CUI with GUI Hybrid

[AJStevens]

Ok, so in order to have ConsoleWrite output to a command prompt Window, you have to compile as CUI instead of GUI right?

I'm trying to emulate similiar functionality of other exe's in that if you just run the exe via double-clicking Mouse, it runs and shows the GUI, however if you call it from a Console (DOS Window) with parameters, it processes those parameters, eg.

myscript.exe /h

Will display a help message, or /v version information.

Meanwhile, passing nothing, should just open the program normally.

If I build it as a GUI, then ConsoleWrite doesn't show up in the Console (DOS Window).

If I build it as a CUI and open it via mouse double-click, on Windows XP, I get a Console Window behind my GUI, which I don't want. :/

How can I get the best of both worlds? Thanks

Edited August 16, 2010 by AJStevens

[UEZ]

Here the method I used for SIC2:

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#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseUpx=n
#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=n
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
#include <Process.au3>

If $CmdLine[0] = 0 Then
    If _ProcessGetName(ProcessGetParent(@AutoItPID)) = "cmd.exe" Then
        ConsoleWrite("Program was started in CMD" & @CRLF)
    Else
        MsgBox(0, "Information", "Program was started by double click!", 10)
    EndIf
EndIf

Exit

Func ProcessGetParent($i_PID) ;get PID from parent process done by SmOke_N
    Local $TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS = 0x00000002
    Local $a_tool_help = DllCall("Kernel32.dll", "long", "CreateToolhelp32Snapshot", "int", $TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS, "int", 0)
    If IsArray($a_tool_help) = 0 Or $a_tool_help[0] = -1 Then Return SetError(1, 0, $i_PID)
    Local $tagPROCESSENTRY32 = _
            DllStructCreate( _
            "dword dwsize;" & _
            "dword cntUsage;" & _
            "dword th32ProcessID;" & _
            "uint th32DefaultHeapID;" & _
            "dword th32ModuleID;" & _
            "dword cntThreads;" & _
            "dword th32ParentProcessID;" & _
            "long pcPriClassBase;" & _
            "dword dwFlags;" & _
            "char szExeFile[260]" _
            )
    DllStructSetData($tagPROCESSENTRY32, 1, DllStructGetSize($tagPROCESSENTRY32))
    Local $p_PROCESSENTRY32 = DllStructGetPtr($tagPROCESSENTRY32)
    Local $a_pfirst = DllCall("Kernel32.dll", "int", "Process32First", "long", $a_tool_help[0], "ptr", $p_PROCESSENTRY32)
    If IsArray($a_pfirst) = 0 Then Return SetError(2, 0, $i_PID)
    Local $a_pnext, $i_return = 0
    If DllStructGetData($tagPROCESSENTRY32, "th32ProcessID") = $i_PID Then
        $i_return = DllStructGetData($tagPROCESSENTRY32, "th32ParentProcessID")
        DllCall("Kernel32.dll", "int", "CloseHandle", "long", $a_tool_help[0])
        If $i_return Then Return $i_return
        Return $i_PID
    EndIf
    While @error = 0
        $a_pnext = DllCall("Kernel32.dll", "int", "Process32Next", "long", $a_tool_help[0], "ptr", $p_PROCESSENTRY32)
        If DllStructGetData($tagPROCESSENTRY32, "th32ProcessID") = $i_PID Then
            $i_return = DllStructGetData($tagPROCESSENTRY32, "th32ParentProcessID")
            If $i_return Then ExitLoop
            $i_return = $i_PID
            ExitLoop
        EndIf
    WEnd
    DllCall("Kernel32.dll", "int", "CloseHandle", "long", $a_tool_help[0])
    Return $i_return
EndFunc ;==>ProcessGetParent

Br,

UEZ

[AJStevens]

UEZ, thanks that's a great little script and works for differentiating between running from console and running by double-click.

However, what can I do when running by double-click to remove the extra console window behind my GUI?

[UEZ]

UEZ, thanks that's a great little script and works for differentiating between running from console and running by double-click.

However, what can I do when running by double-click to remove the extra console window behind my GUI?

