Running an external application

[yellowpower]

Hi guys,

Some really basic questions:

If I want to open an external program, wait do something else after I HAVE opened it, how should i do that?

Is there any function to return me a value when the program had finish loading?

Many thanks

[water]

You want to start an external program, wait till it has finished loading (how do you know when it has finished to load) and then return to the AutoIt script while the external program is still running?

[yellowpower]

You want to start an external program, wait till it has finished loading (how do you know when it has finished to load) and then return to the AutoIt script while the external program is still running?

Yeh exactly! I want to start an external program, wait till finished loading, and when the program knows that it had finish loading, it will carry out some other operation.

Tat posssible?

Edited March 31, 2012 by yellowpower

[VixinG]

Function Run -> http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions/Run.htm

for running external program

But I don't know how you can know if program finished loading.. :/

Maybe it is using the Loading cursor? The Sandglass?

If yes, then use: MouseGetCursor -> http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions/MouseGetCursor.htm

There are cursors:

Returns a cursor ID Number:
    0 = UNKNOWN (this includes pointing and grabbing hand icons)
    1 = APPSTARTING
    2 = ARROW
    3 = CROSS
    4 = HELP
    5 = IBEAM
    6 = ICON
    7 = NO
    8 = SIZE
    9 = SIZEALL
  10 = SIZENESW
  11 = SIZENS
  12 = SIZENWSE
  13 = SIZEWE
  14 = UPARROW
  15 = WAIT
  16 = HAND

Number 15 = WAIT will be Sandglass I think.

But if your program isn't using sandglass, then you need to ask others or use Sleep function:

Sleep(delay in ms) e.g. Sleep(2500) - 2,5 sec.

The rest is yours.

Hope I helped

[water]

Maybe. How can you tell that the program finished loading and how long does this usually take?

[VixinG]

Maybe. How can you tell that the program finished loading and how long does this usually take?

I found something helpful here:

Check it out

[yellowpower]

I found something helpful here:

Check it out

That's very helpful VixinG! let me try it

Thanks