cs

@@ -217,13 +217,18 @@ public class MultiFormatTextBox : Control
             }
 
             // if this is the first element to enter in the paragraph => simply add it
-            if(paragraph!.Inlines.Count == 0)
+            if (paragraph!.Inlines.Count == 0)
             {
                 paragraph.Inlines.Add(run);
             }
+            // if the previous item is outside of the range => insert at first position
+            else if(indexCounter - 1 < 0)
+            {
+                paragraph.Inlines.InsertBefore(paragraph.Inlines.FirstInline, run);
+            }
             else // add to paragraph of richtextbox after previous inline
             {
-                var previousInline = paragraph.Inlines.ElementAt(new Index(indexCounter-1));  // paragraph.Inlines = zero based counting
+                var previousInline = paragraph.Inlines.ElementAt(new Index(indexCounter - 1));  // paragraph.Inlines = zero based counting
                 paragraph.Inlines.InsertAfter(previousInline, run);
             }