Develop Reference

Getting AttributeError While Trying to Use GetTriple() in LLDB Python

When I try to use the script from afl-unicorn I get the error below when I try to run it:
AttributeError("'NoneType' object has no attribute 'GetTriple'")
Related line is arch, arch_vendor, arch_os = lldb.target.GetTriple().split('-') but it works when I just type lldb.target.GetTriple() on interactive console. I don't know why it does not work when importing as comments in the script states.
I tried to add the script as a command later by doing command script add dumper -f unicorn_dumper_lldb but this throws error: unable to execute script function; so that didn't work.
Any idea why?

The error message is because lldb.target is None. To understand why this is so, see the couple of paragraphs in this section of the lldb Python reference after the table:
https://lldb.llvm.org/use/python-reference.html#embedded-python-interpreter
The lldb.target, etc variables are only defined when running in the embedded script interpreter. It doesn't make sense to use a global "selected target" in general purpose scripting, since lldb supports more than one target at a time, and you have no way of knowing that the currently selected target will be the one you want to operate on.
To work properly, the script will have to figure out how to pass the target it intends to work on around within the script.

Please help me run a Python script from Excel 365 VBA on a Mac Mini running Big Sur

My first question on this subject was closed for not being specific enough so I'll try to tell you what I have tried so far that hasn't worked. I'm trying to move Excel 2010 workbooks to my new Mac mini Big Sur machine using Office 365. It is my first Mac so I am very new to the operating system and the differences from the Microsoft world. It is also the first time I'm using Office 365. I am hopeful you will be kind enough to help me. In my VBA macros I run Python scripts to scrape web pages for data. Usually I have the Python script create a .csv file which I then open in the VBA macro to read and populate the necessary cells in the workbook. This is the code I use in the PC version to call the Python script:
Kill strFileOfData
Set objWsh = VBA.CreateObject("WScript.shell")
strPython = """C:\Users\Phil\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37-32\python.exe"""
strPyScript = """C:\Users\Phil\Documents\PyScripts\GetMarketsStks1-0.py"""
objWsh.Run strPython & strPyScript
Err = 0
Do Until Dir(StrFileOfData) <> 0
Application.Wait (Now() + TimeValue("0:00:01"))
Loop
It may not be the best but it works reliably on the PC. I delete the data file first, run the Python script, wait for the data file to be created, then continue.
I installed the latest version of Python on the Mac and rewrote the Python script to get more data and ran the Python script on Terminal to make sure it executed properly. It ran fine and created the .csv file correctly.
I then changed the code in the VBA macro to account for the different file structures. This is the new code:
Kill strFileOfData
Set objWsh = VBA.CreateObject("WScript.shell")
strPython = """/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Python"""
strPyScript = """/Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py"""
objWsh.Run strPython & strPyScript
Err = 0
Do Until Dir(StrFileOfData) <> 0
Application.Wait (Now() + TimeValue("0:00:01"))
Loop
When I run this on the Mac I get:
Run-Time error '429': ActiveX component can't create object
Suspecting this was a difference in the way shells are created and used I began researching how to call Python from Excel on the Mac. After considerable dead ends I found this thread from 4 years ago:
How can I launch an external python process from Excel 365 VBA on OSX?
I tried to simply plow ahead and follow the instructions. I learned a bit about AppleScript, added the folder: "~/Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.Excel/", created the AppleScript named PythonCommand.scpt and placed it in that folder. Since I couldn't find the path in the example I substituted what I thought to be the correct path, assuming it was due to the difference in MacOS from 4 years ago. My AppleScript looks like this:
on PythonCommand(pythonScript)
do shell script "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Python" & pythonScript
end PythonCommand
I then added this code to the VBA macro:
strPyScript = """/Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py"""
Dim result As String
result = AppleScriptTask("PythonCommand.scpt", "PythonCommand", strPyScript)
When I ran the VBA macro. I got this message:
Run-time error '13': Type mismatch
I tried it again with single quotes instead of the triple quotes and got the same result.
I tried to work backward to make sure the pieces worked. I again ran the Python script from a Terminal window with no problem so the next step I tried was running the AppleScript from IDLE. I typed in this:
AppleScriptTask("PythonCommand.scpt", "PythonCommand","/Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py")
and got this result:
Traceback (most recent call last): File "<pyshell#0>", line 1, in
AppleScriptTask("PythonCommand.scpt", "PythonCommand","/Users/minime/My Documents/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py") NameError: name 'AppleScriptTask'
is not defined
After more research I tried this AppleScript in the editor:
do shell script "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/Python /Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py"
I got this result:
error "sh: /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/Python:
cannot execute binary file" number 126
Next I tried this:
do shell script "Python /Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py"
and got this:
error "Traceback (most recent call last):
File \"/Users/philipackermann/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py\", line 2, in <module>
from urllib.request import urlopen
ImportError: No module named request" number 1
This might actually be some progress! That import statement is the first line of code in my Python script but I have no clue why this got further than the last attempt and why this is running differently than the execution of the Python script in Terminal.
But I just noticed that in Terminal I enter Python3 so I tried this:
do shell script "Python3 /Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py"
and got a pop up with a script error:
and this:
After more reading about Terminal I realized there are hidden files on the Mac so I tried this AppleScript:
do shell script "/usr/local/bin/Python3 /Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/GetHistory1-0.py"
And it worked!! The .csv file is created successfully. So now I need to figure out how to call this from Excel. I found an article here:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38723420/how-to-simply-run-an-applescript-task-from-mac-excel-2016
That actually works. I converted the AppleScript into an app (just changed the extension from scpt to app) and moved it to the Applications folder, then put this code into the VBA macro:
ThisWorkbook.FollowHyperlink Address:="/Applications/RunGetHistory.app", NewWindow:=True
This worked! Of course it isn't passing any arguments or receiving any results. One issue though, like my previous PC version, the code doesn't wait for the app to finish so I need a way to check for it to be done and since I changed the Python Script to open the file in the beginning and write lines to it while scraping the web pages the file is created right away so this code which I was using in the PC version isn't sufficient:
Do Until Dir(strFileNmHistory) <> ""
Application.Wait (Now() + TimeValue("0:00:01"))
Loop
I suppose I could add a separate file written at the end of the Python script just to say it's done but that's a pretty lame hack. So technically I guess I could say I solved this and CAN run a Python script from Excel but I have to believe there is a better way and I'm sure this community has folks much smarter than me who can make this better. Has anyone been able to get the solution from 4 years ago to work? That might solve the problems of arguments, results, and waiting for the Python script to end. Any suggestions you can make would be most helpful. I have researched this issue extensively and some answers said that sandboxing is preventing Excel from running Python but if we can run an app that runs the Python script I guess that gets around it. If you can comment on the specific errors I encountered above I'll try different approaches and report back.
Please help.
Phil

