I previously asked how to stop a program and was told/helped, however I neglected to mention the program was external. I wish to press a macro/key and have a external program run, and when pushed again it is stopped/halted all from this code. Eventually I hope to have many macro-keys toggling different programs on/start and off/stop.
I have searched and come up with a post from 2016 I think, I have adapted the code slightly, I have it working(starting) an external program but not stopping it. Code is run on Linux and written in python, it follows this, the EXTERNAL program is not killed or stopped.
What bug have I introduced, how to do it.
#!/usr/bin/env python
# Toggler for macro key -|- many keys = one toggler program
import os
import sys
import time
import subprocess
def startp(program):
return subprocess.Popen(program)
def exitp(p):
#os.close(program)#requires integer
p.terminate()
program = startp("firefox")
time.sleep(5)
# program = 'firefox'
exitp(program)
Perhaps someone can help find the bug in my program that I have adapted.
skeptic
Related
I would like to run my python script while I'm working on other things. For example, I want to run the python script while I'm watching a movie. But I don't want to exit full screen and go to the interactive shell and then go back.
I tried to create a batch file and run from the command line. But it's still not as neat and straight-forward as single-button functionality.
If I want to check the time while I'm watching a movie on hulu website.
python script:
import datetime
datetime.datetime.now()
I wonder if I can set a hotkey so that while I'm on other applications, I can just press the key and then python script will run itself in the background.
Try using keyboard module (allows us to assign custom shortcut keys):
import pyttsx3
import datetime
import keyboard
def time():
engine = pyttsx3.init()
hours = int(datetime.datetime.now().time().hour)%12
if not hours:
hours = 12
engine.say("the time is " + str(hours) + " " + str(datetime.datetime.now().time().minute))
engine.runAndWait()
def keyPress():
keyboard.add_hotkey('+', lambda: time())
keyboard.wait()
keyPress()
WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES:-
This program a first creates a custom shortcut (assigns it to keyboard key +(change this to whatever hotkey combination you want)). Upon pressing this key, a function called time() gets called, which makes use of windows TTS, to tell your the current time (via voice functionality like siri, alisa etc).
HOW DOES THIS WORK:-
I made use of external libraries keyboard(necessary) and pyttsx3(optional), where the module keyboard allows us to define our custom hotkeys and create a event handler for keyboard events, and pyttsx3 makes use of windows Text to Speech feature to read some text via speech (aka voice). I made use of voice functionality, to not interrupt your flow while your are watching something online.
HOW TO SET IT UP:-
Copy the code, and save it as a .pyw file (notice the w in the
end). The difference between a regular .py an a .pyw file is
that, .py invokes console (~commandline) equivalent tool for
execution and executes in foreground, on the other hand a .pyw
file runs in the background at all times (i.e the console won't show
up). So it won't require you to manually open the console at all
times for executing the script as the script will be running in the
background at all time.
Copy this file (example.pyw) in the startup folder of your OS (any
file in this folder will automatically execute once the operating
system has started). What this will do is when your OS, will boot
your example.pyw file will automatically start executing in the
background, so you won't have to manually launch it at every system
startup. And since it is in the background it won't interfere with
your work. (if you're on windows OS, you can access your startup folder by typing shell:common startup on your run and pressing enter) (adding files to this folder requires root privileges)
HOW TO USE IT:-
While using your system press + (for my case), and your OS will tell you what the current time is. (though it requires your OS to have correct time)
PROS:-
Upon using this for long time I can tell you I never encountered a
single application in which the custom defined hotkey won't work.
Slim to None time required after keypress, for command execution.
A lot resistant to spam of hotkey's. e.x. You may press the
hotkey 100 times but the calls won't be made unless the previous
command has completed execution.
CONS:-
Calling the script for the first time after Bootup, may cause a
little latency in command execution (but only for once, i.e
subsequent calls would be really fast)
P.S:-
It is optional to use pyttsx3, I used it as it makes checking time a lot more easier then reading text or something (at least for me).
Secondly, this process could be made more efficient if you want.
