GUI to replace current DOS batch -base Installer?
DL
branches out to each one procedurely. Though it only requires user
to press a single key of Y to start the installation process I'm
concerned that the DOS dark screen may simply scares users off, so,
how could I turn/compile/convert them into an .exe with Window's
interface for
alert/validation/status update etc? Preferably not to get too
involved...
Thanks in advance.
Don
Frank P. Westlake
news:63bbd845-79a7-4621...@33g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
> My current installer essentially use 10 plus batch files ... requires
> user to press a single key of Y to start the installation process ...
I think you can do thay with a setup information file
(http://www.leeos.com/infdoc.html). I have no experience with this but I'm
sure others here have.
Frank
billious
"DL" <tatat...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:63bbd845-79a7-4621...@33g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
Use the COLOR, TITLE and PROMPT commands to change from a "dark screen",
apply a "friendly" title and establish a prompt of your choosing rather than
the default.
Frank P. Westlake
> I think you can do thay with a setup information file
I was thinking of the Windows Installer and thought perhaps it could be
controlled by the old setup information files (INF), but then I remembered
that the files being used have the MSI extension instead. The Windows
Installer can be controlled with CSCRIPT
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa372865(VS.85).aspx) but I suspect
that this is much more involved then you would like.
You asked if your CMD script files could be converted to binary executables.
Not without a third party utility.
Frank
Matthias Tacke
Marty List wrote a MessageBox.exe
<http://www.optimumx.com/download/MessageBox.zip>
---------------------------
MessageBox
---------------------------
Displays a custom message box and returns the user's
response (which button was pressed) in the exit code.
The syntax of this command is:
MessageBox.exe /C:caption /M:message [/W:seconds] [/T:type] [/T:?]
---------------------------
Nircmd from Nirsoft has some similar options (beside a bunch of others)
<http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html>
----------------------------
Wizard's Apprentice - Add a face to your scripts.
<http://wizapp.sourceforge.net/>
HTH
Matthias
DL
I started bottom up, the third looks quite interesting, however, once
started, it still leave a biggish DOS window there, not desirable,
which should be minimized, any idea? Thanks.
DL
wrote:
Non-executable is also acceptable, as long as there's a GUI ish to
"comfort" the comfy generation...
Frank P. Westlake
news:cdd419e1-5291-4a9d...@v13g2000pro.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 9, 6:57 pm, Matthias Tacke <Matth...@Tacke.de> wrote:
> Wizard's Apprentice - Add a face to your scripts.
> <http://wizapp.sourceforge.net/>
> ... the third looks quite interesting, however, once
> started, it still leave a biggish DOS window there, not
> desirable, which should be minimized...
There are third party tools to hide or minimize the console window, but if
third party tools are acceptable then you might find one to convert your
scripts into a binary executablle.
Frank
Matthias Tacke
For the first I prefer cmdow <http://www.commandline.co.uk>
For the second you might consider AutoIt V3
<http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/>
--
HTH
Regards
Matthias
DL
>
> - Show quoted text -
Thanks, and yet It's unfortunate, the first option of cmdow, it looks
it can do a lot, but all I need in this case is something like START /
MIN rem hide/fold current DOS screen, and that's it, nothing more
needed, it seems to be 30k ish, size-wise, the other thing, and I
think need to figure out how to make Wizapp work with it etc ... am
reluntant to go for this option. On option two, of AutoITscript, I've
already spent a few hours on Wizapp, and getting comfortable with it,
if the author can work with me to make its DOS screen minimized upon
its start, problem resolved, which is a bit odd, the whole point is to
avoid DOS screen, so, I don't understand why he still leave it open
biggish... which could cause confusion to users...
The Wizapp approach seems to have only problem left... while others, I
need to invest quite a bit of time, and still don't know outcome...
Once again thanks for your thoughts...
