Command Prompt batch file fails

[fopetesl]

I have several batch files, e.g.

echo off
    echo !DT | ncat 192.168.1.6 80 > scan1.dta

This data1.bat works as expected by saving data from !DT command.

I have tried several variations from AutoIt

;  $DOS = RunWait(@ComSpec & " /k " & "ncat 192.168.1.6 80 <getdata >scan1.dta", "", @SW_HIDE, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)
;  $DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "ncat 192.168.1.6 80 <getdata >scan1.dta", "", @SW_HIDE, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)
;  $DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "echo ?DT | ncat 192.168.1.6 80 > scan1.dta & @CRLF", "", @SW_HIDE, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)
  $DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "data1.bat & @CRLF", "", @SW_HIDE, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

but none save the data to scan1.dta

Run out of ideas so far...

 

Edited June 5, 2017 by fopetesl
Missing code

[Jos]

Are you sure you are looking in the right subdirectory ?
Why do you have the @CRLF in there ? You don't need to give a Enter when running a script!

Run it as test like this and see what directory it is in and whether there is an error:

$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "", default, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

Jos

[fopetesl]

No change, Jos.

Not sure what you mean by "see what directory it is in" since although the command prompt windows flashes up it isn't long enough to take note.

I can see that the scan1.dta files has been opened since the timestamp has been updated but it contains no data.

I also did a search of the whole drive in case scan1.dta was placed somewhere else.

 

[Jos]

The command line I gave should remain open since it uses /K . Did you use it as I type it?

Jos

[fopetesl]

Still the same, Jos. syntax as you suggested:

  $DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "", @SW_HIDE, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

[JLogan3o13]

The /k should keep the command window open, does it? If so, which directory is it showing? "Still the same" is not answering the question that Jos has asked twice now.

Edited June 5, 2017 by JLogan3o13

[Jos]

15 minutes ago, fopetesl said:

Still the same, Jos. syntax as you suggested:

  $DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "", @SW_HIDE, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

This is NOT the commandline I provide!  Check for the difference.

Jos

Edited June 5, 2017 by Jos

[fopetesl]

Sorry. Too many balls in the air.

No. Windows does not stay open even with corrected syntax.

$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "", default, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

Edited June 5, 2017 by fopetesl
add code

[MattHiggs]

31 minutes ago, fopetesl said:

Sorry. Too many balls in the air.

No. Windows does not stay open even with corrected syntax.

 

$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "", default, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

 

Well part of the problem that I believe that @Jos is trying to get to is that you are not specifying the directory in which the file is located.  The only case in which you wouldn't have to is if the script that you are running is in the same directory as the file you are trying to interact with.  If it is not, then that would be the issue: the script has no idea where the file is, because it is only looking in the current working directory (aka the directory in which the script is located).  You need to specify where the file is located in the "working Directory parameter.  Using the code you provided:

$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "Path\To\Folder\Containing\file", default, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

[Jos]

The simple point I am getting to is that I think the CMD prompt should stay open when /k is used so you can see any error and the workdir it is in.

When that is not the case try an even simpler version to understand some of the basics:

$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat")

Jos

[BrewManNH]

Is there any reason, other than having to rewrite them, that you can't get rid of the batch files entirely and just do everything with AutoIt?

[Jos]

A quick test revealed indeed that nothing was shown with the STDERR and STDOUT parameters. These 2 give the same result and show me an error message.
The first one as console output and the second in the CMD prompt:

#include <AutoItConstants.au3>
$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "", default, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)
; Wait until the process has closed using the PID returned by Run.
ProcessWaitClose($DOS)
; Read the Stdout stream of the PID returned by Run. This can also be done in a while loop. Look at the example for StderrRead.
ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : StdoutRead($iPID) = ' & StdoutRead($DOS) & @CRLF ) ;### Debug Console
ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : StdoutRead($iPID) = ' & StderrRead($DOS) & @CRLF ) ;### Debug Console
;
$DOS2 = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat")

Jos

[fopetesl]

MattHiggs, I tried your suggestion some while back which didn't resolve the issue.

note also

Global $BatchDir = "C:\ncat\"

is at top of file.

BrewMan. I'd love to include these in my script but my tiny brain can't figure out how to pipe commands to ncat.exe and collect any return data.  Oddly though some .bat files do work and send a response I'd expect, e.g.

Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "IsHome.bat", "", @SW_HIDE)
         Sleep(400)
         Local $hFileOpen = FileOpen("homerep", $FO_BINARY)
         Local $sFileRead = FileRead($hFileOpen)
         FileClose($hFileOpen)
         Local $sStr = StringTrimLeft(StringToBinary("?HMO"), 4)
         If StringInStr($sFileRead, $sStr) Then
           MsgBox(0, "", "Head Home", 2)
           return(0)
         EndIf 

This just checks the (same) machine earlier in the script for scanning head at 'home' position.

The only difference I can see between the working script and the failure is the amount of data returned.  "?HMO" returns eight characters, data1.bat returns 754 hex bytes which it does from command prompt but just creates an empty file from AutoIt.

Jos, I'll get to your read output/errors in a while, (I hope), still have balls in the air.