SOLVED! ...and I learned a lot along the way! I'll try to lay out only the steps needed to make this work but I do tend to ramble, sorry. One issue that made this harder than it needed to be was a simple one: I was missing a space in the "do shell script" statement of the AppleScript. Here is the VBA code that works for me:
Result = AppleScriptTask("PythonCommand.scpt", "PythonCommandHandler", "/Users/minime/MyDocuments/Finance/PythonScripts/GetHistory1-0.py")
Here is the AppleScript code:
on PythonCommandHandler(pythonScript)
do shell script "/usr/local/bin/Python3 " & pythonScript
return "Handler succeeded! " & pythonScript
end PythonCommandHandler
Note the space after "Python3". Create the AppleScript in a convenient folder and copy it to
"/Users/minime/Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.Excel"
Trying to edit it in that folder is problematic, trust me. Move it there.
The Python script can be anywhere as long as you give the path in the AppleScriptTask command in the VBA code.
Be sure all references to .csv files point to an Excel sandbox folder. I used this one but I suspect others would work too:
"/Users/minime/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Documents"
See notes below if you can't find this folder. This worked on 7/1/2021! We'll see what happens when the new OS X comes out. The call to AppleScriptTask waits for the full execution of the Python script before continuing. I haven't figured out a good way to handle errors in the Python script yet.
Here are some notes on important things I learned along the way that might be helpful for first time Mac users like myself:
CHANGE YOUR VBA EDITOR FONT. Ok, not really necessary but the default font for the VBA editor on the Mac Excel 365 version I'm using was not a proportional font so things like the "as" part of the Dim statements wouldn't line up for me. Minor maybe but a big annoyance easily solved: In the editor, click the word "Excel" in the Menu Bar (the top row of words and icons.) Click "Preferences" and a window will pop up with the title "Options". Click the "Editor Format" tab and select "Courier New" from the "Font:" drop down. I changed the "Size:" to 16. Oh and by the way, "Command, shift, i" will step you through the VBA code like F8 does on the PC.
PUT SOME OF THE FILES IN THE SANDBOX. A word about the "sandbox" which I'm sure others could explain better than I. To improve security the sandbox concept is supposed to restrict the code from executing something outside it's expected area: e.g. you wouldn't want an error in your code (or malicious code) to change some system settings that had nothing to do with what you intended. I get that. Good concept. In ancient times (mainframes) we got a SOC 1 for that type of issue. The sandbox basically is a portion of the computer in which you are allowed to play. Don't try to go outside of it (there are exceptions I don't fully understand yet). On the Mac this means that if you even try to do anything with a .csv file in your VBA code that isn't in the sandbox you will get an alert saying you need to grant permission for that to happen. The Excel workbook with the VBA code doesn't need to be in the sandbox because what matters is that the Excel executable is in the sandbox (I assume) and is allowed to reach out to your workbook (an exception to the rule?) and do all the things you asked it to including run your VBA code, with limitations. The AppleScript also needs to be in the sandbox but the Python script does not (I don't know why). We are only interested here with the Excel sandbox, there are, apparently, different ones for different apps. Now a word about aliases. For simplicity consider your Excel sandbox to be here:
"/Users/philipackermann/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel"
There is an alias located here:
"/Users/philipackermann/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.Excel"
Moving a file to one will, by magic, move the file to the other one as well. By the way, the first "com.microsoft.Excel" in that alias path will show up as "Microsoft Excel" in Finder if you are trying to look for it by walking the path from the beginning. Oh by the way, "Command, shift, ." will let you see the hidden folders and files in Finder. You'll need that to get started. If I understand this correctly, the folder icons in Finder with the little arrow in the lower left corner indicate that the folder is an alias (or has an alias pointing to it? I'm not sure). The folder I used for the .csv files is not an alias or doesn't have an alias) so I had to use the really long path. So the Excel workbook and the Python script don't need to be in the sandbox but the AppleScript and the .csv files do need to be there.
DON'T EDIT IN THE SANDBOX ALIAS FOLDER! Check out the link I mentioned in the comments above with VaughanR. He helped point the way for me to understand the alias issue better. Thank you VaughanR. Trying to edit in those folders was a madding exercise in futility. Save yourself the trauma and edit your AppleScript in a local folder and copy it to the sandbox folder. I did this by opening two Finder windows (one with the local folder and one with the sandbox folder) and holding down the Command and Option keys while dragging the AppleScript file from the local folder to the sandbox folder.
TEST THE APPLESCRIPT IN IN THE SCRIPT EDITOR. As I mentioned somewhere else, that pesky Error 5: can pop up for a number of reasons. In the script editor add this line above the PythonCommandHandler on statement:
"PythonCommandHandler("GetHistory1-0.py")"
and run it in the editor to be sure it is doing what you want it to do. That's how I found the problem with the missing space and tested the different paths to get it running.
MISC. EXCEL NOTES. If you are trying to bring Excel workbooks from a Windows environment to the Mac watch out for these issues I have run into so far: SORTS. I had hardcoded sorts in my VBA code that caused Excel to crash when I tried to run them on the Mac. I recorded a sort and that works fine in the code. There are NO USERFORMS on the Mac! I have not yet found an alternative to use.