0x0...@gmail.com
DL
> try this guide:http://0x0309.110mb.com/How-to-Compile-Batch-Script.pdf
Very interesting, compiler-wise, in addition to Dev-C++, would a
similar compiler work as well? Many thanks.
Frank P. Westlake
news:36b6a2b9-7b12-44e0...@f11g2000vbf.googlegroups.com...
> ... in addition to Dev-C++, would a
> similar compiler work as well?
Yes, and not just C (C++ in his example). You could use Visual Basic. Below
is the minimum necessary. The significant differences between this and the
pdf file are that this version does not wait for the script to complete and
it allows the script to be specified on the commandline.
#include <windows.h>
int main(int argc, LPTSTR ptArgv[])
{
if(argc==2)
{
SHELLEXECUTEINFO sei;
ZeroMemory(&sei, sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO));
sei.cbSize= sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
sei.lpVerb= TEXT("open");
sei.lpFile= ptArgv[1];
ShellExecuteEx(&sei);
return(0);
}
return(1);
}
Frank
Frank P. Westlake
news:07dbdcf2-bf9c-4d9f...@w1g2000prk.googlegroups.com...
> http://0x0309.110mb.com/How-to-Compile-Batch-Script.pdf
Just to clarify, this is not a compiled script. The script must still exist
in it's plain text form at the path specified within this program. All this
does is launch the script. But this program does accomplish what some people
want a compiled script for: there is no console window and no output to the
user.
If what you want is to hide the script itself from being viewed, with a text
editor for example, then this is not your solution.
Frank
Herbert Kleebauer
> but all I need in this case is something like START /
> MIN rem hide/fold current DOS screen, and that's it, nothing more
If it's only for w2k+ (and not for Win9x, NT), then you can use a
few lines of assembly program. For 32 bit Windows you can generate
the program dynamically from the batch as in the example below, for
64 bit Windows, you have to provide showwin.exe as separate file.
_________________________________________________________________________
showwin.exe let you minimize/maximize/hide the command window
within a batch program (requires W2k or better).
Usage: showwin.exe number
0 SW_HIDE
Hides the window and activates another window.
1 SW_SHOWNORMAL
Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized or maximized,
the system restores it to its original size and position. An application
should specify this flag when displaying the window for the first time.
2 SW_SHOWMINIMIZED
Activates the window and displays it as a minimized window.
3 SW_MAXIMIZE
Maximizes the specified window.
3 SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED
Activates the window and displays it as a maximized window.
4 SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE
Displays a window in its most recent size and position. This value is
similar to SW_SHOWNORMAL, except the window is not actived.
5 SW_SHOW
Activates the window and displays it in its current size and position.
6 SW_MINIMIZE
Minimizes the specified window and activates the next top-level window
in the Z order.
7 SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE
Displays the window as a minimized window. This value is similar to
SW_SHOWMINIMIZED, except the window is not activated.
8 SW_SHOWNA
Displays the window in its current size and position. This value is
similar to SW_SHOW, except the window is not activated.
9 SW_RESTORE
Activates and displays the window. If the window is minimized or maximized,
the system restores it to its original size and position. An application
should specify this flag when restoring a minimized window.
10 SW_SHOWDEFAULT
Sets the show state based on the SW_ value specified in the STARTUPINFO
structure passed to the CreateProcess function by the program that
started the application.