 

[MattHiggs]

9 hours ago, fopetesl said:

MattHiggs, I tried your suggestion some while back which didn't resolve the issue.

note also

Global $BatchDir = "C:\ncat\"

is at top of file.

BrewMan. I'd love to include these in my script but my tiny brain can't figure out how to pipe commands to ncat.exe and collect any return data.  Oddly though some .bat files do work and send a response I'd expect, e.g.

 

Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "IsHome.bat", "", @SW_HIDE)
         Sleep(400)
         Local $hFileOpen = FileOpen("homerep", $FO_BINARY)
         Local $sFileRead = FileRead($hFileOpen)
         FileClose($hFileOpen)
         Local $sStr = StringTrimLeft(StringToBinary("?HMO"), 4)
         If StringInStr($sFileRead, $sStr) Then
           MsgBox(0, "", "Head Home", 2)
           return(0)
         EndIf

This just checks the (same) machine earlier in the script for scanning head at 'home' position.

The only difference I can see between the working script and the failure is the amount of data returned.  "?HMO" returns eight characters, data1.bat returns 754 hex bytes which it does from command prompt but just creates an empty file from AutoIt.

Jos, I'll get to your read output/errors in a while, (I hope), still have balls in the air.

 

So are you setting $batchdir as the working directory in the run function?

$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", $batchdir, default, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)

If this is the case, you need to get rid of the last "\" so that $batchdir = "C:\ncat"

when you put the last "\" at the end of the directory path, the variable no longer equals the parent directory.

[fopetesl]

MattHiggs. VERY carefully followed your suggestions.

No change. Still have empty scan1.dta but file timestamp is updated to current.

Same applies to RunWait() except it takes several seconds before Command Prompt window flashes very briefly before returning to GUI Tab.

So the .dta file is clearly opened and closed without having data written.

What is the difference between Run() and ShellExecute()?

 

[anthonyjr2]

3 hours ago, fopetesl said:

What is the difference between Run() and ShellExecute()?

ShellExecute() runs a program with its default interpreter. For example executing a word document would automatically open Microsoft Word. Run is usually used to run more specific programs with an exact path. They are very similar but can have slightly different use cases. I've also heard that Run is generally faster because it doesn't have to go through a separate API. If you want some more information I found this thread that explains it some more.

[Jos]

On 2017-6-5 at 5:35 PM, fopetesl said:

Jos, I'll get to your read output/errors in a while, (I hope), still have balls in the air.

....  and? 

[fopetesl]

On 05/06/2017 at 3:25 PM, Jos said:

A quick test revealed indeed that nothing was shown with the STDERR and STDOUT parameters. These 2 give the same result and show me an error message.
The first one as console output and the second in the CMD prompt:

#include <AutoItConstants.au3>
$DOS = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat", "", default, $STDERR_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD)
; Wait until the process has closed using the PID returned by Run.
ProcessWaitClose($DOS)
; Read the Stdout stream of the PID returned by Run. This can also be done in a while loop. Look at the example for StderrRead.
ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : StdoutRead($iPID) = ' & StdoutRead($DOS) & @CRLF ) ;### Debug Console
ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : StdoutRead($iPID) = ' & StderrRead($DOS) & @CRLF ) ;### Debug Console
;
$DOS2 = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat")

Jos

Jos, not sure what I actually see

>"C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE\..\autoit3.exe" /ErrorStdOut "C:\S3_GUI\HauterS3 with_Tabs1.au3"    
@@ Debug(211) : StdoutRead($iPID) =
C:\ncat>echo off
    C:\ncat>
@@ Debug(212) : StdoutRead($iPID) = Ncat: .
    >Exit code: 0    Time: 34.01

It's clear that the 2nd Run() $DOS2 actually does what it's supposed to do and writes the correct data to scan1.dta.  If I comment this line out then no data appears.  Also I now get a Command Prompt window opened. It takes approx. eight seconds for ProcessWait() to terminate.

Edit: Tried "ShellExecute("data1.bat")" .. got a Command Prompt window for about eight seconds which closed without error but still no data saved. The batch file works perfectly from Command Prompt.

So there seems to be a bug in AutoIt when running some Command Line programs?

 

Edited June 7, 2017 by fopetesl

[Jos]

6 hours ago, fopetesl said:

It's clear that the 2nd Run() $DOS2 actually does what it's supposed to do and writes the correct data to scan1.dta.

Then use that format and don't tell AutoIt3 to capture the STDOUT & STDERR since you want to pipe that into a file anyways, or do you see any issues with that?

Jos

[fopetesl]

16 hours ago, Jos said:

Then use that format and don't tell AutoIt3 to capture the STDOUT & STDERR since you want to pipe that into a file anyways, or do you see any issues with that?

Jos

I've no issue except the second (not $DOS2) call to capture data to scan2.dta always fails even if I call it twice

$DOS2 = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data1.bat") ; 2nd call works here
Sleep(100)
$DOS3 = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data2.bat")
Sleep(100)
$DOS3 = Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "data2.bat") ; 2nd call here doesn't

Edited June 8, 2017 by fopetesl
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