Run Script But Hide The Command Window?

[Chance1]

I have a script that runs a number of commands on separate lines. I run these commands by sending them to the command prompt window, but I want to be able to do it without the command prompt window coming up. I have tried using: Run(@AutoItExe & ' /AutoIt3ExecuteLine  "Send(''stuff'')"','', @SW_HIDE) 

But it still comes up. I am kind of at a loss right now, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Jos]

Just run the commands directly without trying to type the commands from AutoIt3.
Which commands do you exactly want to run?

Jos

[Chance1]

Run('c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe', '')
Sleep(500)
Send('cd C:\Program Files (x86)\PrivateArk\PACLI\ {ENTER}')
Sleep(500)
Send('pacli init {ENTER}')
Sleep(500)
$Username = InputBox('USERNAME','ENTER YOUR USERNAME','','')

Send('pacli definefromfile VAULT="Vault Dev" parmfile="C:\Program Files (x86)\PrivateArk\PACLI\VaultDev.ini" {ENTER}')
Sleep(300)
Send('pacli default VAULT="Vault Dev" USER='& $Username &' FOLDER=Root {ENTER}')
Sleep(500)

Currently my code opens the command prompt and sends the commands that need to be run. I want it to execute the commands behind the scenes rather than have the user watch each one come through. PACLI is a third party executable which must be referenced in order to run the commands. Additionally, the commands need to run on separate lines.

 

I was looking at trying to use run() or runwait() to have make this happen, but have not had success. Any suggestions or am I going about this the wrong way? Thanks.

[Jos]

Preferably you avoid trying to type text to an window. You could have a look at the STDOUT/STDIN functions to start cmd and PIPE the text straight into the shelled command to make it much more reliable.

Jos

[Chance1]

It would be greatly appreciated if you could  give me an example based off of the code above as to how to use stdin and stdout? I am finding a lot of very different information on how to go about doing so. Thanks.

[JLogan3o13]

@Chance1 did you look at the STDOUT/STDIN functions in the help file as suggested? They each contain just the example you're asking for.

[Chance1]

Thank you, I do have it working. One other question. In the example (and the way I do it), do you have to take all of the commands that you want to out put using StdinWrite(), close the stream, and then output? Is there a way that I can output the stream and then reuse the same stream? Or do I have to make another child/stream in order to output more commands?

Sorry if that is difficult to understand. I want to be able to send sections of the commands because I am going to be requesting information and I want to make sure that the information the user provided is correct before continuing with the script. Thanks!

[Jos]

You can just perform everything you want to do and keep the STDXXX open as long as the program is running.
Why do you think you need to close it in between or am I misunderstanding?

Jos

 

[Chance1]

Well I want to be able to output the commands to cmd to check for user input errors (failed log in errors.) Doing so, I want to be able to propmt the user for a failed login, let them try again, and then continue on with the script. When I tried closing the stream, outputting, and then continuing to run using the same stream it wouldn't output the data after the first time I closed it.

[Jos]

That is why I said not to close the STDXXX streams until you are done with the shelled program. You could simply interact with the user without closing the CMD right?

Jos

[Chance1]

I cannot interact no. Maybe my code is just wrong

StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli logon USER = '& $Username &' PASSWORD = '& InputBox('PASSWORD', 'ENTER YOUR PASSWORD', '', '*') &@CRLF )

Local $data
While True
    $data &= StdoutRead($pPid)
    If @error Then
        MsgBox(0, "ERROR", "ERROR")
        ENDIf   
WEnd
MsgBox(0, "Report", $data)

If I have this code at the end of my script, with a close $pPid, it works and the output is shown. But, if it is in the middle of the code, nothing happens and the rest of the script does not run.

I am still in the testing phase, if I could catch the error I would send the user to a function and have them attempt to login again. The error I am trying to catch is if the password fails for the user.

Edited June 14, 2017 by Chance1

[Jos]

Doesn't something like this work?:

While True
    $data &= StdoutRead($pPid)
    If @error Then
        MsgBox(0, "ERROR", "ERROR... program ended?")
    EndIf
    If StringInStr($Data,' whatever') Then
        $data = ""
        StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli logon USER = '& $Username &' PASSWORD = '& InputBox('Invalid PASSWORD', 're-ENTER YOUR PASSWORD', '', '*') &@CRLF )
    EndIf
WEnd

Jos

[Chance1]

I want to evauate whether or not 

StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli logon USER = '& $Username &' PASSWORD = '& InputBox('Invalid PASSWORD', 're-ENTER YOUR PASSWORD', '', '*') & @CRLF)

caused the cmd window to throw an error message back. The error message would occur if the user input the wrong password.

