controlling windows programs externally
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From: das_chris on 21 Apr 2008 06:32 Hello all! Some Background: I am studying mechanical engineering. For a project task, I have to set up a cycle of 4 programmes interacting into each others (Pro Engineer (CAD), Star Design (transforming shapes into meshes), Star CD (Fluid dynamics calculations), ModeFrontier (optimisation programme) - for those who are interested). Between the programmes, information has to be passed on in form of files. As this cycle is a iterative process, it is being repeated several hundred times. Therefore, I thought of writing a [b]Batch-File[/b], which starts the different programmes and executes the action that has to be done in each of the programmes. Now my question: Is it possible, to control a programme, using a batch file? e.g. opening word, loading an explicit file, running a macro and saving the file, using the *.txt format? If not - which is what I actually assume - can this be archieved by using another more powerful programming language? To go even further, can i adress options in the menu bar? which leads to "is a windows-based program fully controlable by another, self- written program? I hope, everybody understood what i meant and perhaps somebody can even give me some hints or even answers. Thank you very much for your time, best regards Christian Student of mechanical engineering, Germany
From: Alf P. Steinbach on 21 Apr 2008 06:44 * das_chris: > Hello all! > > Some Background: > I am studying mechanical engineering. For a project task, I have to > set up a cycle of 4 programmes interacting into each others (Pro > Engineer (CAD), Star Design (transforming shapes into meshes), Star CD > (Fluid dynamics calculations), ModeFrontier (optimisation programme) - > for those who are interested). > Between the programmes, information has to be passed on in form of > files. > As this cycle is a iterative process, it is being repeated several > hundred times. Therefore, I thought of writing a [b]Batch-File[/b], > which starts the different programmes and executes the action that has > to be done in each of the programmes. > > Now my question: > Is it possible, to control a programme, using a batch file? Depends on the program. If the program provides ways to specify what should be done via command line arguments, then yes. Otherwise (in general) no. > e.g. > opening word, loading an explicit file, running a macro and saving the > file, using the *.txt format? No. > If not - which is what I actually assume - can this be archieved by > using another more powerful programming language? Depends on the program. If the program supports automation, then yes. For Word and above scenario, yes. E.g. JScript and VBScript, both bundled with Windows, can do this. > To go even further, can i adress options in the menu bar? which leads > to "is a windows-based program fully controlable by another, self- > written program? Depends on the program. :-) > I hope, everybody understood what i meant and perhaps somebody can > even give me some hints or even answers. In the worst case you can always go down to the level of sending keystrokes to the program (look up documentation of WScript and associated objects, there's a SendKey method somewhere). But that's a bit risky. E.g., the user should better keep hands off keyboard while this going on. Cheers, & hth., - Alf -- A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is it such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?
From: CBFalconer on 21 Apr 2008 21:18 das_chris wrote: > .... snip ... > > Now my question: > Is it possible, to control a programme, using a batch file? e.g. > opening word, loading an explicit file, running a macro and saving > the file, using the *.txt format? Of course. It depends on the power of the batch language. Here is one for MSDOS (dated Dec 2002), using 4dos as the command processor, that writes an HTML file with selected directory data: @echo off :: mkindex2.htm by Mike Bessy, revised by C.B. Falconer :: see "news://jpsoft.media3.net/138154%40jpsoft.support" *setlocal *unalias * ::on error goto done on break goto done goto start :: convert system datestamp in %ft to ISO in %ymd :isodate set ymd=%@year[%ft] iff %ymd LT 80 then set ymd=%@eval[%ymd+2000] elseiff &ymd LT 100 then set ymd=%@eval[%ymd+1900] else set ymd=%@right[4, 0%ymd] endiff set ymd=%ymd-%@right[2, 0%@month[%ft]]-%@right[2, 0%@day[%ft]] return :start set based=~cbfalconer/ set f="index.htm" set suppress=/[!