I have both Sybase and MSFT SQL Servers installed. There is a time when Sybase interferes with MS SQL because they have they have some overlapping commands.
So, I need two scripts:
A) When runs, script A backs up the current path, grabs all paths that contain sybase or SYBASE or SyBASE (you get the point) in them and move them all at the very end of the path, while preserving the order.
B) When it runs, script B restores the path from back-up.
Both script a and script b should affect the path immediately. So, if a.bat that calls patha.ps1, pathb.ps1 looks like so:
#REM Old path here
call patha.ps1
#REM At this point the effective path should be different.
call pathb.ps1
#REM Effective old path again
Please let me know if this does not make sense. I am not sure if call command is the best one to use.
I have never used P.S. before. I can try to formulate the same thing in Python (I know S.O. users tend to ask for "What have you tried so far"). Well, at this point I am VERY slow at writing anything in Power Shell language.
Please help.
First of all: call will be of no use here as you are apparently writing a batch file and PowerShell scripts have no association to run them by default. call is for batch files or subroutines.
Secondly, any PowerShell script you call from a batch file cannot change environment variables of the caller's environment. That's a fundamental property of how processes behave and since you are calling another process, this is never going to work.
I'm not so sure why you are even using a batch file here in the first place if you have PowerShell. You might just as well solve this in PowerShell completely.
However, what I get from your problem is that the best way to resolve this is probably the following: Create two batch files that each set the PATH appropriately. You can probably leave out both the MSSQL and Sybase paths from your usual PATH and add them solely in the batch files. Then create shortcuts to
cmd /k set_mssql_path.cmd
and
cmd /k set_sybase_path.cmd
each of which now is a shortcut to a shell to work with the appropriate database's tools. This is how the Visual Studio Command Prompt works and it's probably the cleanest solution you have. You can use the color and prompt commands in those batches to make the two different shells distinct so you always know what environment you have. For example the following two lines will color the console white on blue and set a prompt indicating MSSQL:
color 1f
prompt MSSQL$S$P$G
This can be quite handy, actually.
Generally, trying to rearrange the PATH environment variable isn't exactly easy. While you could trivially split at a ; this will fail for paths that itself contain a semicolon (and which need to be quoted then). Even in PowerShell this will take a while to get right so I think creating shortcuts specific to the tools is probably the nicest way to deal with this.
Related
I'm working with an existing framework of WinDbg scripts that go through a series of test scripts Test1.txt, Test2.txt, etc., which are generated by C++ code and which output results.
For example a chunk of one of the test scripts would be,
.if (($spat(#"${var}","18300.000000")==1))
{
.logappend C:\Tests\TestResults.txt
.printf "TestNumber=\t1\tExpected=\t18300.000000\tActual=\t%.6f\t******PASSED******\n",poi(poi(#$t2+#$t6)+0x10)
.logclose
}
I'm trying to add functionality that will create a file whose name displays the current # of the test being run, so that users can see their progress without needing to open a file.
My thought process was that I would set up the script generator, so that at the start of Test #N, it would add a line to the script to create a file 'currentlyRunningTestN.txt', and at the end of Test #N, it would add a line to the script to delete that file. However, I don't see any delete function in the WinDbg meta command glossary: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/meta-commands, or in the list of supported C functions like printf. Am I just missing something, or is deleting files not supported by WinDbg (or equivalently renaming files, which would also serve my purpose?) If deleting/renaming don't work, is there another way to achieve the functionality I'm looking for?
With the .shell command, you can execute any DOS-like command. Although I never tried deleting a file, it should be possible.
As you may have noticed, WinDbg scripting does not always work on first attempt, please make sure your scripting will not result in a big data loss on your customer's PC whilst deleting files.
I am working on a project with around 40 script files and I am going to package the scripts to distribute them to my clients (kind of like a version release). I don't want my clients to change my scripts (at least make it hard for them to change).
I have made certain files Read Only by setting the execution policy but the clients can simply set it back to writable so I want to add in a few lines of code (preferably less than 5) to check that the scripts are not modified.
I am aware of using property LastWriteTime will do it but I will need to do this for each of the script (a hash table to keep track of the LastWriteTime for each file will be to long and not clean enough) which is not ideal.
I have also considered Get-FileHash but I am concerned about the hash code will change each time I run it.
As you already have realized, it is impossible to prevent clients from modifying scripts in water-tight a way. Bruce Schneier sums it up nicely: "Trying to make bits uncopyable is like trying to make water not wet."
To run a script, one needs to copy it at least in system's memory - and at that point you've lost control. What's to prevent copying the script in alternate a location and editing it before running? Nothing, unless you have tight control on client. Should you have tight control, setting execution policy to signed prevents running unsigned scripts. Until the client starts Powershell from command line with -Executionpolicy Bypass switch. The execution policy isn't a security system that restricts user actions .
There are a few approaches that can hinder editing, but a determined hacker can overcome those. So the root question is: why? Why shouldn't the clients modify the scripts? Is it to protect some IP? Are they trying to achieve something the scripts are not designed to? Something else?
A simple solution is to use a tool like PS2EXE that converts Powershell script as an executable. The contents can be extracted and modified, but it requires at least a bit more effort than running Notepad.
Another approach would be modules. Distribute the scripts as a Powershell module that the clients will import. Editing a module requires a bit more effort than editing a simple script file, but is quite possible too.
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 brand new to scripts and would like to be able to write a script to copy a file (example.doc) from the source C:\Test to destination D:\Destination which checks that the copy has been successful and then deletes the original file.
A couple answers:
Research "move" (maybe, Google "batch files move"). The short documentation at the command prompt (move /?) doesn't specifically address whether it checks that the file arrived correctly before erasing the original, but it seems like a kinda obvious thing for the developers to do. There's probably someplace on the web that'll confirm whether they do that.
If that works, try "move C:\Test\example.doc D:\Destination". That'll probably do it.
Or, write a batch file, maybe mymove.bat
copy C:\Test\example.doc D:\Destination
if exist D:\Destination\example.doc del C:\Test\example.doc
You can get more elaborate: using a parameter to specify the file name, checking whether D:\Destination\example.doc and C:\Test\example.doc have the same size before you delete, using some switches to keep from getting prompted about things and similar. Maybe this'll get you started.
For all these batch file commands (move, copy, del, dir), you can get some good documentation for your particular operating system at the command prompt. Type <cmd> /? (like the move /? I mentioned above).
Batch file programming is tedious and frustrating, but it's available to all of us! Good luck.
Is it possible to execute some code (eg. a function, script block, cmdlet etc) whenever the current path changes in the PowerShell console or ISE?
The scenario I am thinking of is to modify some environment variables and dot source some location-specific PowerShell functions depending on the current folder.
You have several options. You can remove the "cd" alias and then write a "cd" function and add the desired logic. The downside to this approach is that if someone uses Set-Location, your function is bypassed. Another option is to create a proxy command for Set-Location. Shay (and Kirk) have a video on how to do this here. The nice thing about this approach is that the built-in ways to change dir (cd and Set-Location) will go through your proxy command.