[Jos]

Isn't that error message appearing in the CMD box running the program and thus should be able to read by either StdoutRead() or StderrRead()?

Maybe the code needs adjusting to include reading the STDERR stream like:

While True
    $data &= StdoutRead($pPid)
    If @error Then
        MsgBox(0, "ERROR", "ERROR")
    EndIf
    $data &= StderrRead($pPid)
    ; Test here for invalid password text
    If StringInStr($Data,' whatever') Then
        $data = ""
        StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli logon USER = '& $Username &' PASSWORD = '& InputBox('Invalid PASSWORD', 're-ENTER YOUR PASSWORD', '', '*') &@CRLF )
    EndIf
WEnd

Jos

Edited June 14, 2017 by Jos

[Chance1]

I am getting closer. With this code:

;for regular output
While True
    $data &= StdoutRead($pPid)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    Sleep(25)
WEnd
MsgBox(0, "STDOUT REPORT", $data)
$data = ''

;to catch errors
While True
    $data  &= StderrRead($pPid)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    Sleep(25)
WEnd
MsgBox(0, "STDERR REPORT", $data)

The first loop will output the stdout of the script and the second does grab the error messages thrown back. But, if i try to place that error loop in the middle of the code (while the stdin stream is still open), the script crashes. But If I have at the end of the code (after the stream is closed), it works just fine. The problem being, I want to catch the errors as they happen. So, I want that error loop in the code after the user inputs informationt that needs to be checked for errors.

Any idea why the script crashes if the loop is in the code while the stdin stream is still open? Thanks!

[Jos]

Define a script crash? Does it show an error?
Also show what parameters you have now on the run statement to check whether you have that right.

Jos

[Chance1]

The script does not continue to run, the rest of the commands are not executed. Here is how I define run:

Local $pPid = Run("C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe", "", '@SW_HIDE', $STDIN_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD + $STDERR_CHILD)

 

[Jos]

2 minutes ago, Chance1 said:

The script does not continue to run

So it ends without any error about a syntax or anything? Are you running it from SciTE  and no errors or exitcode are shown in the outputpane?

Can you show the total code that does this?

Jos

Edited June 14, 2017 by Jos

[Chance1]

Yes I am  running from SciTE

#include <Constants.au3>

Local $pPid = Run("C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe", "", @SW_HIDE, $STDIN_CHILD + $STDOUT_CHILD + $STDERR_CHILD)
Local $data = ''

StdinWrite($pPid, 'cd C:\Program Files (x86)\PrivateArk\PACLI\' & @CRLF )
StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli init' & @CRLF)
StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli definefromfile VAULT="Vault Dev" parmfile="C:\Program Files (x86)\PrivateArk\PACLI\VaultDev.ini"'& @CRLF)

$Username = InputBox('USERNAME','ENTER YOUR USERNAME','','')

StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli default VAULT="Vault Dev" USER='& $Username &' FOLDER=Root' & @CRLF)
StdinWrite($pPid, 'pacli logon VAULT = "Vault Dev" USER = '& $Username &' PASSWORD = '& InputBox('PASSWORD', 'ENTER YOUR PASSWORD', '', '*') &@CRLF )


While True
    $data  &= StderrRead($pPid)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    Sleep(25)
WEnd
MsgBox(0, "STDERR REPORT AFTER LOGON", $data)

This is the begging, agter the while loop, the script doesn't continue. If that loop was not in there at all, the rest of the script will run perfectly. Maybe it is getting stuck in the loop?

All of the PACLI commands are correct and are not the issue. Again pacli is a third party executable where all of the commands must be on separate lines.

Edited June 14, 2017 by Chance1

[Jos]

Ofcourse it stays in the loop as long as the process you are reading the STDERR stream of exists. So you need to read both STDOUT and STDERR and check the feedback of both for the TEXT you expect when it successfully runs or when the an ERROR occures. something like this:

While True
    $dataerr  &= StderrRead($pPid)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    $dataout  &= StderrRead($pPid)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    If stringinstr($dataerr, " text of login failed feedback") then
        $dataerr = ""
        ;;  prompt again for password and send to STDIN as shown before
    EndIf
    If stringinstr($dataout, " text of successful login feedback") then
        ExitLoop
    EndIf
    Sleep(25)
WEnd

Hope you understand the approach.

Jos