I have a command line application, which I want to remotely control with another program I've yet to make. What is the best way to go about this?
In more detail:
I want to be able to read the text output of the application I want to control, and send commands to it from my other app via simple text input. Preferred language: python, c or c++
I tried to use winautogui, but couldn't find a way to implement it for CMD.
I found a python version of expect for windows called wexpect, which does the job.
Related
It seems like it is not all that easy to create an executable from a PowerShell script - do you know if it was ever meant to be an option?
I have found tools like PS2EXE, but still it does not seem like it was meant to be.
I am asking, if it is worth it to go the extra mile or leave it.
Background reason: I have some less technical users that need a smoother workflow.
As #Bill_Stewart kindly noted:
PowerShell is a shell that contains a powerful scripting language.
Which is perfectly in line with Microsoft's definition :
PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language built on .NET.
Basically, wrapping it in an executable would go beyond its purpose. The nice thing about scripting is, that it's lightweight and task based. And in this case, that you can easily run it on multiple OS-ses.
So, I wouldn't go through the effort creating an exe.
If you want to run it easily, just create a .bat or .cmd file (if using Windows). On windows, I believe, you can also create a shortcut with command arguments and a little icon.
For Linux you clould use a .sh.
Practically all of the exercises in my introductory Perl book have so far required taking input, which is causing me some challenges with Sublime Text 3. I set up the custom build file from this post to run scripts directly and I've also installed REPL on top of that, but I'm still unable to provide input through the bottom console.
Is there a way to enable input for scripts built via Ctrl+B, preferably with the console messages getting a little less in the way? I'm currently stuck with having to fire up the terminal every time, which doesn't make for a particularly smooth learning experience.
This doesn't really help you with your Sublime issue, but you mention firing up a terminal every time isn't helping you learn - here's the way I do it when I'm either learning or rapidly prototyping: Simply setup a folder on your local machine, called sync or something. Create a similar folder on your terminal server.
Now use an app (I use WinSCP and use Keep Remote Directory Up To Date setting) to sync. Every time you press save in your text editor, the new script is automatically uploaded to your terminal server, you can now just alt+tab to your terminal and run the script. Works very well for me and enabled really easy rapid prototyping.
I am using Eclipse Kepler Service Release 2 , EPIC 0.5.46 and Strawberry Perl 5 version 18 for perl programming. For debugging I am using Eclipse debugger and PadWalker .
I have an interactive perl program that writes to files based on answers provided by the users to multiple prompts. While debugging , every time i change a single line of code I have to rerun the whole program again and provide inputs to every prompt , which is really time consuming.
Is there a way to make changes to the code in a sub routine , in the middle of debugging session such that the instruction pointer resets itself to the first line of that sub routine. This way i do not have to restart the session to recompile the new code.
Appreciate your inputs and suggestions. Thank You!!!
What you want to do can be done, and I've done it many times in Perl myself. For example, see this.
However although what you describe may work (and is a bit dangerous), the way it is generally done a bit different and safer.
First one has to assume a regular kind of command structure like a command processor, or say a web server.
In a command processor or web server, you read a command (or get a web request), perform an action, then read another command, perform another action and so on. From your description, it sounds like you have such a structure.
In my case, I have each debugger command stored as in Perl file. This is helpful not only for facilitating this task, but also for understanding, testing and changing the code.
Given this kind of program structure, instead of trying to change the program counter, you complete the command and at the level where you are about to read a new command, you make the change and then reload the file which changes the code.
The specific Perl construct to do this is called do. Don't use require or use which will load in a Perl file only if that file or module hasn't been previously loaded. In your situation, you want to reload even if it has been loaded before.
So now how do you get to be able to issue a do command? As you suggest, you could do it through a debugger. Assuming you have this overall program stucture as described above, you put the breakpoint somewhere a common point in the caller which loops over things to process, rather than try to change things in indvidual commands.
And you don't even need a debugger to do this! Many web frameworks like Ruby on Rails, have a "development" mode where they save timestamps on files that implement functionality. If the file has changed they issue the "do" command before running the request.
I have a script that runs several little programs I don't have the source code to, one of which requires filling out some fields in a GUI. I've been doing this by hand, but I'd like to have the Perl script focus the GUI window, then enter some hardcoded text into each field and close the window.
In the past I've used the Win32::GuiTest module for tasks like this. Have a look at the example scripts and documentation.
Unless there's a specific reason you're using Perl, Autoit is a Basic-like scripting language pretty much specifically designed for automating GUI tasks. It's very easy to pick up.
You can have it wait for a window to become active, send any sequence of keystrokes or tell it to specifically focus on a GUI element with a given handle, and much more. You can also package the scripts as standalone executables, which can be a nice benefit when you need it.
You might want to look into Win32::OLE. There's also a book on this topic.
Is it possible to save a form in VBA as .exe file and then run it.
No, not natively.
There are some ways to emulate an EXE:
Excel: 3rd party tool that claims to be able to compile an workbook to an EXE: DoneEx XCell Compiler. You can also create an automatic marco, Auto_Open, to run when the workbook is opened.
Access: Microsoft used to have a way of delivering an Access database as an executable (the name of the tool escapes me) so you could deploy your database to desktops that didn't have Access installed, but I don't think they offer this anymore. You could convert you MDB to an MDE and set the startup properties to hide the database window and menus and such to emulate an EXE, but your users will need to have Access installed.
Word: You can pass the /m switch to Word on startup with the name of a macro to run.
I think there is at least 2 way
move the code into visual basic 6 and compile it or use visual studio tool for office and see what you can do.
if these 2 solutions is a no no for you, then you are out of luck
No. VBA is an addon to applications to support "scripting" in the form of VB.
So unless your application supports a way to save the internal script as en external EXE, you are out of luck.
I think DoneEx still needs Excel installed, it just bootstraps something to the xls file, or bootstraps that to something and wraps it up as an exe???/..
as I think this does.
http://cpap.com.br/orlando/XLtoExeMore.asp
But at least the second one if free!
I have not tested on PC's with out office.
what is it you are trying to accomplish there may be a work around another way?
thanks
Ross