*.ion index*.htm *.ba*] iff not ".%1." == ".." then set based=%@strip[%=", %1] set suppress=/[!index.htm %2&] endiff set d="%@full[.]" echo %=nUsage: %0 [Title prefix] [files to suppress] echo %=n%@upper[%0]: Hit Ctrl-C to abort or press any key to pause %@if[exist %f,re,]build %f from %d. cdd %d >!%f text >> %f <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="mkindex2.btm [4dos]"> <TITLE> endtext echo %based%%@filename[%d] directory >> %f text >> %f </TITLE></HEAD><BODY><CENTER><H1> endtext echo %based%%@filename[%d] >> %f text >> %f </H1><P><A HREF="../index.htm">Back to parent directory</A> <P> <TABLE ALIGN=CENTER BORDERCOLOR="#0000FF" BORDER="5" WIDTH="98%"> <TR> <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Name</B></CENTER></TD> <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Date</B></CENTER></TD> <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Size</B></CENTER></TD> <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Description</B></CENTER></TD> </TR> endtext set n=0 dir %suppress /h /b | for %ii in (@con) ( echo %=<TR%=> >> %f echo %=<TD%=>%=<A HREF="%ii"%=>%ii%=</A%=>%=</TD%=> >> %f set ft=%@filedate["%ii"] gosub isodate echo %=<TD ALIGN=CENTER%=>%ymd%=</TD%=> >> %f echo %=<TD ALIGN=RIGHT%=>%@format[5,%@filesize["%ii",K]]K%=</TD%=> >> %f echo %=<TD%=>%@descript["%ii"] %=</TD%=> >>%f echo %=</TR%=> >> %f set n=%@inc[%n] ) echo %=</TABLE%=> >>%f set ft=%_date gosub isodate echo %=<P%=>[%n files indexed on %ymd at %_time >> %f text >> %f by <BIG><A HREF="http://jpsoft.com/"> 4DOS!</A></BIG> ] <P> <A HREF="../index.htm">Back to parent directory</A> </CENTER></BODY></HTML> endtext echo %n files indexed on %ymd at %_time :done -- [mail]: Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net) [page]: <http://cbfalconer.home.att.net> Try the download section. ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
From: das_chris on 22 Apr 2008 04:53 On 21 Apr., 12:44, "Alf P. Steinbach" <al...(a)start.no> wrote: > *das_chris: > > > > > Hello all! > > > Some Background: > > I am studying mechanical engineering. For a project task, I have to > > set up a cycle of 4 programmes interacting into each others (Pro > > Engineer (CAD), Star Design (transforming shapes into meshes), Star CD > > (Fluid dynamics calculations), ModeFrontier (optimisation programme) - > > for those who are interested). > > Between the programmes, information has to be passed on in form of > > files. > > As this cycle is a iterative process, it is being repeated several > > hundred times. Therefore, I thought of writing a [b]Batch-File[/b], > > which starts the different programmes and executes the action that has > > to be done in each of the programmes. > > > Now my question: > > Is it possible, to control a programme, using a batch file? > > Depends on the program. If the program provides ways to specify what should be > done via command line arguments, then yes. Otherwise (in general) no. > > > e.g. > > opening word, loading an explicit file, running a macro and saving the > > file, using the *.txt format? > > No. > > > If not - which is what I actually assume - can this be archieved by > > using another more powerful programming language? > > Depends on the program. If the program supports automation, then yes. For Word > and above scenario, yes. E.g. JScript and VBScript, both bundled with Windows, > can do this. > > > To go even further, can i adress options in the menu bar? which leads > > to "is a windows-based program fully controlable by another, self- > > written program? > > Depends on the program. :-) > > > I hope, everybody understood what i meant and perhaps somebody can > > even give me some hints or even answers. > > In the worst case you can always go down to the level of sending keystrokes to > the program (look up documentation of WScript and associated objects, there's a > SendKey method somewhere). But that's a bit risky. E.g., the user should > better keep hands off keyboard while this going on. > > Cheers, & hth., > > - Alf > > -- > A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. > Q: Why is it such a bad thing? > A: Top-posting. > Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail? Hi Alf Thank you very much for your ideas. Unfortunately I have no Idea, how these programs are being run. I think the smartest way to contiue would be