stdoutread problems

[Ixel]

Let me apologize in advance for my poor AutoIt skills. I am running a command in a DOS window and trying to get AutoIT to stream the output to a window while the process is still running. Here is my code (just test code):

$foo = Run(@ComSpec & " /c imagex /scroll /apply e:\jmuxpai\winxp091606.wim 1 c:","","",2)
While 1
    $line = StdoutRead($foo)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    msgbox(0,"test",StdoutRead($foo))
    sleep(100)      
Wend
msgbox(0,"test","engaging 2nd loop")
While 1
    $line = StderrRead($foo)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    MsgBox(0, "STDERR read:", $line)
Wend

MsgBox(0, "Debug", "Exiting...")

The command shows on the console...

Progress 1%

Progress 2%

Progress 3%

etc.

Basically I'm trying to get the progress percent to show in a window (was planning on using splashtext or progresson); however, I can't get the a read on the progress until imagex completes. By then the progress is 100%. This also does not work redirecting output to a file (i.e. imagex > imagex.txt). So it seems like stdoutread does not show anything until the command completes. Is there a way around this?

[jokke]

First off you have "While 1" two times so script wont get to your second script until you stop the first, i would love to explain how but i dont have the time right now, but i can answer it inn the morning.

Dunno if im totaly wrong now, i might be though since im on my way to town

[/dev/null]

Basically I'm trying to get the progress percent to show in a window (was planning on using splashtext or progresson); however, I can't get the a read on the progress until imagex completes. By then the progress is 100%. This also does not work redirecting output to a file (i.e. imagex > imagex.txt). So it seems like stdoutread does not show anything until the command completes. Is there a way around this?

Try to add the second parameter to StdoutRead(). It's the number of characters to read at once. So in your case:

$line = StdoutRead($foo,13) ;

From help file:

StdoutRead

The optional second parameter tells StdoutRead to read count characters from the stream. If fewer than count characters are available, StdoutRead returns a string of all the characters that are available at that time. If the function is called with no second argument or a second argument of less than zero, StdoutRead assumes you that you wish to read the maximum number of characters and returns a string of all the characters that are available (up to 64kb in a single read).

Not sure if that helps (i cannot test at the moment), but it's worth a try...

Cheers

Kurt

Edited October 5, 2006 by /dev/null

[jokke]

try this:

$foo = Run(@ComSpec & " /c imagex /scroll /apply e:\jmuxpai\winxp091606.wim 1 c:","","",2)
While 1
    $line = StdoutRead($foo)
    If (@error) = 1 Then ExitLoop
         msgbox(0,"test",StdoutRead($foo))
         sleep(100)   
         msgbox(0,"test","engaging 2nd loop")
    EndIf
    
    $line = StderrRead($foo)
    If (@error) = 1 Then ExitLoop
         MsgBox(0, "STDERR read:", $line)
    EndIf
Wend

MsgBox(0, "Debug", "Exiting...")

Just edit "(@error) = 1" to what ever error value you are looking for.

Edited October 5, 2006 by jokke

[/dev/null]

try this:

$foo = Run(@ComSpec & " /c imagex /scroll /apply e:\jmuxpai\winxp091606.wim 1 c:","","",2)
While 1
    $line = StdoutRead($foo)
    If (@error) = 1 Then ExitLoop
         msgbox(0,"test",StdoutRead($foo))
         sleep(100)   
         msgbox(0,"test","engaging 2nd loop")
    EndIf
    
    $line = StderrRead($foo)
    If (@error) = 1 Then ExitLoop
         MsgBox(0, "STDERR read:", $line)
    EndIf
Wend

MsgBox(0, "Debug", "Exiting...")

Just edit "(@error) = 1" to what ever error value you are looking for.

erm.... did you ever try to run your "code"???

Cheers

Kurt

[jokke]

No i didn't.

As stated earlier im on my way to town, and i might have drinken 1 or 2 many drinks

[Ixel]

@jokke and /dev/null

Thanks for your help on this. I don't see the issue being the use of two while statements. The first msgbox does not even show until imagex completes. I am positive about this--hence the reason I want to see a message when the 2nd loop was engaged. I tried using the second parameter on stdoutread (set it to 10)--it still won't show anything until imagex completes. jokke, I am not sure what you were trying to show me in your sample script as it contains a few errors (i.e. endif statements). Again, I apologize if I appear totally lost on this.

Thanks,

Ixel

[/dev/null]

basically it works, see code below. So it could be a "problem" with your application...

