I want to create a task in .vscode/tasks.json where one of the args should be the name of the directory that contains the current file. For example, if I have the file folder1/folder2/myFile.txt open, I want to get the string folder2. As far as I can tell, none of the predefined variables gives me this. The closest is probably ${relativeFileDirname}, but that gives you the full directory path from the workspace folder , so it does not work for files deeper than one level in the file hierarchy.
If VSCode supported something like shell parameter expansion I could do with it, but since it does not I thought maybe I could use either a command variable or an input variable with "type": "command" in order to run a terminal command that gives me this (for example, in PowerShell it could be something like (Get-Item ${fileDirname}).Name). But I don't know how to do this, or if this is possible at all. Seems like something minor enough that should be possible to do without extensions, but maybe it's not.
I don't believe you can modify the built-in variables in a task, only use them as is or part of a string. But you can get other similar path variables through an extension called Command Variable that has many custom variables of the type you are looking for.
You indicated that extension.commandvariable.file.fileDirBasename will work for you.
Related
Objective:
I'm trying to use a program called Texmod.exe to start another program (exe) with certain parameters.
Background:
Texmod is program that opens up another exe and extracts/replaces textures that are pulled up in the second program while it is running. I'm trying to start the second exe with the parameters: -AlwaysFocus -ControllerOffset=1 -SaveDataId=2. Starting the second exe with shortcuts/.bat that have these parameters in a command line DOES work. However, I would like to do this in conjunction with Texmod.
Complications:
I'm using Texmod v0.9 b which doesn't support starting an exe with command line parameters. Newer versions, such as the open source reboot known as uMod, does support but it doesn't replace textures as well and crashes often compared to the original version.
Texmod.exe must start the second exe directly. Texmod can't select a shortcut to start the exe. I've tried making Texmod start another exe/.bat that then starts the second desired exe with parameters but this causes Texmod not to function.
Methods I have thought about but not sure if they work or even possible:
Somehow forcing all processes started by Texmod.exe to start with certain parameters
Somehow force the desired exe to always start with certain parameters regardless of start method (via Texmod, shortcuts, .bat, etc)
Add parameters to the process started by the desired exe after it is already running
Obviously I'm open to any ideas. Is what I'm asking even possible? Sorry if it seems unclear or I sound irrational; my knowledge on this is limited.
Edit: #Toby Speight I'm not sure what you mean by an example of the code I'm having trouble with as I'm just wondering if it's possible to perform the scenario I described. This is where I got the Texmod program from (it's the oldest release texmod.zip - Original TexMod 0.9 beta). I've searched the internet for possible solutions but I've found very few so some of the methods I've tried are:
Used Texmod.exe to start a desktop shortcut with target: "directory to exe" -AlwaysFocus -ControllerOffset=1 -SaveDataId=2. The result was Texmod couldn't use the shortcut and just opened the exe without the parameters.
Used Texmod to start an exe named caller.exe which started the exe I desired using the method described here. In command.txt, described by the instructions, I put ""name of exe.exe" -AlwaysFocus -ControllerOffset=1 -SaveDataId=2." The result was the exe started with the parameters but Texmod failed to modify the textures because it was modifying textures pulled up by caller.exe instead.
Used Texmod to open a .bat file with the lines: ""name of exe.exe" -AlwaysFocus -ControllerOffset=1 -SaveDataId=2." The result was the same as attempt described in #2.
Edit2: I also stumbled on this page where someone else claims they managed to achieve what sounds like the objective I desire. However, I do not know enough about code to understand it. If someone could look over this to see if it would work or see if they can modify it to fit the arguments that I desire.
You can use windows registry to force Windows run another app when specific .exe is called. Let me show an example: i'm trying to use TexMod with Remember Me.
Required setup:
Create a copy of game .exe, place it near original with different name, eg RememberMe_copy.exe
Go to windows registry location HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options
create new key named as original .exe, in my case it's RememberMe.exe. Registry key looks like a folder.
In this key, create new string value named Debugger with full path to copy of .exe with required commandline args. For example: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Remember Me\Binaries\Win32\RememberMe_copy.exe" -ReadPoolSizeFromIni. Note the path to .exe is quoted, commandline arguments are not. String value has type REG_SZ.
Now when you try to run anything called RememberMe.exe, Windows will instead run the RememberMe_copy.exe with specified parameters (and something else but we don't care). This feature is left in Windows for debugging purposes.
Finally, open TexMod, select RememberMe.exe. It will think it's running original file, but instead Windows will silently run another file with another parameters. As there is nothing else in between, TexMod is happy.
Why can't we use single file? Well, Windows will run original .exe instead of original .exe, then instead of it will run original .exe... causing infinite loop.
I am using the xmlpoke task in nant and am looking for a way to use a wildcard when addressing the xml file. Right now I have a file path like project\appFiles\project{versionNumber}\fileToUpdate.xml, I would like to use a wildcard so its something like project\appFiles\project*\fileToUpdate.xml so I don't have to update the version number every time.
How do you get it to respect wildcards?
