Run 2 functions at the same time

[Mechaflash]

Is there a way to call 2 functions to run at the same time?

It works overnight in thunderbird to pull some attachments, and after the attachments get extracted and thunderbird is closed, I want to call function 1 which prints them and function 2 which performs my nightly backup of my thunderbird profile.

I can't call them one after the other because function 1 stays active until all files are done printing and out of the print queue, which can sometimes take until the next morning because of paper jams, print carriage full, etc.

I know the easy way is to just isolate function 2 into its own program and run it that way, but I was curious if this was possible or not.

[Realm]

Hello mechaflash213,

Unfortunately, AutoIt is not a multi-threaded language. However, If Func1() can be momentarily paused while Func2() performs the necessary step, then I would suggest AdlibRegister().

AdlibRegister() is as closed to multi-threading as you can get with AutoIt. Make your check routine as small as possible to call Func2() when conditions have been met. In the second parameter of AdlibRegister() you can adjust how often it will run your check routine in milleseconds, default is 250 ms.

P.S. Creating another application to check is another way, however, make sure that it's performance will not clash with the first applications performance.

Good Luck & Happy Coding!

Realm

[czardas]

You can also communicate between two scripts using something like This is not running two functions in the same script, but it might offer an alternative approach you hadn't thought of.

Edited May 2, 2012 by czardas

[Mechaflash]

You can also communicate between two scripts using something like This is not running two functions in the same script, but it might offer an alternative approach you hadn't thought of.

That actually gave me a thought... beginning of the script I'll add a function to check my process list and see if two instances of this program is running. If not, then continue with the norm and do a run() again on this app when I need func2(). Since I now have two processes with the same name, my check will return true on my second execution, and run my func2() instead and exit afterwards.

(I know it's basically the same as running 2 EXEs but I at least don't have to have two separate EXEs to do it.)

Edited May 2, 2012 by mechaflash213

[Spiff59]

Rather than monitoring processes, it would be simpler to just test CmdLine() and if the script is launched with no parameter, run it in "Mode 1" which would call the script again but with some parameter which would cause it to run in "Mode 2"

[Juvigy]

Why whould you do it the hard way ? Just compile 3 scripts .

1. For Printing

2. For Profile Backuo

3. For ShellExecuting script 1 and script 2.

That way you will have both scripts running at the same time.