Runner.bat

@echo off
echo Progress 1%
sleep 2
echo Progress 2%
sleep 2
echo Progress 3%
sleep 2
echo Progress 4%
sleep 2
echo Progress 5%
sleep 2
echo Progress 6%
sleep 2
echo Progress 7%
sleep 2
echo Progress 8%
sleep 2
echo Progress 9%
sleep 2
echo Progress 10%

sleep.exe is part of the Ressource Kit Tools!!

AU3 Script

$foo = Run(@ComSpec & " /c c:\temp\runner.bat","C:\temp\",@SW_HIDE,2)
While 1
    $line = StdoutRead($foo)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    msgbox(0,"test",$line,1)
    sleep(100)   
Wend
msgbox(0,"test","engaging 2nd loop")

Cheers

Kurt

[PsaltyDS]

Do it this way to get ALL the output:

$foo = Run(@ComSpec & " /c c:\temp\runner.bat", "C:\temp\", @SW_HIDE, 2+4) ; handles to STDOUT and STDERR
$OutLine = ""
$ErrLine = ""
While 1
    $OutLine &= StdOutRead($foo)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    $ErrLine &= StdErrRead($foo)
    If @error Then ExitLoop
    sleep(10)   
Wend
msgbox(0,"Results","STDOUT: " & $OutLine & @CRLF & "ERROUT: " & $ErrLine)

Edited October 5, 2006 by PsaltyDS

[Ixel]

@/dev/null

I think I agree with you that there is something different about the program I am running and therefore why I am having problems with the output.

@psaltyds

Yes that code does work and shows everything, but I would need the msgbox (or splashtexton or progressset) to be in the while loop and updated as output in the DOS window is updated. That's what I can't get working.

Caio,

Ixel

[/dev/null]

@/dev/null

I think I agree with you that there is something different about the program I am running and therefore why I am having problems with the output.

Maybe your prorgam writes to STDERR and not STDOUT. StdoutRead() will then block until the program quits. Can you redirect the output of your program with > at the DOS prompt? If so, it writes to STDOUT. If not, it writes to STDERR.

Cheers

Kurt

[Ixel]

Maybe your prorgam writes to STDERR and not STDOUT. StdoutRead() will then block until the program quits. Can you redirect the output of your program with > at the DOS prompt? If so, it writes to STDOUT. If not, it writes to STDERR.

Cheers

Kurt

I can but the file remains blank until imagex completes. There must be some way to capture real-time DOS output from this program and throw it back to a GUI.

Edited October 6, 2006 by Ixel

[/dev/null]

I can but the file remains blank until imagex completes. There must be some way to capture real-time DOS output from this program and throw it back to a GUI.

BTW: Are you running your script on Windows Vista (imagex seems to be a new tool for Vista)??

If yes, then you should have mentioned that! Could have saved us quite some time. The behaviour of Windows Vista could have changed regarding the handling of STDOUT in the DOS box. Then there is no way for AutoIT to capture the Output, especially if even the DOS box can output the whole text only after the tool has been terminated.

Cheers

Kurt

Edited October 6, 2006 by /dev/null

[Ixel]

BTW: Are you running your script on Windows Vista (imagex seems to be a new tool for Vista)??

If yes, then you should have mentioned that! Could have saved us quite some time. The behaviour of Windows Vista could have changed regarding the handling of STDOUT in the DOS box. Then there is no way for AutoIT to capture the Output, especially if even the DOS box can output the whole text only after the tool has been terminated.

Cheers

Kurt

Yes, you're right. It is a Vista deployment tool and it is still in beta. They have updated the beta to run in Windows XP, which is the platform I am using. Actually, I am running it in a PE environment which is handling STDOUT fine on other scripts. It is like the tool is buffering STDOUT stream before it is redirected. Yet, I clearly see the progress update on the dos window from 1 to 100%. Again, I know little about how to use AutoIt and even less (next to zero) about programming so my understanding of the whole thing could be way off.

[/dev/null]

Yes, you're right. It is a Vista deployment tool and it is still in beta. They have updated the beta to run in Windows XP, which is the platform I am using. Actually, I am running it in a PE environment which is handling STDOUT fine on other scripts. It is like the tool is buffering STDOUT stream before it is redirected. Yet, I clearly see the progress update on the dos window from 1 to 100%. Again, I know little about how to use AutoIt and even less (next to zero) about programming so my understanding of the whole thing could be way off.

O.K., what happens if you omit "/scroll" (in the DOS box and with AutoIT)??

