Problem about setting a specific time to run a program

[skyhigh]

I am working at a script (thanks @Chimp for the help on my previous thread) operating on Firefox, based on two time-set loops that are doing the same operations with some differences.
Now I need to execute a local video at a determinated hour (between 12 and 4).  
My question is

What is the best way to determine a precise hour (hh:mm)? I tried

While @Hour >= 12 & @MIN >= 00 And @HOUR <= 14 & @MIN < 30

But the loop is being ignored, although in the moment I use only @Min for my tests everything works fine.

This is the essential - and working - structure of the present script:

#include <ff.au3>
_FFStart()
While @MIN >= 00 And @MIN < 30  ; 1st Firefox loop

    Firefox url loop (contains functions and if conditions)

WEnd

;Open a new tab and runs a local video;

While @MIN >= 32 And @MIN <= 59 ; 2nd Firefox loop

    Firefox url loop (contains functions and if conditions)

WEnd

Thanks in advance

[ViciousXUSMC]

The reason the statement is not working is because your using "&" instead of "And" they have totally different functions

As for the code block your first loop will run from 0 to 30 min and then exit the loop,

The second loop starts at 32 to 59 minutes, with just the code posted if those loops are not inside of another larger loop I do not see how the second loop even starts because the first would exit at 30 minutes and then the code would continue bypassing the second loop entirely. 

A good way to fix that would be just one loop with If statements, also the code could run continually this way and never need to be restarted.

While 1
Sleep(10) 
If @Min >= 00 AND @Min < 30 Then
 ;Function
ElseIf @Min >= 32 AND @Min <=59
 ;Function
EndIf
WEnd

Also you can try assigning the macros to a variable so you do not have to keep reusing the macro and could even do a crude hour:min feature like this.

While 1
    Sleep(10)
    $iTime = Number(@Hour & @Min)
    If $iTime >= 1650 AND $iTime <= 1700 Then
       MsgBox(0, "", "It's between 4:50 and 5:00 !")
    EndIf
WEnd

 

Edited November 9, 2015 by ViciousXUSMC

[skyhigh]

The reason the statement is not working is because your using "&" instead of "And" they have totally different functions

As for the code block your first loop will run from 0 to 30 min and then exit the loop,

The second loop starts at 32 to 59 minutes, with just the code posted if those loops are not inside of another larger loop I do not see how the second loop even starts because the first would exit at 30 minutes and then the code would continue bypassing the second loop entirely. 

A good way to fix that would be just one loop with If statements, also the code could run continually this way and never need to be restarted.

While 1
Sleep(10) 
If @Min >= 00 AND @Min < 30 Then
 ;Function
ElseIf @Min >= 32 AND @Min <=59
 ;Function
EndIf
WEnd

Also you can try assigning the macros to a variable so you do not have to keep reusing the macro and could even do a crude hour:min feature like this.

While 1
    Sleep(10)
    $iTime = Number(@Hour & @Min)
    If $iTime >= 1650 AND $iTime <= 1700 Then
       MsgBox(0, "", "It's between 4:50 and 5:00 !")
    EndIf
WEnd

Hello world!

Sorry, I had not the occasion to post due to some issues, but I worked on your idea @ViciousXUSMC

I think that the easiest way to write more loops is to write more scripts, each one activating at a certain $iTime, right?

The problem is, if I use an infine loop (While 1) I can't even close FF at the end of the loop.

So I need to stop the loop, how?

Should I write a secondary script that stops the primary script?

[skyhigh]

The reason the statement is not working is because your using "&" instead of "And" they have totally different functions

As for the code block your first loop will run from 0 to 30 min and then exit the loop,

The second loop starts at 32 to 59 minutes, with just the code posted if those loops are not inside of another larger loop I do not see how the second loop even starts because the first would exit at 30 minutes and then the code would continue bypassing the second loop entirely. 

A good way to fix that would be just one loop with If statements, also the code could run continually this way and never need to be restarted.

While 1
Sleep(10) 
If @Min >= 00 AND @Min < 30 Then
 ;Function
ElseIf @Min >= 32 AND @Min <=59
 ;Function
EndIf
WEnd

Also you can try assigning the macros to a variable so you do not have to keep reusing the macro and could even do a crude hour:min feature like this.

While 1
    Sleep(10)
    $iTime = Number(@Hour & @Min)
    If $iTime >= 1650 AND $iTime <= 1700 Then
       MsgBox(0, "", "It's between 4:50 and 5:00 !")
    EndIf
WEnd

Hello world!

