Why do apps have to be compiled for ConsoleWrite() to work from the command line?

[JockoDundee]

I understand the GUI/CUI issue.  
I’m just not understanding what compiling does to make ConsoleWrite work that the interpreter couldn’t do as well, based off the same or similar # directive the compiler uses.

Like command line switch to the interpreter like /console.

Or at the very worst, a separate executable.

If the reason is, “that’s just the way it is”, I’m ok with it.

Thoughts?

[Danp2]

Have you tried launching the script outside of Scite? If so, how did that work?

[jchd]

Maybe I don't understand your question, but doesn't the following code work in all use cases: GUI or CUI, compiled or not?

CW("Hello world!" & @LF & "Μεγάλο πρόβλημα" & @LF & "Большая проблема" & @LF & "大问题" & @LF & "बड़ी समस्या" & @LF & "مشكلة كبيرة")
Sleep(5000)


Func CW($s = "")
    (@Compiled ? _CUI_ConsoleWrite : _ConsoleWrite)($s)
EndFunc   ;==>CW


Func _CUI_ConsoleWrite(ByRef $s)
    Local Static $hDll = DllOpen("kernel32.dll")
    Local Static $hCon = __CUI_ConsoleInit($hDll)
    DllCall($hDll, "bool", "WriteConsoleW", "handle", $hCon, "wstr", $s & @LF, "dword", StringLen($s) + 1, "dword*", 0, "ptr", 0)
    Return
EndFunc   ;==>_CUI_ConsoleWrite


; internal use only
Func __CUI_ConsoleInit(ByRef $hDll)
    DllCall($hDll, "bool", "AllocConsole")
    Return DllCall($hDll, "handle", "GetStdHandle", "int", -11)[0]
EndFunc   ;==>_CUI_ConsoleInit


; Unicode-aware ConsoleWrite
Func _ConsoleWrite($s)
    ConsoleWrite(BinaryToString(StringToBinary($s & @LF, 4), 1))
EndFunc   ;==>_ConsoleWrite

Depending on the font settings for CUI and Scite console, some language may not display correctly.
For instance Scite console displays everything correctly using Dejavu sans Mono.

Ignore me if you're after something else.

[TheXman]

When you compile your au3 scripts with aut2exe, if you have a CUI directive in your script, it adds and uses a CUI stub to execute the embedded script.  So stdout goes directly to the console.  AutoIt3.exe and AutoIt3_x64 are actually GUI apps.  When you execute your au3 file using AutoIt3.exe or AutoIt3_x64.exe, you are actually executing it using GUI mode, regardless of the directive.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by TheXman
Clarified that aut2exe adds a CUI stub if you have a CUI directive. Otherwise, it adds a GUI stub.

[jchd]

Correct, but if you use my CW() function posted above, the output always gets sent to a console.

[TheXman]

How to write the output to the console was not the question.  The question was why ...

Edited May 25, 2021 by TheXman

[jchd]

OK I didn't mention myself that AutoIt3 exes were GUI because it was granted in my view.

[JockoDundee]

1 minute ago, TheXman said:

How to write the output to the console was not the question.  The question was why ...

This is true.

Although, tbh, any reasonable way to write to the console from the interpreter is welcome information.

But, yes, I was wondering why...

And to your point that:

9 minutes ago, TheXman said:

AutoIt3.exe and AutoIt3_x64 are actually GUI apps.  When you execute your au3 file using AutoIt3.exe or AutoIt3_x64.exe, you are actually executing it using GUI mode, regardless of the directive.

That's what I assumed, until I considered the case where you use a compiled exe to run a script in interpretive mode.

In that case, even if the compiled script is compiled as a CUI, there is no console write output.

[TheXman]

23 minutes ago, JockoDundee said:

That's what I assumed, until I considered the case where you use a compiled exe to run a script in interpretive mode.

In that case, even if the compiled script is compiled as a CUI, there is no console write output.

That's odd.  I compiled a script that had the CUI=Y directive and the pragma that allows script execution.  I then used that compiled script from a cmd console to execute an au3 file, using the /Autoit3ExecuteScript switch.  The au3 file had several ConsoleWrites and all of them showed up in the cmd console.

[JockoDundee]

34 minutes ago, TheXman said:

That's odd. 

Really?  That's definitely what I was hoping for before I started this discussion.

Let me try again!

 

[JockoDundee]

1 hour ago, TheXman said:

I compiled a script that had the CUI=Y directive and the pragma that allows script execution. 

Yes, it works!

Thanks everyone!

 

 

[JockoDundee]

AutoIt3C.au3/.exe

#pragma compile(Console, True)
#pragma compile(AutoItExecuteAllowed, True)

ConsoleWrite("Usage: AutoIt3C /AutoIt3ExecuteScript file [params...]" &@CRLF)