Try this:

...
If $CmdLine[0] = 0 Then
    If _ProcessGetName(ProcessGetParent(@AutoItPID)) = "cmd.exe" Then
    ConsoleWrite("Program was started in CMD" & @CRLF)
    Else
        WinSetState("[CLASS:ConsoleWindowClass]", "", @SW_HIDE) ;class might be different on different OS!
    MsgBox(0, "Information", "Program was started by double click!")
    EndIf
EndIf
...

Br,

UEZ

[AJStevens]

Try this:

...
If $CmdLine[0] = 0 Then
    If _ProcessGetName(ProcessGetParent(@AutoItPID)) = "cmd.exe" Then
    ConsoleWrite("Program was started in CMD" & @CRLF)
    Else
        WinSetState("[CLASS:ConsoleWindowClass]", "", @SW_HIDE) ;class might be different on different OS!
    MsgBox(0, "Information", "Program was started by double click!")
    EndIf
EndIf
...

Br,

UEZ

Thanks UEZ, that does hide it (on XP, haven't tried Vista/Win7 yet), but.... is there way for it not to show in the first place? It appears, then dissapears and the GUI appears.

It appears to open, close, open from it appearing in the task bar, dissapearing, then reappearing with the GUI.

Edited August 16, 2010 by AJStevens

[UEZ]

As far as I know it is not possible to suppress the CMD console when compiling it with #AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y parameter.

If you compile it with #AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=n then ConsoleWrite() will not be seen in CMD but also not text to CMD via ConsoleWrite() is possible!

Br,

UEZ

Edited August 16, 2010 by UEZ

[AJStevens]

As far as I know it is not possible to suppress the CMD console when compiling it with #AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y parameter.

If you compile it with #AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=n then ConsoleWrite() will not be seen in CMD but also not text to CMD via ConsoleWrite() is possible!

Br,

UEZ

Yeah... this is the problem... :-(

No way around this? Anyone? Is there a chance this could be made a new feature?

#HideConsole

Then do the logic above, and if it has been launched from cmd.exe then Show it?

Edited August 16, 2010 by AJStevens

[AJStevens]

Yeah... this is the problem... :-(

No way around this? Anyone? Is there a chance this could be made a new feature?

#HideConsole

Then do the logic above, and if it has been launched from cmd.exe then Show it?

I've looked around the forum and not found anything that's worked for me.

I'm guessing it's Plan B, have a seperate exe for use by commandline where I want the output to show in the Console window... I suppose there's always a msgbox, it's a pity that holds the script though...

[Richard Robertson]

Use AllocConsole and FreeConsole to show and hide the console.

[UEZ]

This link can also be of interest: CMD.au3

Br,

UEZ

[AJStevens]

Use AllocConsole and FreeConsole to show and hide the console.

Yeah Freeconsole hides it, same as UEZ suggestion earlier, problem is the console window appears then hides which I don't want.

I've looked at AllocConsole, tried some examples but it hasn't worked out as I hoped. Basically only if the exe is run from a command prompt I want the script to know and output any ConsoleWrite in the script to it, otherwise just behave like a GUI without having a Console window appear behind it at all.

This link can also be of interest: CMD.au3

Br,

UEZ

UEZ, thanks, will give that a look.

I guess really it's not a CUI I want as the only input it will take is command line switches as apposed to a real CUI withe menus and options, entering text, etc. If going that far then seperate EXE makes sense usually.

[Richard Robertson]

Yes I know that UEZ said to hide it too. I was telling you the correct way to do it though. FreeConsole releases the resources while UEZ's method only hides the window.

[AJStevens]

I guess it depends if you want it back later whether to hide it or free it, in either case both suffer the problem that it appears in the first place.

[Richard Robertson]

To keep it from appearing, you can't compile it as a CUI application. You'll have to specify GUI and then somehow attach to the parent process's console.

[AJStevens]

UEZ, that CMD.au3 is interesting if I need to do things with existing command prompts... a possibilitiy... however doesn't appear to help with this current situation sadly.

To keep it from appearing, you can't compile it as a CUI application. You'll have to specify GUI and then somehow attach to the parent process's console.

Yeah, seems so, unfortunately it's that "somehow" that's getting in the way... I'm trying a DLL call with attach using the PID of parent process, the CMD, yet I'm not getting an output from ConsoleWrite().