Looking all over the web, it doesn't look like this is possible, and by design. Like copy command (todir), the file path must point to a single file so no wildcards allowed (Found info on copy command, assuming same applies for XMLPoke, but could confirm exactly).
I ended up changing some design stuff so now the version number is easily calculated by the program calling the script, so passing in not an issue anymore.
Tried Googling, but couldn't find anything.
I have a few files and folders in my current MATLAB folder.
One of those folders is called 'Map' and it has a 'map1.m' file which I want to call from my code in the current MATLAB folder.
In my code, I can't call it like this:
/Map/map1;
but I can do so like this:
cd Map;
map1;
cd ..;
Somehow the above method seems incorrect. Is there a more elegant way to do it?
You can run the file without adding the folder to your path manually, using the run command, which is specifically for such cases. From the documentation:
run is a convenience function that runs scripts that are not currently on the path.
You call your function/script as
run /Map/map1
If you want to run the function/script by merely entering its name and not with the full (or relative) path, then you should add the folder to your path.
As noted by #mutzmatron, you cannot use run to call functions with input/output arguments. So, unless if it's a script/function without input/output arguments, using run will not work and you'll have to add the folder to your path.
EDIT
Just as a matter of good coding practice, and to work in cases where your function has inputs/outputs, adding/removing the folder from your path is the correct way to go. So for your case,
addpath /Map
...
map1;
...
rmpath /Map
The important thing is that your function call is sandwiched between the addpath and rmpath commands. If you have functions of the same name in both folders, then you should sandwich it tighter i.e., a line before and a line after, so as to avoid conflicts.
Just add all those directories to the Matlab path with addpath like gnovice suggests. Then you'll be able to call the functions normally, and they'll be visible to which(), help(), depfun(), and the other Matlab meta-programming commands. You can put the addpath() calls in your startup.m file to have them automatically appear each time you start Matlab.
Changing the path with addpath/map1()/rmpath each time has some drawbacks.
It's a performance hit because you're adding path manipulation to each call.
Functions in different directories won't be able to see each other.
It'll be harder to write and debug functions because the path context in which they execute will change dynamically, and won't be the same as what you see when you're in the editor and the base workspace.
You need additional error handling code to make sure the path is properly restored if the called function errors out.
This won't work with the Matlab Compiler, if you want to deploy this code at some point.
And using run() or cd() yourself is ugly, because relative paths are going to have problems.
If you really want to separate the functions in the subdirectories so they can't "see" each other, you can make those directories namespaces by putting a "+" in front of their names, and then qualify the function calls with the namespace, like Map.map1().
Just to contribute to the path-altering debate...
One way to make it a bit "safer" is to write
% start of my code: create function handles
% to the functions I need:
try
cd Map
map1_func = #map1;
catch mexception
end
cd ..
This tries to preserve the current directory, and you get a handle to the function in a different directory.
Only thing is, this method won't work if map1 relies upon other functions in the Map directory.
Currently, running prove with TAP::Formatter::JUnit supports an environment variable PERL_TEST_HARNESS_DUMP_TAP that sets a path where a directory t/ will be created, and for each test file x, new files named x and x.junit.xml are created in the directory. I would like to be able to format the output filenames in a different way. Is there any way to do this?
A quick look at TAP::Formatter::JUnit::Session says "no" - there is no way to modify it without writing your own formatter, deriving off TAP::Formatter::JUnit and overriding its open_test method to point to your own session, which would, in turn, be derived off TAP::Formatter::JUnit::Session with its dump_junit_xml overridden to do what you want - but now you're modifying the entire dump (and thus don't need to rely on that environment variable if you prefer).
I guess all that derivation is a way, though probably not the way you thought/were hoping.
It sometimes happens that I need to change the behavior of a function. Is there an easy way to find functions (on the matlab path) that use that function?
The way I do this is to look for files that contain the name of the function I'm interested in. Thus, I don't only see who calls my function, but also what signature they use.
In the editor: Edit->Find Files
Start with help deprpt.
EDIT: when I run a dependency report there are 3 checkboxes at the top of the report window. One of these, by default unchecked, is called 'Show parent functions (current folder only)'. That is probably the beginning of what you want but it only works in a single folder.
If you want more than that, I suggest that you try edit deprpt.m.
I would use a tool like grep. I posted a tool called mgrep on the file exchange a few years ago. It can search through entire directories of m-files for any given string, and it searched recursively down into sub-directories. So to find functions in my directories that call fminsearch, I would merely execute this at the command line.
mgrep('fminsearch','.','show','off')
Searching directory(ies)...
/Users/woodchips/Desktop/My_FEX/cylinderfit.m
/Users/woodchips/Desktop/My_FEX/fminspleas.m
/Users/woodchips/Desktop/My_FEX/fminspleas2.m
/Users/woodchips/Desktop/My_FEX/fminspleas3.m
/Users/woodchips/Desktop/My_FEX/fminspleasnnls.m
/Users/woodchips/Desktop/My_FEX/BoundedFSOLVE/fsolvebnd.m
/Users/woodchips/Desktop/My_FEX/FMINSEARCHBND/fminsearchbnd.m
...
you mean like looking for dependencies? that would be tools -> show dependency report