Spaces In The Run Command

[DaveToland]

I have created a small batch file that logs the progress of my AutoIT script. It works by taking a passed in parameter and prepending a date and time.

I have tried to call this from the script using the Run command like so:

Run ("c:\autoit\logger.bat opening vpn connection dialog")

'c:\autoit\logger.bat' is the location and name of the batch file

'opening vpn connection dialog' is the text to be logged.

The problem is that as soon as the script encounters the space between 'opening' and 'vpn' it breaks. So the output in the log file reads:

2006/05/02 16:45:17: opening

Can anybody think of a way of inserting a space. I have experimented trying ASCII characters, and the like but it just outputs the text (2006/05/02 16:45:17: opening{ASC 32}vpn....). The only way I have thought of getting around this is to insert underscores (_) or dots (.) in place of the spaces but this doesn't read very well.

Any help would be appreciated.

many thanks

Edited May 2, 2006 by DaveToland

[cdkid]

Run('c:\autoit\logger.bat "opening vpn dialog"')

~cdkid

[DaveToland]

Run('c:\autoit\logger.bat "opening vpn dialog"')

~cdkid

Cheers mate, that works nicely. Although now I have tried to be a bit more generic by putting the log syntax within a function call. This results in the same sort of problem:

Func LogMe($comment)
  
 run ('c:\autoit\Logger.bat $comment')

EndFunc

results in :

2006/05/03 11:49:48: $comment

2006/05/03 11:49:48: $comment

2006/05/03 11:49:48: $comment

2006/05/03 11:49:48: $comment

2006/05/03 11:49:48: $comment

2006/05/03 11:49:48: $comment

Am I not going to be able to use this way? I have tried a few ideas to get around it and I cannot see a solution.

Thanks for your help

Dave

[JerryD]

Cheers mate, that works nicely. Although now I have tried to be a bit more generic by putting the log syntax within a function call. This results in the same sort of problem:

Func LogMe($comment)
  
 run ('c:\autoit\Logger.bat $comment')

EndFunc

You want:

Func LogMe($comment)
  
 run ('c:\autoit\Logger.bat ' &  $comment)

EndFunc

Note the trailing space after .bat.

Also, in your first entry, you may want to use something like:

$BatFile = FileGetShortName ( @ProgramFilesDir & '\AutoIt\logger.bat'
Run ( $BatFile & ' "opening vpn connection dialog"' )

The reason being that you get past the problem of spaces in the batch file's path or name.

[DaveToland]

Thanks again

The reason being that you get past the problem of spaces in the batch file's path or name.

..this is not an issue, but thanks for the tip.

Although, i'm now experiencing the problems with it only recording the first word out of each log comment:

;;device name or number

$device_to_call = "qspeeqgw000"

LogMe ("Device to call: " & $device_to_call)



;;duration in milliseconds

$duration_of_call = 8000  

LogMe ("Duration of call: " & $duration_of_call)


;;start infintate 13 minute loop

LogMe ("Beginning 13 minute loop")



While 1

 send ("#d")
 LogMe ("Minimising to desktop")

....

////

Func LogMe($comment)
  
 run ('c:\autoit\Logger.bat ' & $comment)

EndFunc

results in:

2006/05/03 13:09:49: Device

2006/05/03 13:09:49: Opening

2006/05/03 13:09:49: Duration

2006/05/03 13:09:49: Beginning

2006/05/03 13:09:49: Minimising

I would have thought putting the "double quotes" within the function call would have got me around this..?

Edited May 3, 2006 by DaveToland

[MHz]

I would have thought putting the "double quotes" within the function call would have got me around this..?

Protect the spaces in the parameters that are sent to the bat with quotes. Quotes around the bat could be wise if you were to possibly have spaces to safe guard with files or folders with the same first word in the filename.

This does both bat and parameter:

Func LogMe($comment)
    Local $file = 'c:\autoit\Logger.bat'
    If FileExists($file) Then
        Run('"' & $file & '" "' & $comment & '"')
        Return 1
    Else
        Return 0
    EndIf
EndFunc

[DaveToland]

Protect the spaces in the parameters that are sent to the bat with quotes. Quotes around the bat could be wise if you were to possibly have spaces to safe guard with files or folders with the same first word in the filename.

This does both bat and parameter:

Func LogMe($comment)
    Local $file = 'c:\autoit\Logger.bat'
    If FileExists($file) Then
        Run('"' & $file & '" "' & $comment & '"')
        Return 1
    Else
        Return 0
    EndIf
EndFunc

that works superbly , but....

this is REALLY weird.

Look at the order the log statements appear in the code, and then look at the order they appear in the log file. They're out of sync

LogMe ("Starting Ingenious Client Automation Script (D.Toland) - v1.0")

;;device name or number

$device_to_call = "qspeeqgw000"

LogMe ("Device to call: " & $device_to_call)

;;duration in milliseconds

$duration_of_call = 8000

LogMe ("Duration of call: " & $duration_of_call)

;;start infintate 13 minute loop

LogMe ("Beginning 13 minute loop")

While 1

send ("#d")

LogMe ("Minimising to desktop")

run ("C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\VPN Client\ipsecdialer.exe")

LogMe ("Opening VPN Dialer")

////

2006/05/03 13:23:19: Beginning

2006/05/03 13:23:19: Duration

2006/05/03 13:23:19: Starting

2006/05/03 13:23:19: Device

2006/05/03 13:23:19: Opening

2006/05/03 13:23:19: Minimising

Edited May 3, 2006 by DaveToland

[MHz]

Use RunWait instead of Run in the function, and see if that helps with correct timings.

Edit:

Like this

Func LogMe($comment)
    Local $file = 'c:\autoit\Logger.bat'
    If FileExists($file) Then
        RunWait('"' & $file & '" "' & $comment & '"')
        Return 1
    Else
        Return 0
    EndIf
EndFunc

Edited May 3, 2006 by MHz

[DaveToland]

Use RunWait instead of Run in the function, and see if that helps with correct timings.

Edit:

Like this

Func LogMe($comment)
    Local $file = 'c:\autoit\Logger.bat'
    If FileExists($file) Then
        RunWait('"' & $file & '" "' & $comment & '"')
        Return 1
    Else
        Return 0
    EndIf
EndFunc

PHEW!!!

Finally got it working.

Used RunWait with a combination of Sleep statements and removed a few of the log statements which took focus away from the windows in a couple of critical places.

My boss is now happy and I can close this project, at last...

Thank you guys very much for your help with this, I cannot thank you enough, you've been amazingly helpfull. A big thumbs up to you all.

Regards

Dave