How to call a python script that requires command line arguments (that are not static) from Rstudio?

I am trying to create a Shiny app where a user will choose a short string from a drop-down menu, that string will then be passed to a python script which will output some values which will be used in the shiny app.
Using reticulate's py_run_file function with the needed values hardcoded works great. However, using this:
py_run_file('test_script.py arg1')
gives this:
Error in py_run_file_impl(file, local, convert) :
Unable to open file 'test_script.py arg1' (does it exist?)
Several threads suggest using a system() call to run a .py script with command line arguments but I don't think that would be feasible for the goals because the argument needs to be able to change. Other threads have suggested creating a python file that calls the original python file using os.system() with arguments, but that also doesn't work for my situation.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks

If anyone else is struggling with this problem: I found a workaround.
Instead of feeding an argument to the python script, I just create a R global environment variable then call it in the python script.
Had no idea you could reference R environment variables by calls such as r.RVar in the python script, similar to py$PythonVar when calling python variables in R scripts.

Re-use of argument after '#' with argparse's fromfile_prefix_chars='#'

Original question: I am running a python script
python script.py #runs/run_1/parameters.txt
Is there some way to access the string runs/run_1 in my script?
Actual question: I noticed that what I really need is a little different from the above. Independently from the directory from which I run the script, I need to get the location of parameters.txt.
For example, when I'm running the script from the directory runs/run_1 itself, I still need to get the path. I could do this with os.getcwd().
But when I'm running the code from PyCharm, I pass #/runs/run_1/parameters.txt as a parameter, while the script itself lives in some other directory. Here, I would need to read from sys.argv as suggested in the comments below.
For now I will have to do differentiate these cases with an if-statement checking whether the string before parameters.txt in python script.py #.../parameters.txt is empty. Is there a better way?

Executing random python scripts Zope/Plone using condition rules

I am currently working on adding some features to a plone website and I would like to be able to run a python script using content rules. For example, I've written an article and I want to publish it : using a rule triggered by a condition I want to run a certain script which is not related to the object.
I have already installed Runscript but the problem is that apparently the script has to be related to the object that triggered the action.
I have a simple script that just opens a text file to write 'Hello World' in it :
with open("hello.txt", "w") as fichier:
fichier.write("Hello world")
and plone give me the following error on my script (which works outside of plone) :
Module script, line 1, in hello
<FSPythonScript at /Plone2/hello used for /Plone2/news/azertyazert> Line 1
NameError: global name 'open' is not defined
On other scripts I also get the page I don't have sufficient rights to change the state of the article (thus triggering the condition rule).
Anyway, that was with Runscript, does anyone know either a another way to do execute scripts when rules are triggered or how to make runscript any script ?

Python scripts inside Zope / Plone run in a restricted environment. The error is thrown because you cannot open files from the filesystem there.
Use an External Method instead to point to a file-system stored script if you want to execute Python code that is not restricted.
The runscript action only uses the object as a context. Your script is free to ignore that context.