11 SW_FORCEMINIMIZE
Windows 2000/XP: Minimizes a window, even if the thread that owns the
window is not responding. This flag should only be used when minimizing
windows from a different thread.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A simple example:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
@echo off
echo hD1X-s0P_kUHP0UxGWX4ax1y1ieimnfeinklddmemkjanmndnadmndnpbbn>showwin.com
echo hhpbbnpljhoxolnhaigidpllnbkdnhlkfhlflefblffahfUebdfahhfkokh>>showwin.com
echo wvPp0wfV2k9C5/R/pN0d0ujV27bwo1Yi5CEWtbGov5//B6mkuMEo0IL0l/w>>showwin.com
echo ef2iC57R/pNEA/jeefHhC5AR/pNEA/juefXgC5ER/phCfDM@m042knfuurO>>showwin.com
echo k0GEV4Bd4M03U337lzzT/M0MF0/NV7U9V2Tcf2/EP1B61i0kInVsIOXJ57o>>showwin.com
echo x57hJKNo0mQjpKNWx5Nt0mRcx57dB67nFLOgl57pBLOiR573xoIgoU1WJ6R>>showwin.com
echo UUKOn01QmxqNm4KPU7LNlJLOmJqQUQJOiBXAioU1Y//I4R/H03//EZLdqMl>>showwin.com
echo 0U2k20gE/4k//1MF172V3E707I/o0E7V/6IU45EU46/W31MF02M00EQ/3I/>>showwin.com
echo l0EMF0EMV1M/l0wMlIEQ/5KcV@oJ5So8V80703G7U31MF2UQ/sKw2OEMF0I>>showwin.com
echo 1l0a1l0u1V44/53KY/JE7036E73KYUREQ/1EMF4JBJFGBXAiE5PgR/OEMl0>>showwin.com
echo HVqPrRJOiFqPrRkG48ZH4loAms1Nglq0I1l0a1l0u1V46QINoBoPhpKMiF5>>showwin.com
echo HdtKN08lFZFrEjtqQjlKNLZaPYxqRII3SdF6ImxqMZBrQ/wT47/0E/3Xo70>>showwin.com
echo 3Us//RF/7CWIb/r@R1GLrv/W27pdCElMTj47l2q10E77BRH/cuk7rw/eT1r>>showwin.com
echo tyOqfE/K6HvfLS1hHb/8uyzJk/3/0UJExT4//0E/c5/zL03E/Y4O2Y4....>>showwin.com
showwin.com>showwin.exe
del showwin.com
dir
:: wait 4 seconds
ping -n 4 localhost >nul
:: hide window
showwin.exe 0
dir /b
:: wait 4 seconds
ping -n 4 localhost >nul
:: show window
showwin.exe 5
:: wait 4 seconds
ping -n 4 localhost >nul
del showwin.exe
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The source code:
winmain::
jsr.l (GetCommandLine)
; skip program name
eor.l r1,r1 ; not within "" flag
dec.l r0
_20: inc.l r0
cmp.b #0,(r0)
beq.b _10
cmp.b #'"',(r0)
bne.b _30
not.l r1
_30: or.l r1,r1
bne.b _20
cmp.b #' ',(r0)
bne.b _20
inc.l r0
_10: eor.l r5,r5
move.l #5,r4 ; default: SW_SHOW
_50: movu.bl (r0),r1
inc.l r0
or.b r1,r1
beq.b _40
sub.b #'0',r1
bcs.b _50
cmp.b #9,r1
bhi.b _50
mulsq.l #10,r5,r5
add.l r1,r5
eor.l r4,r4
br.b _50
_40: or.l r4,r4
beq.b _60
move.l r4,r5
_60: jsr.l (GetConsoleWindow)
move.l r5,-(sp)
move.l r0,-(sp)
jsr.l (ShowWindow)
moveq.l #0,-(sp)
jsr.l (ExitProcess) ; exit program
Matthias Tacke
> showwin.exe let you minimize/maximize/hide the command window
> within a batch program (requires W2k or better).
>
> Usage: showwin.exe number
>
> 0 SW_HIDE
> Hides the window and activates another window.
>
> 1 SW_SHOWNORMAL
> Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized or maximized,
> the system restores it to its original size and position. An application
> should specify this flag when displaying the window for the first time.
>
another "Kleebauer Special", I like it.
Of course I don't delete it. This one stays in my toolbox.