Cheers

Kurt

[PsaltyDS]

Maybe your prorgam writes to STDERR and not STDOUT. StdoutRead() will then block until the program quits. Can you redirect the output of your program with > at the DOS prompt? If so, it writes to STDOUT. If not, it writes to STDERR.

Cheers

Kurt

Just for general trivia's sake, if you redirect with "2>&1" on a Windows commandline, STDERR is routed to STDOUT and goes wherever STDOUT is going.

[Ixel]

O.K., what happens if you omit "/scroll" (in the DOS box and with AutoIT)??

Cheers

Kurt

I get the same results, except that the final stdoutread shows no progress increments.

[PsaltyDS]

@psaltyds

Yes that code does work and shows everything, but I would need the msgbox (or splashtexton or progressset) to be in the while loop and updated as output in the DOS window is updated. That's what I can't get working.

You didn't say if the text showed up on the STDOUT or STDERR line of the message box in my example. Part of the point in using seperate variables to capture the two was to see which got what output.

Anyway, you can parse the output in the string within the loop to update anything else you want. I would start with copying it to a SplashText box or ToolTip, just to see when it comes up:

$foo = Run(@ComSpec & " /c c:\temp\runner.bat", "C:\temp\", @SW_HIDE, 2+4) ; handles to STDOUT and STDERR
$OutMsg = ""
$ErrMsg = ""
$Done = False
While 1
    $OutLine = StdOutRead($foo)
    If @error Then $Done = True
    $OutMsg &= $OutLine
    
    $ErrLine = StdErrRead($foo)
    If @error Then $Done = True
    $ErrMsg &= $ErrLine

    If $Done Then ExitLoop
    $SplashMsg = "STDOUT: " & $OutMsg & @CRLF & "ERROUT: " & $ErrMsg
    SplashTextOn("Output Progress", $SplashMsg, 400, 400, @DesktopWidth - 450, 450)
    sleep(10)   
Wend
msgbox(0,"Results","STDOUT: " & $OutLine & @CRLF & "ERROUT: " & $ErrLine)

This way will make it clear if you are getting the update as the program runs, or just all at once when it's done. It also shows doing something with the text inside the loop, so you can modify that part to update a progress bar or something.

[Ixel]

You didn't say if the text showed up on the STDOUT or STDERR line of the message box in my example. Part of the point in using seperate variables to capture the two was to see which got what output.

Anyway, you can parse the output in the string within the loop to update anything else you want. I would start with copying it to a SplashText box or ToolTip, just to see when it comes up:

$foo = Run(@ComSpec & " /c c:\temp\runner.bat", "C:\temp\", @SW_HIDE, 2+4) ; handles to STDOUT and STDERR
$OutMsg = ""
$ErrMsg = ""
$Done = False
While 1
    $OutLine = StdOutRead($foo)
    If @error Then $Done = True
    $OutMsg &= $OutLine
    
    $ErrLine = StdErrRead($foo)
    If @error Then $Done = True
    $ErrMsg &= $ErrLine

    If $Done Then ExitLoop
    $SplashMsg = "STDOUT: " & $OutMsg & @CRLF & "ERROUT: " & $ErrMsg
    SplashTextOn("Output Progress", $SplashMsg, 400, 400, @DesktopWidth - 450, 450)
    sleep(10)   
Wend
msgbox(0,"Results","STDOUT: " & $OutLine & @CRLF & "ERROUT: " & $ErrLine)

This way will make it clear if you are getting the update as the program runs, or just all at once when it's done. It also shows doing something with the text inside the loop, so you can modify that part to update a progress bar or something.

Well, I was pretty confident that the program was writing to STDOUT based on some earlier discussion. To be positive, I ran with your code and the program shows the text on STDOUT, all at once, after the program finishes running. It's starting to sound like this program handles STDOUT in a different manner than most other commandline programs.

[PsaltyDS]

Well, I was pretty confident that the program was writing to STDOUT based on some earlier discussion. To be positive, I ran with your code and the program shows the text on STDOUT, all at once, after the program finishes running. It's starting to sound like this program handles STDOUT in a different manner than most other commandline programs.

From your original post:

The command shows on the console...

Progress 1%

Progress 2%

Progress 3%

etc.

Basically I'm trying to get the progress percent to show in a window (was planning on using splashtext or progresson)

Did that orinially mean you saw "Progess 1%" thru "Progress 100%" show suddenly after the program completed? If not, does "shows on the console" mean you opened a CMD window, ran it, and saw that progress there while it was running? This is ceasing to make sense...