RECOMMENDATIONS:-
Alternatively, If you are familiar with AHK (AutoHotKey) then, doing what i just told on a .ahk script would be a piece of cake, and it's scripts are even faster than my Python one. (Honestly I would definitely Recommend you to use AutoHotKey as it is a really robust language, when it comes to make efficient Operating System scripts)
I want to find out if I can launch a function or a method in a python program right before the computer sleep, something that goes along the line of
def f():
if about_to_sleep:
do_stuff
else:
do_some_other_stuff
that can work in windows 10
If you didn't mind writing a small C++ application to run in the background, it could call your python script when it detects the computer going into sleep.
Take a look at:
Qt detect when computer goes into sleep?
Detecting computer/program shutdown in Python?
This was a question similar to yours, but might still be relevant.
I have a GUI program built using Tkinter in python 2.7.10.
It works flawlessly, for it's root cause anyways.
Unfortunately, it briefly goes into windows dreaded "Not Responding" state when being interacted with.
Here's the layout in short:
Launch script launches Main script.
Main script reads settings file and boots GUI script.
GUI script starts GUI.
User enters a term to search for in a series of files.
GUI script goes into a side script to process files and retrieve results.
Side script inherits certain aspects of GUI script.
Side script attempts to update user while working using the inherited elements; the GUI has none of it.
GUI goes non-responsive briefly before returning to the GUI script and displaying the results.
Here's how I need it to go in short:
Launch script launches Main script.
Main script reads settings file and boots GUI script.
GUI script starts GUI.
User enters a term to search for in a series of files.
GUI script goes into a side script to process files and retrieve results.
Side script inherits certain aspects of GUI script.
Side script updates the user with a progress bar and imagery while working, using the GUI elements.
GUI returns to the GUI script and displays the results.
I have the progress bar built, but the imagery is not yet, but if the progress bar will not work, I will not waste my time on the imagery.
Sample impossible, not-being-used-but-shows-the-point code;
GUI;
import Tkinter, PIL, SideScript1
Tkinter()
ShowText()
ShowStuff()
input = GetInput()
ShowProgressBar()
SideScript1.processfilesbasedoninput(input, progressbarcontrolvar)
DisplayResults()
SideScript1
def proccessfilesbasedoninput(input, pbcv):
DoStuff()
pbcv.gofurther(5)
DoMoreStuff()
pbcv.goevenfurther(10)
a1sauce = RandomMathsStuffs()
for all the data in every file in that one directory:
ReadData()
pbcv.goabitfurther(a1sauce)
if data is what I want:
break
pbcv.step(-100)
return data
I guess my question is, How would I get the GUI to update those elements instead of going unconscious?
We are talking 100 000 files and 1.5 seconds its done in.
UPDATE: This question has been marked as a duplicate of another. Is it? Yep. but that's both because I was ((and still am)) unsure of how to search for this kind of question, and that the three solutions there; multithreading, multiprocessing, and smaller tasks. Unfortunately, the program was built to run on a single thread and process, and without a complete rewrite, getting the intended GUI response would cause a massive slowdown, if it worked at all.
I do see the issue, being TKinter is a blocking module. Unfortunately, I am fresh out of ideas on how I would un-block it without causing mass errors, and or a total rewrite.
The linked duplicate question held an answer. A bad one - but an answer none the less.
update_idletasks.
I tried that, and, it Worked! Well. Sort of.
It worked at first, then the same result came about. The GUI temporarily froze.
Then an idea popped in my head. Why not try update instead?
I did so, and it worked as I needed it to, however, it had a massive performance hit - nearly identical to update_idletasks.
To tackle this new problem, I added a bit more math to cause updates to happen, in my case, every 300 files, instead of every single file-balancing the performance hit and users not instantly deleting my program, because yes, it takes a toll on your resources. No, I did not initially heed that advice. Shoot first, ask questions later, right?
