I have created an automator service for my finder which runs an applescript. I will have to use this service incredibly often. I have noticed that after running the service, there is a very large (about ten second) delay before I receive any popups from the script. This is far too long. I am almost positive this delay comes form automator compiling my script every time it is run....
So, I have a question -- is there a way to pre-compile an applescript, then install that applescript as a finder service? Going through automator was the simplest way I could think of to install my script as a service, but if there is a better way -- particularly one that pre compiles my applescript, that would be great.
I'm not sure if it's a "compiled" issue. I see long delays sometimes too, even with compiled scripts. Automator actions are run by the "automator runner" application and applescripts are run by the "applescript runner" application (unless they're created as stand-alone applications). I notice sometimes that during the first launch that it takes extra time but on subsequent launches it acts faster... maybe because the runner applications are up and running during subsequent runs. So I'm more likely to believe it's something in the runner applications rather than the script itself.
However you can run a "compiled" script if you wish. Just create the script as a separate file. Then in the applescript portion of your automator action use this...
run script file "path:to:script.scpt".
With that being said, you can even create the applescript as an application and then run that from automator...
tell application "MyApplescript" to activate
Maybe one of those solutions will help speed it up for you. If you do achieve a speedup, please let us know.
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I first need to offer the disclaimer that I am barely a novice when it comes to scripting or coding, so I might be doing this all wrong in the first place. I'm running into an issue with a script I had written in powershell a while ago that is used on several hundred computers in my company daily to automate starting a certain app that everyone uses. So far everyone else hasn't had an issue except one machine.
Normally when I run the script, it starts the services and cli for the program which opens in a new window. Then the script, still open behind that, sends all of the key commands to that cli window, pauses for a brief line of user input after which it closes that cli window, does a few other clean up tasks and closes out itself.
The only difference on this one machine that's not working is the script won't pass the keystrokes to the cli window. If I put them in manually including the normal user input, it finishes the rest of the script just fine, but the cli window is just not receiving the keystroke input from the main script.
The only part of the script that send the keystrokes to the cli window is a few lines of this:
[System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("Text{Enter}")
I have tried using the sleep command before and in between the key commands to make sure it's not going through the keystrokes to early. I've checked and windows had gone through an Update two days ago, but we would've heard about this issue right then if that was it. I'm at a loss for what the issue could be and would apreciate and help, tips, or direction to help figure this one out.
Is the console window the active window when the keys are sent? The documentation for the class you are calling indicates that it sends the keys to the active window. Not only that, but the documentation also seems to indicate that there are some issues that developers have run into when using that class to sends keys. I would try using the autoit powershell module instead. Autoit is its own scripting language which specializes in automating windows processes and being capable of automating interactions with windows forms, but also comes bundled with its own powershell module that I think is exactly what you need, so I would download the portable "zip" package, extract the powershell module from "Autoitx", and that should help you accomplish what you need
PowerShell automation especially when using SendKeys can / is glitchy due to many varying reasons. Can you use SendKeys sure, but you have to know the environment it will be run in and the needed performance details. Hence your futzing/guessing with Sleep.
There are purpose-built tools to help.
Auto HotKey
'PowerShell auto hotkey'
or the UIAutomation tool
'PowerShell automating other applications'
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 work in marine systems institute. We have a buoy that sends information about the sea every few hours to a central computer in the institute. It drops it as a .txt file in a certain folder. It would be really great if I could make a script that looks into that folder every 3 hours and checks if there are any new files. If there is a new file, it should upload it to an ftp.
I have no idea where to start. Are there any suggestions what language, where to look, what to search etc.
The computer is running 24/7 and the script can easily be an executable that is active all the time. The script doesn't have to restart itself every time, it can be up and running 24/7 also.
Thanks in advance
EDIT1: My op.sys is windows
If your platform is Windows, I suggest Windows Forms Application. An IDE is available, Visual Studio - it is easy to use and has everything you need for your application. You basically need a timer object that will execute a function (checking the file) in a certain interval. 3 hours is long enough, you can even check it every 5 min.
AutoHotKey can be learned by anyone in a day, and is powerful enough to do what you describe.
A program written in a real language could do exactly what you like with full customization, robustness, portability, and maintainability, but will take quite a bit longer to make.
It might be a little over your head if you never done any programming(Forgive me if you have).
A good solution is to use FileSystemWatcher http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.filesystemwatcher.aspx. Then create a windows service to run it.
But again that takes some experience implementing.
Try using an ftp client such as smartftp which can watch the folder where the files are created, and automatically upload them.
I've been searching for this for awhile now, and I am not sure if I am just not using the correct search terms or if the answer is really that hard to find.
What I am trying to do is to create a new Windows service for a game server from a batch file, and then have a task run another batch file every 30 minutes or more that would run two commands on the game server's command line and do some file work.
Specifically, I am running a Minecraft server using Bukkit for a gaming community I help run, and I want to make sure that the thing is always up unless I specifically tell it to stop (like a service). Bukkit is run directly from a batch file and has it's own command line thing running on it.
I am told that you CAN run this type of thing as a service, but the command line will be hidden from view and/or interaction. This is the second part of my query. I have a handy little backup.bat file that copies all the world files and userdata files into a backup directory, 7zips it, and deletes the directory. The only thing is, is that Minecraft likes to always have the worlds' region files open and writing at all times, meaning that it could cause map corruption if I just run it straight off. To compensate, I need to run the command "save-off" on the server to disable the file hooks temporarily, run the backup, and as soon as it finishes, run "save-on" so that the game can continue without lost data.
What I would like to know about this second one is, is it possible to interface with the game service through a batch file, or do I need to create an application to do that? If the latter, how exactly does one go about doing that? I have moderate C++ knowledge (up through my second OO-C++ course in college), and can possibly learn another language if absolutely necessary.
So, in short, two questions:
1. Is it possible to, and how to run a BAT file as a Windows Service?
2. How to interface with said service via BAT files, and if not possible, what kind of application do I need to write (redirection to or writing a tutorial works for me).
Thank you in advance for any and all help!
Old question, user account doesn't seem active on SO anymore, but hey, if you stumble upon this because you have a similar problem:
Since we are speaking about a Bukkit Minecraft server, turn to the "Essentials" plugin for Bukkit.
It now includes a Backup function that does exactly what the OP asks for, namely stop the save so the files can be manipulated without corruption, launch a script, then starts again.
The script can be a backup one (examples provided in the linked page) but can be used to run any operation on the world's files.