:: ShowWin-Demo.cmd
@echo off
set Hide=0&set Show=1&set "Wait4secs=ping -n 4 localhost >nul"
cls
dir
ShowWin %Hide%
dir /b
%Wait4secs%
ShowWin %Show%
%Wait4secs%
--
Regards
Matthias
DL
wrote:
"no console window and no output to the user. " would be fine with me,
questions, "if(argc==2)" seems to suggest your program are looking for
two arguments: bat script path and fileName? Also, are they being
called during compilation process? thanks.
DL
Cool. I have some info and more questions. My supported OS would be
XP and Vista only (32bit). Here the term, Window, you meant, GUI
Window, not DOS screen, yes? If yes, how does your top section,
batch or cmd script interface with the assemble code, for the latter,
do I save them into a separate winmain.asm something file in the same
location? Many thanks.
Herbert Kleebauer
> > If it's only for w2k+ (and not for Win9x, NT), then you can use a
> > few lines of assembly program. For 32 bit Windows you can generate
> > the program dynamically from the batch as in the example below, for
> > 64 bit Windows, you have to provide showwin.exe as separate file.
> >
> > ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> > @echo off
> > echo hD1X-s0P_kUHP0UxGWX4ax1y1ieimnfeinklddmemkjanmndnadmndnpbbn>showwin.com
> > echo hhpbbnpljhoxolnhaigidpllnbkdnhlkfhlflefblffahfUebdfahhfkokh>>showwin.com
> > echo wvPp0wfV2k9C5/R/pN0d0ujV27bwo1Yi5CEWtbGov5//B6mkuMEo0IL0l/w>>showwin.com
> > echo ef2iC57R/pNEA/jeefHhC5AR/pNEA/juefXgC5ER/phCfDM@m042knfuurO>>showwin.com
> > echo k0GEV4Bd4M03U337lzzT/M0MF0/NV7U9V2Tcf2/EP1B61i0kInVsIOXJ57o>>showwin.com
> > echo x57hJKNo0mQjpKNWx5Nt0mRcx57dB67nFLOgl57pBLOiR573xoIgoU1WJ6R>>showwin.com
> > echo UUKOn01QmxqNm4KPU7LNlJLOmJqQUQJOiBXAioU1Y//I4R/H03//EZLdqMl>>showwin.com
> > echo 0U2k20gE/4k//1MF172V3E707I/o0E7V/6IU45EU46/W31MF02M00EQ/3I/>>showwin.com
> > echo l0EMF0EMV1M/l0wMlIEQ/5KcV@oJ5So8V80703G7U31MF2UQ/sKw2OEMF0I>>showwin.com
> > echo 1l0a1l0u1V44/53KY/JE7036E73KYUREQ/1EMF4JBJFGBXAiE5PgR/OEMl0>>showwin.com
> > echo HVqPrRJOiFqPrRkG48ZH4loAms1Nglq0I1l0a1l0u1V46QINoBoPhpKMiF5>>showwin.com
> > echo HdtKN08lFZFrEjtqQjlKNLZaPYxqRII3SdF6ImxqMZBrQ/wT47/0E/3Xo70>>showwin.com
> > echo 3Us//RF/7CWIb/r@R1GLrv/W27pdCElMTj47l2q10E77BRH/cuk7rw/eT1r>>showwin.com
> > echo tyOqfE/K6HvfLS1hHb/8uyzJk/3/0UJExT4//0E/c5/zL03E/Y4O2Y4....>>showwin.com
> >
> > showwin.com>showwin.exe
> > del showwin.com
> Cool. I have some info and more questions. My supported OS would be
> XP and Vista only (32bit). Here the term, Window, you meant, GUI
> Window, not DOS screen, yes? If yes, how does your top section,
> batch or cmd script interface with the assemble code, for the latter,
> do I save them into a separate winmain.asm something file in the same
> location? Many thanks.
