Help for ideas on a simple Software Metering Prject

[gspino]

I wonder if some of you seasoned developers can help me get off the ground with what started out as a simple project, but I keep hitting roadblocks.  The goal is to write to a log file every time someone launches excel.exe, winword.exe, powerpnt.exe, or outlook.exe.  I've tried tons of different approaches, but it seems like the ProcessWaitClose is my big hang-up.  I can't seem to get over this hump.  It's my last year before retirement and I know I'm not as sharp as I used to be, so if someone can give me a nudge in the right direction, I would be most appreciative.  I want to run the app on selected pc's - I had one version that just consumed too many resources to be useful - it needs to run as a background process always waiting for one of these apps to launch.  I don't care to know how long the app stays open or when it's closed, I just want a simple log every time one of these processes is launched.  Thanks very much to anyone who can offer some guidance.

[JLogan3o13]

Moving to the correct forum...

So to clarify, you want something that sits in the tray or runs in the background, that simply logs to a file whenever someone opens one of the applications? What was the ProcessWaitClose doing that it was "hanging you up"? Your code, even if it is not working as you would like it, would definitely help us help you.

[caramen]

You should better work with a loop like that : 

 

While 1 

    If ProcessExist ("Excel.exe") Then
        ExcelLog()
    ElseIf ProcessExist ("Word.exe") Then
        WordLog()
    EndIf
Wend

Func ExcelLog()
    Do 

        Sleep (10)
        If ProcessExist ("Excel.exe") Then 
            $ExcelHere = 1
        Else
            $ExcelHere = 0
        EndIf
    
    Until $ExcelHere = 0 
EndFunc

Func WordLog ()

EndFunc

This is checking one process i am sure you can find a way to do it with all process  

 

Edit ; With that code you gonna be stuck : if one office application is detected. It will stay in the loop. But you can manage that easy.

Edited August 31, 2018 by caramen

[Simpel]

@caramen: In your script only one program at a time could be logged. If Excel.exe exists it is permanently checking if it's currently existing, but not checking existence of Word.exe anymore.

Simpel

Edit: Wrote it before you edited but sended after.

Edited August 31, 2018 by Simpel

[TheSaint]

As has been suggested, providing some code can be quite helpful, and no need to feel bashful, as we were all beginners once. It can help us understand where you are at, and also maybe save us some work, with the idea being, we teach to fish, rather than fish for you.

That said, here are some ideas to go on with.

Get the PID return from ProcessExists, when Excel (etc) is detected, and use that for repeated comparisons, so the same instance is not repeatedly detected. It also frees you from waiting for Excel (etc) to close. For every new instance, use _FileWriteLog to write the program name (i.e. Excel) to a Log file (it includes date and time).

Put that all in a While 1 .... Wend loop (with the required If ... Then statements), making sure you give yourself an escape option (check out _IsPressed). Also add a delay in the loop i..e. Sleep(2000).

Edited August 31, 2018 by TheSaint

[gspino]

I think I got it.  Many thanks to all - you were a big help.

 

#include <Date.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <AutoItConstants.au3>
Opt("TrayIconHide", 1)
;==============================================
;LIMIT SCRIPT TO 1 RUNNING INSTANCE
$G_SZVERSION = "SWMeter"
If WinExists($G_SZVERSION) Then Exit
AutoItWinSetTitle($G_SZVERSION)
;==============================================
If Not FileExists("c:\wgtemp\swmeter") Then DirCreate("c:\wgtemp\swmeter")
;==============================================
Local $PID1 = 0
Local $PID2 = 0
Local $PID3 = 0
Local $PID4 = 0
Local $PID5 = 0
Local $LastPID1 = 0
Local $LastPID2 = 0
Local $LastPID3 = 0
Local $LastPID4 = 0
Local $LastPID5 = 0
Local $aProcessList1 = 0
Local $aProcessList2 = 0
Local $aProcessList3 = 0
Local $aProcessList4 = 0
Local $aProcessList5 = 0
While 1
 ProcessList()
 ;check to see if excel is running
 If ProcessExists("excel.exe") Then
  Local $aProcessList1 = ProcessList("excel.exe")
  $PID1 = $aProcessList1[1][1]
 EndIf
 If $PID1 <> $LastPID1 Then
  FileWriteLine("c:\wgtemp\swmeter\SWMETER" & @ComputerName & ".txt", @ComputerName & " " & @UserName & " " & "Excel" & " " & @MON & "-" & @MDAY & "-" & @YEAR & " " & @HOUR & ":" & @MIN & " " & "OPENED")
  $LastPID1 = $PID1
 EndIf
 Sleep(2000)
 ;check to see if word is running
 If ProcessExists("winword.exe") Then
  $aProcessList2 = ProcessList("winword.exe")
  $PID2 = $aProcessList2[1][1]
 EndIf
 If $PID2 <> $LastPID2 Then
  FileWriteLine("c:\wgtemp\swmeter\SWMETER" & @ComputerName & ".txt", @ComputerName & " " & @UserName & " " & "Word" & " " & @MON & "-" & @MDAY & "-" & @YEAR & " " & @HOUR & ":" & @MIN & " " & "OPENED")
  $LastPID2 = $PID2
 EndIf
 Sleep(2000)
 ;check to see if outlook is running
 If ProcessExists("outlook.exe") Then
  $aProcessList3 = ProcessList("outlook.exe")
  $PID3 = $aProcessList3[1][1]
 EndIf
 If $PID3 <> $LastPID3 Then
  FileWriteLine("c:\wgtemp\swmeter\SWMETER" & @ComputerName & ".txt", @ComputerName & " " & @UserName & " " & "Outlook" & " " & @MON & "-" & @MDAY & "-" & @YEAR & " " & @HOUR & ":" & @MIN & " " & "OPENED")
  $LastPID3 = $PID3
 EndIf
 Sleep(2000)
 ;check to see if powerpoint is running
 If ProcessExists("powerpnt.exe") Then
  $aProcessList4 = ProcessList("powerpnt.exe")
  $PID4 = $aProcessList4[1][1]
 EndIf
 If $PID4 <> $LastPID4 Then
  FileWriteLine("c:\wgtemp\swmeter\SWMETER" & @ComputerName & ".txt", @ComputerName & " " & @UserName & " " & "PowerPoint" & " " & @MON & "-" & @MDAY & "-" & @YEAR & " " & @HOUR & ":" & @MIN & " " & "OPENED")
  $LastPID4 = $PID4
 EndIf
 Sleep(2000)
 ;check to see if remote desktop is running
 If ProcessExists("mstsc.exe") Then
  $aProcessList5 = ProcessList("mstsc.exe")
  $PID5 = $aProcessList5[1][1]
 EndIf
 If $PID5 <> $LastPID5 Then
  FileWriteLine("c:\wgtemp\swmeter\SWMETER" & @ComputerName & ".txt", @ComputerName & " " & @UserName & " " & "RemoteDesktop" & " " & @MON & "-" & @MDAY & "-" & @YEAR & " " & @HOUR & ":" & @MIN & " " & "OPENED")
  $LastPID5 = $PID5
 EndIf
 Sleep(2000)
WEnd

 

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by gspino

[Uten]

Take a look at this code: Easy shell hook

Should be trivial to make a app logger with it.