NEWBIE Q: End long loop in gui with button

[Jfish 101]

I am a super-newbie that is trying to learn - so I apologize for the simplicity of this question. I wanted to write a small app to keep my desktop "awake" as I don't have access to the screensaver controls that come on every 10 minutes. Accordingly, I created a simple GUI with two buttons that start and stop a loop that sends the shift key every thirty seconds. My problem is that once the first button is pressed and the loop begins, I cannot stop it with the second button. I don't understand why the GUI will not listen for $Button2 during a sleep cycle. Can somebody help me with this admittedly newb question? I thank you in advance for your tutelage.

; send shift keystrokes to stop screensaver from starting in windows

#include <GUIConstants.au3>

#Region ### START Koda GUI section ### Form=

$AForm1_1 = GUICreate("KeySender v1.0", 390, 155, 194, 126)

GUISetBkColor(0x0C5490)

$Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Start", 80, 80, 113, 25)

$Button2 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Stop", 208, 80, 97, 25)

$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Will send SHIFT keystroke every 30 seconds for 10,000 loops until stopped", 16, 16, 359, 17)

GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)

#EndRegion ### END Koda GUI section ###

Func startIt()

MsgBox("","KeySender 1.0", "STARTING - will send SHIFT key every 30 seconds 10,000 times")

dim $a = 1

dim $loops = 10000 ; 10,000 loops

for $a = 1 To 10000 step 1

send("{LSHIFT}")

;MsgBox("","confirmation","Shift Sent")

sleep(30000)

Next

EndFunc

Func stopIt()

Exit

EndFunc

While 1

$nMsg = GUIGetMsg()

Switch $nMsg

Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE

Exit

Case $Button1

startIt()

Case $Button2

stopIt()

EndSwitch

WEnd

[Valuater 97]

Maybe...

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#include <GUIConstants.au3>

Dim $Looper = 0, $lCount = 0

#Region ### START Koda GUI section ### Form=
$AForm1_1 = GUICreate("KeySender v1.0", 390, 155, 194, 126)
GUISetBkColor(0x0C5490)
$Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Start", 80, 80, 113, 25)
$Button2 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Stop", 208, 80, 97, 25)
$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Will send SHIFT keystroke every 30 seconds for 10,000 loops until stopped", 16, 16, 359, 17)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
#EndRegion ### END Koda GUI section ###


While 1
    $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
    Switch $nMsg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit
        Case $Button1
            MsgBox("", "KeySender 1.0", "STARTING - will send SHIFT key every 30 seconds 10,000 times", 2)
            $Looper = 0
            $lCount = 0
            AdlibEnable("Sender", 3000) ;**************** 30000 ??? **********
        Case $Button2
            $Looper = 0
            $lCount = 0
            AdlibDisable()
    EndSwitch
    
WEnd


Func Sender()
    $lCount = $lCount + 1
    If $lCount >= 10000 Then
        $Looper = 0
        $lCount = 0
        AdlibDisable()
        Return
    EndIf
    ;Send("{LSHIFT}")
    MsgBox(0x0, "Test", $lCount, 2)
EndFunc

8)

[Jfish 101]

Thanks for that. The window will now close when you hit the "X" in the upper right hand corner - but the "stop" button still does not work. Any ideas on how to stop the application with the button?

[Valuater 97]

added a "stop" message box to show it is working

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#include <GUIConstants.au3>

Dim $Looper = 0, $lCount = 0

#Region ### START Koda GUI section ### Form=
$AForm1_1 = GUICreate("KeySender v1.0", 390, 155, 194, 126)
GUISetBkColor(0x0C5490)
$Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Start", 80, 80, 113, 25)
$Button2 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Stop", 208, 80, 97, 25)
$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Will send SHIFT keystroke every 30 seconds for 10,000 loops until stopped", 16, 16, 359, 17)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
#EndRegion ### END Koda GUI section ###


While 1
    $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
    Switch $nMsg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit
        Case $Button1
            MsgBox("", "KeySender 1.0", "STARTING - will send SHIFT key every 30 seconds 10,000 times", 2)
            $Looper = 0
            $lCount = 0
            AdlibEnable("Sender", 3000) ;**************** 30000 ??? **********
        Case $Button2
            $Looper = 0
            $lCount = 0
            AdlibDisable()
            MsgBox(0x0, "Test", "STOPED", 2) ; added for testing
    EndSwitch
    
WEnd


Func Sender()
    $lCount = $lCount + 1
    If $lCount >= 10000 Then
        $Looper = 0
        $lCount = 0
        AdlibDisable()
        Return
    EndIf
    ;Send("{LSHIFT}")
    MsgBox(0x0, "Test", $lCount, 2)
EndFunc

8)

Edited July 10, 2007 by Valuater

[Jfish 101]

Thank you very much for the help. It looks like you took it out of the FOR loop that I was using and called a function that will increment at a specificied time interval, send the key, then, if it hits 10,000 cycles it will reset the count and start over. Very cool.

I was not familiar with how to use the adlib function - that is a very nice example. I really appreciate your taking the time to help me out.

[Valuater 97]

Welcome

8)