How to use variable in Run command for the Path + Executable ?

[MikeK6MKF]

Had a friend clue me in, so I get this:

@@ Debug(61) : '"C:Program Files (x86)AdobeReader 11.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe" /A page="'& $page &'" "C:PredictionsUTC_80.pdf"' = "C:Program Files (x86)AdobeReader 11.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe" /A page="22.27" "C:PredictionsUTC_80.pdf"

>Error code: 1

[MikeK6MKF]

When I run with my original statement I get this:

@@ Debug(61) : '"C:Program Files (x86)AdobeReader 11.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe" /A page="'& $page &'" "C:PredictionsUTC_80.pdf"' = "C:Program Files (x86)AdobeReader 11.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe" /A page="22.32" "C:PredictionsUTC_80.pdf"

>Error code: 0

 

And when I run with my Run with variable statement:  Run('" & $AcrobatPath & " /A "page=' & $page & '" "C:PredictionsUTC_80.pdf"')

 

Wait a moment ... it Worked!

 

Run('" & $AcrobatPath & " /A "page=' & $page & '" "C:PredictionsUTC_80.pdf"')  now works, so this is my answer!

 

Thank you so much for this.  And now I know how to read STDOUT, too.  

[Jos]

Page 22.27 sounds wrong ...right?

So try converting $page to Integer with: $page = Int($Page)

Jos

[MikeK6MKF]

That cleaned up $page.

I was premature in claiming victory, it seems.

This still fails:

Local $AcrobatEx = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 11.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"

...

Run(' & $AcrobatEx & /A "page=' & $page & '" "C:\Predictions\UTC_80.pdf"')

[TheSaint]

 

That cleaned up $page.

I was premature in claiming victory, it seems.

This still fails:

Local $AcrobatEx = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 11.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"

...

Run(' & $AcrobatEx & /A "page=' & $page & '" "C:\Predictions\UTC_80.pdf"')

That is wrong, you have embedded you first variable inside the quotes. It becomes just text when you do that.

It should be outside like this.

Run($AcrobatEx & ' /A "page=' & $page & '" "C:\Predictions\UTC_80.pdf"')

Edited March 6, 2015 by TheSaint

[sdfaheemuddin]

Run($AcrobatPath & ' /A Page="' & $Page & '" ' & $PDFDir & 'UTC_80.pdf')

Ensure space before /A and in '" '

[zalomalo]

You are having troubles with symbols, i could give you some good points.
If you declare Vars for paths and so, to make the code more readable, use it from the beginning and dont wait to work with static strings and later must test again, when you change them.
Never use " (double-quotes) inside your code with strings, use ' (single-quotes), and double-quotes only inside your strings when needed, by example arguments for a executable, but if you know for sure the filepaths havent spaces you dont need it; it is needed just when the spaces makes imposible to know if is another argument (space-based) or space inside the argument.

Allways follow the same rule/pattern you wish and use spaces to do readable, by example:   $var &'string'& $var.

Use a text editor than helps you, i use Notepad++ with dark background to work and Scite to check and test. The line:

Run(' & $AcrobatEx & /A "page=' & $page & '" "C:\Predictions\UTC_80.pdf"')

Has string than later you will change by a variable. Do it now, save time. Your vars have strings inside, dont do '$var', since $var='string' , so i could write:

Local $pID=RunAs( 'username', 'Logondomain', 'mypass',1, @ScriptDir &'\SelSteamG.exe "arg1 arg2... argn"', @ScriptDir, @SW_HIDE)

And your line:

Run( $AcrobatExe & ' /A page='& $pagenumber &' '& $PDFDir &'\UTC_'& $pdfnumber &'.pdf' )

I put here some of my code so you can see its important begin right, or could be very confused:

If Not StringIsSpace($LHArgs) Then $sEXEParams=(StringInStr($LHArgs,'"',2,2))?($sEXEParams&' '&StringStripWS($LHArgs,3)):($sEXEParams&' "'&StringStripWS($LHArgs,3)&'"')
If Not( StringIsSpace($Args) Or StringInStr($Args,'"',2,2) ) Then $Exe=$Exe&' "'&StringStripWS($Args,3)&'"'
$Switchs=' -accepteula '& StringStripWS($Switchs,7)
Return(Run(@ScriptDir&'\'& $PSexeX & $Switchs &' -w "'& $Dir &'" -u domain -p pass '& $Exe,$Dir,Execute($fShowMode)))