to check with the manufacturers of these softwares whether there are ways to control their programmes by using a simple batch- file. Perhaps they do have some interface or control- software. Who knows. But from the present point of view, I rather tend to propose this keystroke option to my professor. I konw that it's not the safest way of handling that problem, but as the calculations will run for several hours, I could just simply disconnect the mouse and the keyboard after starting the calculation.... As I said before. This might not be a smart solution, but if it works out in the end, then thats just what i need. I'm mechanical and not software engineer. So, thanks a lot for your help. Really appreciate it! Christian
From: das_chris on 22 Apr 2008 05:01
On 22 Apr., 03:18, CBFalconer <cbfalco...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > das_chris wrote: > > ... snip ... > > > Now my question: > > Is it possible, to control a programme, using a batch file? e.g. > > opening word, loading an explicit file, running a macro and saving > > the file, using the *.txt format? > > Of course. It depends on the power of the batch language. Here is > one for MSDOS (dated Dec 2002), using 4dos as the command > processor, that writes an HTML file with selected directory data: > > @echo off > :: mkindex2.htm by Mike Bessy, revised by C.B. Falconer > :: see "news://jpsoft.media3.net/138154%40jpsoft.support" > *setlocal > *unalias * > ::on error goto done > on break goto done > goto start > > :: convert system datestamp in %ft to ISO in %ymd > :isodate > set ymd=%@year[%ft] > iff %ymd LT 80 then > set ymd=%@eval[%ymd+2000] > elseiff &ymd LT 100 then > set ymd=%@eval[%ymd+1900] > else > set ymd=%@right[4, 0%ymd] > endiff > set ymd=%ymd-%@right[2, 0%@month[%ft]]-%@right[2, 0%@day[%ft]] > return > > :start > set based=~cbfalconer/ > set f="index.htm" > set suppress=/[!*.ion index*.htm *.ba*] > iff not ".%1." == ".." then > set based=%@strip[%=", %1] > set suppress=/[!index.htm %2&] > endiff > set d="%@full[.]" > echo %=nUsage: %0 [Title prefix] [files to suppress] > echo %=n%@upper[%0]: Hit Ctrl-C to abort or press any key to > pause %@if[exist %f,re,]build %f from %d. > cdd %d > >!%f > text >> %f > <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> > <HTML> > <HEAD> > <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; > charset=iso-8859-1"> > <meta name="GENERATOR" content="mkindex2.btm [4dos]"> > <TITLE> > endtext > > echo %based%%@filename[%d] directory >> %f > > text >> %f > </TITLE></HEAD><BODY><CENTER><H1> > endtext > > echo %based%%@filename[%d] >> %f > > text >> %f > </H1><P><A HREF="../index.htm">Back to parent directory</A> > <P> > <TABLE ALIGN=CENTER BORDERCOLOR="#0000FF" BORDER="5" WIDTH="98%"> > <TR> > <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Name</B></CENTER></TD> > <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Date</B></CENTER></TD> > <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Size</B></CENTER></TD> > <TD BGCOLOR="WHITE"><CENTER><B>Description</B></CENTER></TD> > </TR> > endtext > > set n=0 > dir %suppress /h /b | for %ii in (@con) ( > echo %=<TR%=> >> %f > echo %=<TD%=>%=<A HREF="%ii"%=>%ii%=</A%=>%=</TD%=> >> %f > set ft=%@filedate["%ii"] > gosub isodate > echo %=<TD ALIGN=CENTER%=>%ymd%=</TD%=> >> %f > echo %=<TD > ALIGN=RIGHT%=>%@format[5,%@filesize["%ii",K]]K%=</TD%=> >> %f > echo %=<TD%=>%@descript["%ii"] %=</TD%=> >>%f > echo %=</TR%=> >> %f > set n=%@inc[%n] > ) > echo %=</TABLE%=> >>%f > set ft=%_date > gosub isodate > echo %=<P%=>[%n files indexed on %ymd at %_time >> %f > > text >> %f > by <BIG><A HREF="http://jpsoft.com/"> 4DOS!</A></BIG> ] > <P> > <A HREF="../index.htm">Back to parent directory</A> > </CENTER></BODY></HTML> > endtext > > echo %n files indexed on %ymd at %_time > > :done > > -- > [mail]: Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net) > [page]: <http://cbfalconer.home.att.net> > Try the download section. > > ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com** Hi Chuck Thank you for your Info. I tried to run the source code you wrote down by inserting it into a textfile and saving it as a *.bat file. For some commands it said that it wouldnt know them. I am also by far not that much into programming as to be able to understand the source text you sent. I can identify some passages, but lots of it is just hieroglyphics to me. Thats my fault, not yours. Thanks anyways Christian |