Sorry, I had not the occasion to post due to some issues, but I worked on your idea @ViciousXUSMC

I think that the easiest way to write more loops is to write more scripts, each one activating at a certain $iTime, right?

The problem is, if I use an infine loop (While 1) I can't even close FF at the end of the loop.

So I need to stop the loop, how?

Should I write a secondary script that stops the primary script?

[ViciousXUSMC]

Would be hard to help without knowing how your function works.

Sounds to me instead of needing to run between (start time) and ending at (stop time) you just need a (start time) only.

So just modify like so:

While 1
    Sleep(10)
    $iTime = Number(@Hour & @Min)
    If $iTime = 1650 Then MsgBox(0, "", "Function Started @ 4:50PM")
    If $iTimer = 1850 Then MsgBox(0, "", "Function Started @ 6:50PM")
WEnd

 

If your going to have a bunch of different start times that is a good chance to use Switch/EndSwitch instead of If/EndIf statements.

[skyhigh]

Would be hard to help without knowing how your function works.

Sounds to me instead of needing to run between (start time) and ending at (stop time) you just need a (start time) only.

So just modify like so:

While 1
    Sleep(10)
    $iTime = Number(@Hour & @Min)
    If $iTime = 1650 Then MsgBox(0, "", "Function Started @ 4:50PM")
    If $iTimer = 1850 Then MsgBox(0, "", "Function Started @ 6:50PM")
WEnd

 

If your going to have a bunch of different start times that is a good chance to use Switch/EndSwitch instead of If/EndIf statements.

I am sorry, I should have explained myself better from the beginning. I'll try to do it now.
Here the operations I need

1)To run firefox at a certain hour (HH:MM),
2)To open a random url taken from a list, let it open then close it
3)To keep doing it until a determined hour (HH:MM)
4)To change the list where the urls are taken from
5)Repeat 2) until is time for the script to stop itself (HH:MM).
6)To execute a local video at given times (HH:MM, HH:MM, etc)

Notes (number related)
1)Thanks to the FF libraries I can easily operate in Firefox, so no problem there.
2)To open the urls randomly I wrote this code (example of the code structure)

Global $aURLS[6]
$aURLS[1] = "www.youtube.com" 
$aURLS[2] = "www.yahoo.com"
$aURLS[3] = "www.vimeo.com"
$aURLS[4] = "www.dailymotion.com"
$aURLS[5] = "www.twitch.tv"

$x = Random(1, 5, 1)

_FFTabAdd($aURLS[$x], True, True)
WinWaitActive("Tab",0,10)

Sleep(5 * 1000) 

_FFTabClose("0", "index")
Sleep(5000)

    Select
    Case $x <= 2
    MouseClick(x,y)
    Sleep(15 * 1000) 
    MouseClick(x,y)

    Case $x >= 3
    MouseWheel("down", 1)                   
    Sleep(2000)
    MouseClick(x,y) 
    Sleep(15 * 1000)
    MouseClick(x,y)

EndSelect

So, that is the essential code I need to loop. The case select is necessary to maximize the video window in different websites.
3)I don't care if the script is only one or I have to divide it. I just need it to work correctly.
4)There are two (al least) lists of urls. This is a vital part of the script
6)This is vital too, so I am taking into consideration to write 3 scripts instead of only one. It looks easier, do you agree?

 

[ViciousXUSMC]

I'll look at this more later, but I can tell you that running separate loops like you posted in your example should behave no different than the While loop I posted so the issue that is happening must have something to do with your code.

If you really want to do this in a professional manner you should look at the IUIAutomation thread where you can click/full screen without using MouseClick() so that it will always work no matter the resolution, and I think FireFox UDF has methods to detect when a page has loaded so you can get rid of the excessive Sleep() you have for page loading.

[skyhigh]

I found out my mistake: ""

Daaaaamn quotes!

$iTime = Number(@Hour & @Min)
For $iTime = "1640" To "1642"

This "timer" appears to be workimg well! EDIT: well, seems it does not work if I don't include a piece of code I found surfing the net.

I checked the IUIAutomation thread. It looks very useful and I thank you for pointing it out to me, but I have the impression it requires to be more skilled than the level I am presently.

You are right, it exists the _FFLoadWait function, better than Sleep, thanks for the hint

I'll continue my work on the script, thank you for you help!

Edited November 19, 2015 by skyhigh