By other hand, if you have a long case sentence with same N lines inside every Case, may be you didnt designed well. Consider this comparation:

;------------------------
Select         ; Option 1
   Case $iMsg = $idM80
    $utc = _GetUTC()
    $page = (($utc + 100) / 100 )
    Run('Whatever')
;...N times
   Case $iMsg = $idM40
     $utc = _GetUTC()
     $page = (($utc + 100) / 100 )
     Run('Whatever')
EndSelect

;------------------------
Switch $iMsg   ; Option 2
  Case $idM80
    $var='AAA'
;...N times
  Case $idM40
   $var='NNN'
  Case Else
   _ReportError('What are you doing?')
   Exit(-3)
EndSwitch
$utc = _GetUTC($var)
$page= ( $utc+100 ) / 100
Run('Whatever')

I hope this could help you a bit, now and future.

Edited March 6, 2015 by zalomalo

[MikeK6MKF]

I have been able to get this to work with the help of a more knowledgeable friend than me.

So here is the code I have working now:

Local $AcrobatPath = '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 11.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" /A page='
Local $PDFDir = ' C:\Predictions\'

...

Select
            Case $iMsg = $idM80
                ; 80M button is clicked
                ; calculate page number from $utc value
                $utc = _GetUTC()
                $page = StringFormat("%02d", (($utc + 100) / 100 ))
                $strTest = ($AcrobatPath & $page & $PDFDir & 'UTC_80.pdf')
                Run($strTest)
                                
                                ...

Thanks to all who hung in there with me as I struggled with this.   Much appreciated.

Edited March 10, 2015 by MikeK6MKF

[MikeK6MKF]

And thank you, Zalomalo, for these tips about Vars and single and double quotes.   I have much to learn about AutoIt, but it's fun.

[zalomalo]

I would like to help even more.

Dont just think about your code is working just now. Think about in one or more months may be doing other script you could take and recycle code done time ago. Sometimes happens you cant remember why you did something in someway and why it works. Because this i think is important having good habbits that may be arent important just now, but can save you time in future. Its not just about AutoIt but general programming.

Autoit internal functions (allmost everyone) related to filepaths takes directories without final backslash, follow same rule. Have just the filepath without spaces before or after, so:

$PDFDir = ' C:\Predictions\'

I would define:

$PDFDir = 'C:\Predictions'

And add the neccesary when use the vars to concatenate, this way:

$strTest = ( $AcrobatPath & $page &' '& $PDFDir & '\UTC_80.pdf' )

If you are doing recursive operation with documents than have all of them the same name format convenction, ¿could be usefull for you going futher in your tasks to have a var with the document number?. This gives you the chance, by example do the same task for several documents, even you can take a list of numbers and know how many you got:

Local $sListDocNumbers='5,6,80,99,345,999'
Local $arrayDocNumbers=StringSplit($sListDocNumbers,',')  ; This allways gives a array and allways one component at least
For $i=1 to $arrayDocNumbers[0]                           ; $arrayDocNumbers[0] <-- is 6
    ; (Doing something with $arrayDocNumbers[$i]
Next

So i could write the line:

$strTest = ( $AcrobatPath & $page &' '& $PDFDir & '\UTC_'& $arrayDocNumbers[$NN] &'.pdf' )

-

Also, you dont need "doublequote" a filepath that is is going to be used by AutoIt (having spaces inside a $var its not a trouble), you need do it when the string is going to used by "Others" and you dont know how them will takes spaces and arguments in a comandline by example:

Local $AcrobatPath = '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 11.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" /A page='

can be with no problem, since its your Autoit function who must find the right path to execute, and run Acrobat. This is by the same reason you dont do $KK='"'&@ScriptDir&'"' nor even worse $KK='@ScriptDir' , so:

Local $AcrobatPath = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 11.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe /A page='

but you need, by the case, double quote the string you are passing to another application as argument, because you dont know what/how is going to do with it, like i put in my other post.

 

My english shucks, i know it. Cheers. 

Edited March 6, 2015 by zalomalo

[MikeK6MKF]

Thanks, Zalomalo.  All good advice.   Your English is 100% better than any other language I'd try to speak.