Sorry, but I don't understand your question. showwin.exe is a simple
32 bit Windows console application which allows you to specify the appearance
of the console window (hide/minimize/maximize.....). Just store showwin.exe
somewhere on your hard disk and use it. It should run on any 32 and 64 bit
Windows >= Win2k (Win2k, XP, Vista). If you don't trust the binary, take
a look at the few lines of assembly source code and assembly it yourself
to generate the binary showwin.exe. In 32 bit Windows there is an alternative
to copying showwin.exe to your hard disk: you can dynamically generate the
exe when executing the batch (this way you don't have to worry about
the existence of the exe when executing the batch). The echo lines above
generate a file "showwin.com" which is a 16 bit DOS program written with
CPU opcodes in the printable ASCII range only. When this program is executed,
it writes the binary code of showwin.exe to stdout. Because 64 bit Windows
(at least currently) can't execute 16 bit code, this trick doesn't work
in 64 Windows. But you always can just copy the showwin.exe to a 64 bit
Windows and it should work. But I find it much easier to just have to copy
a single batch file and not also additional utilities used in the batch.
Frank P. Westlake
news:ddeed1bf-6370-4bbd...@v38g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
"if(argc==2)" seems to suggest your program are looking for
two arguments: bat script path and fileName? Also, are they being
called during compilation process?
'argc' identifies the number of tokens on the command line, including the
command name. So 'argc' will always be at least '1'.
The second token is the first parameter, which in this case must be the path
and name of the script to be run. It is a runtime partameter. So if you
compile the code to a program named 'launch.exe' you would run it as
launch C:\scripts\install.cmd
This program will launch anything that can be launched by double-clicking:
*.exe, *.txt, *.cmd, *.html, etc. But when launched most of these things
will be hidden and inaccessable. For example, if you launch a text file it
will be opened by notepad.exe but you will not see it. You can see that
notepad is running in taskmgr.exe, tasklist.exe, or some other rask listing
proogram. I had to kill three notepads while testing this, but an HTML file
did get opened into a web browser that had already been running.
Frank
DL
Path problem, the compiled executable is looking in %TEMP% directory
for the tiny.exe file instead of the current directory whatever that
is.
DL
>
> - Show quoted text -
I completely see what you mean now, and just tried it out, but it's
again a DOS session, similar to my current installer, sorry the
purpose of my original post was misconstrued. I want a GUI Window or
no DOS screen.
Herbert Kleebauer
>
> I completely see what you mean now, and just tried it out, but it's
> again a DOS session, similar to my current installer, sorry the
> purpose of my original post was misconstrued. I want a GUI Window or
> no DOS screen.
I again don't understand you. I didn't post any installer but just
a simple program "showwin.exe". If you execute this program at the
start of your batch program:
showwin.exe 0
then the cmd window ("DOS session") of your installer is hidden (even in
the task bar) until you show it again with:
showwin.exe 5
Frank P. Westlake
news:d37f1a5c-9282-438d...@t7g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
> Path problem, the compiled executable...
What is the compiled executable? Did you compile the code I posted? I'll
assume the name of the resulting executable is 'a.exe'.
> ... is looking in %TEMP% directory for the tiny.exe file ...
This doesn't make sense. 'a.exe' could be named 'tiny.exe', but then it
shouldn't be looking for itself, unless you ran 'a tiny.exe'. And you
shouldn't do that.
'a.exe', or 'tiny.exe' if that is what you named the compiled program, is
intended to be used to begin your series of ten install scripts. I'll assume
your first installed script is named 'install.bat'. you set that to run on
the destination computer as
a install.bat
It might be necessary to create a whole new batch file just to do that one
thing. I don't know what you are doing over there so I can't say. You might,
for example, have a logon script that runs your ten scripts. Your logon
script would then have that line above ('a install.bat') somewhere in it.
When your logon script gets to that line it begins the install process in a
hidden window and simultaneously continues to the end of the logon script.
> ...instead of the current directory whatever that is.
Is it giving you some type of error report that says it can't find
'tiny.exe' in '%TEMP%'? Perhaps you are correctly launching a batch script
with the executable -- is that script then changing to %TEMP% and calling
'tiny.exe'? It shouldn't. As shown above, the executable is used to call
your installation scripts which need not know anything about the executable.