How did I use it? Glad I asked! Here's an example;
#GUI Code
DoStuff()
SideScript1.proccessdata(arg, kwarg, debate)
DoMoreStuff()
#File Management Code
DoStuff()
filenumber = 0
maxfilenumber = 0
for every file I need to search:
SearchFile()
filenumber +=1
if filenumber == maxfilenumber:
tkinter.update() #in my case, it was tkinst, or "TkInter Instance", since it was inherited from the GUI attributes.
filenumber = 0
if data is what I want:
break
return data
I'm not sure about all the backend and hard facts, but update() seemed a lot more user friendly and quicker than update_idletasks(), and a lot less prone to errors and slowdowns as well.
My shenanigans are now back in order, running in 60 ((30? 120? 250 million??)) frames a seconds, smoothly and efficiently - and Tk doesn't have a sit-down strike every time I ask it for info anymore!
Thanks #Rawing for the attempt to help!
I am currently trying to create a python script that will listen for a keypress, specifically numpad along with the Numlock, / , * ect. The script will eventually be added to a shared memory script I wrote and will be run as a daemon.
I need this listener to be independent of of any open window or focus. A key logger if you will, so no matter what i am doing if i press a key it will be picked up by my script.
The trouble i am having at the moment is poor documentation of most things i find and python is not my main language. I have found pygame, termios and some others but i cant seem to find a straight forward solution.
So basically my question is, how can i capture a keypress regardless of the current active window?
Library recomendations, code or anything would be a massive help as i have been stuck on this for quite some time.
Thank you.
Any ideas about controling windows media player in Python? I found the following code on the net which runs fine but no audio is played. am using win7 64 bit machine
# this program will play MP3, WMA, MID, WAV files via the WindowsMediaPlayer
from win32com.client import Dispatch
mp = Dispatch("WMPlayer.OCX")
#tune = mp.newMedia("./SleepAway.mp3")
tune = mp.newMedia("./plays.wav")
mp.currentPlaylist.appendItem(tune)
mp.controls.play()
raw_input("Press Enter to stop playing")
mp.controls.stop()
As I have mentioned in comments, I have had an identical problem. I tried a ridiculous number of different approaches. None of them really worked, so I was stuck using os.startfile to open windows media player to play my sound files. However, just today I had an idea which has led to an alternative solution. It is a bit hack-ish, but it works. Technically I still open windows media player with this approach, but I do so using subprocess, and thus I can use the greater control over the process allowed by that to supress the window. This makes it seem like it plays without a secondary application. Why I had to do something so bizarre to get a simple result I have no idea, but it is the only thing that worked. Here is my code for it if you want.
import subprocess
import threading
def windowsmedia(filename):
startupinfo = subprocess.STARTUPINFO()
startupinfo.dwFlags |= subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
a = subprocess.call('C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Windows Media Player\\wmplayer.exe /play /close "C:/Users/Student/Documents/notes/file.mp3"',startupinfo=startupinfo)
def startmp3(filename):
mythread = threading.Thread(target=windowsmedia,args=[filename])
mythread.start()
time.sleep(15) #You might want to extend this... I just give it 15 seconds to complete before killing the process. It shouldn't be too hard to read the exact length from the file and wait that, or add an interrupt, but that was somewhat unnecessary for my purposes.
pkill("wmplayer") #This is a function of my own but it basically just kills the process. It shouldn't be too hard to reproduce.
Again it is truly regrettable that I had to do something so weird for just playing a sound but as far as you have described it this is the same issue and I hope this helps.
Thought, it might help others who are still facing this issue.
All you had to do is to call PlayItem() API after Play().
from win32com.client import Dispatch
from time import sleep
mp = Dispatch("WMPlayer.OCX")
tune = mp.newMedia("./plays.wav")
mp.currentPlaylist.appendItem(tune)
mp.controls.play()
sleep(1)
mp.controls.playItem(tune)
raw_input("Press Enter to stop playing")
mp.controls.stop()
It helps me to use Windows Media COM. When I tried it, I need to make 2 small modification to make it working in Python Flask.
CoInitialize to make it single thread i.e. pythoncom.CoInitialize() and pythoncom.CoUninitialize()
PumpWaitMessage to keep MediaPlayer working i.e while mp.PlayState != 1: pythoncom.PumpWaitingMessages()