Frank
Frank P. Westlake
news:b0ecd2b8-0540-438d...@r15g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
> look this idea ...
Th idea, I think, is to embed the script in the executable so that it cannot
be read as text in the binary. but it can. He creates the script in the
source as
int file[]={0x40,0x65,0x63,0x68,0x6f,...
Which accomplishes the the exact same thing as
int file[]={'@','e','c','h','o',...
Which accomplishes the same thing as
int file[]="@echo..."
In all cases the text can be read easily in the binary, so what he has
accomplished is to hide the text from the programmer, not from the user.
I don't think his intent is to be malicious.
Frank
Frank P. Westlake
> Which accomplishes the same thing as
>
> int file[]="@echo..."
Oops. I neglected to change the data types.
He creates the script in the source as
int file[]={0x40,0x65,0x63,0x68,0x6f,...
Which accomplishes the the exact same thing as
char *file[]={'@','e','c','h','o',...
Which accomplishes the same thing as
char *file="@echo..."
Stored as integers it is a little more difficult to read, and on
little-endian machines it will be harder, but it is still plain text. I
loaded the binary into 'PAGE.EXE /A' (refresh) and read the the script as
normal text.
Frank
DL
I was able to compile your code first into 16bit com then turn it into
32bit showwin.exe yesterday. But today the process went through with
a hitch, however, execution of the showwin.exe failed, XP OS
complained that "It's not a valid 32bit Application" on two XP
machines. Any idea? Thanks.
REM create showwin 32bit executable
@echo off
echo hD1X-
Herbert Kleebauer
> On Mar 11, 1:05 pm, Herbert Kleebauer <k...@unibwm.de> wrote:
> > I again don't understand you. I didn't post any installer but just
> > a simple program "showwin.exe". If you execute this program at the
> > start of your batch program:
> >
> > showwin.exe 0
> >
> > then the cmd window ("DOS session") of your installer is hidden (even in
> > the task bar) until you show it again with:
> >
> > showwin.exe 5
>
> I was able to compile your code first into 16bit com then turn it into
> 32bit showwin.exe yesterday. But today the process went through with
> a hitch, however, execution of the showwin.exe failed, XP OS
> complained that "It's not a valid 32bit Application" on two XP
> machines. Any idea? Thanks.
>
> REM create showwin 32bit executable
> @echo off
> echo hD1X-
> s0P_kUHP0UxGWX4ax1y1ieimnfeinklddmemkjanmndnadmndnpbbn>showwin.com
> echo
> hhpbbnpljhoxolnhaigidpllnbkdnhlkfhlflefblffahfUebdfahhfkokh>>showwin.com
I hope all the line wraps occurred when you posted the code
and not when you saved it (otherwise no wonder that it doesn't
work). Anyhow, here is a zip file which contains the source, the
binary and the batch for showwin.exe:
DL
>
> - Show quoted text -
Your zipped executable works, No, the line wrap was google
newsgroup's misbehavior, were I that aweful where to begin to write a
program, am testing the whole process with your neat little code
now... will update ... many thanks.
DL
>
> - Show quoted text -
Full installation on a XP-based netbook suceeded, I'm deeply
grateful. Next two questions or possibly last two questions in a
row,
a) VER coupled with FIND can be used to detect XP machine, would it
work for Vista as well?;
b) How to detect current OS's process bit, 32 vs. 64?
Much obliged,
Don
Chunshen Li
DL
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Full installation on a XP-based netbook suceeded, I'm deeply
> grateful. Next two questions or possibly last two questions in a
> row,
> a) VER coupled with FIND can be used to detect XP machine, would it
> work for Vista as well?;
> b) How to detect current OS's process bit, 32 vs. 64?
>
> Much obliged,
>
> Don
>
> - Show quoted text -
Last two questions answered with a bit of research, cross your fingers
for real world installations of the package... thks.