Develop Reference

Working with Excel 4.0 for work, trying to use a button to launch a python script

So, the shop where I work use Excel 4.0 for all its inventory management and orders.
Since the guy before me left without explaining anything, I inherited an old system that works, but is... eh.
The bosses don't want to change to a new Excel nor another program, so I must do what I can with what I have.
Now, I've made a script in python 2.5.4 (this version is needed because the newer versions won't work on the Windows 98 computer they use...) to automate some processes that would be impossible with Excel 4.0 macros, and the script works perfectly for what I need.
But since the bosses want to "only work with Excel", and won't want to go outside of Excel and click the script icon to start it (or, heaven forbid, open cmd and start it manually), I would need to put a button in Excel to start the script.
I've tried to sift through the macros available, but except perhaps "Initiate" (which I don't wholly understand as of now), I can't think of a macro to interact with the script, and haven't found much help with what's available online...
SO, could anyone please help me in making the macro for the button? The only thing the button would need to do is to start the python script, there's no other interactions needed, the rest is done by the script.
Like, the script "foo.py" is in the same folder as "bar.xls", and I only need a button in "bar.xls" to launch "foo.py".
Thanks.

Okay, I found a roundabout way, so I'm gonna share it with y'all.
MacroName
=LAUNCH("cmd",1)
=SEND.KEYS("foo.py~";TRUE)
=SEND.KEYS("exit~")
=RETURN()
It opens a cmd instance, show it for a split second (can't use SEND.KEYS without it being the active app), writes the name of the python script and presses enter, before quitting.
I would like if it didn't need to show the cmd window, but it works for now. Perhaps there'll be another way, but if anyone else wanna do what I did, it does work.

You probably need to get the book out - Excel 4 came with one book called the Function Reference which listed all the commands available.
Commands that we used back in the day were:
EXEC: starts another program
EXECUTE: runs commands in another program called by Initiate
INITIATE: sets a channel to a program
SEND.KEYS: sends keystrokes to a program (we used to send data to a slow server this way...)
Not sure what will be on the web for Excel macro 4, it was retired as vba came out and Excel moved over...
I still use my copy of the book, but it would be worth finding, although the help should list the commands as well. I just used the book as I had macros running...

TkInter; Non-responsive when being told to update

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!

is it possible to launch a window that does not stop the mainloop in python

OS = windows 7
I have a python program (works) that is listening to activity on the usb bus. I want to perform a lot of tests that require a particular user input at a particular time. I would like to pop up a window that says, "press button xxx". The key point is that the mainloop needs to continue running because it's looking for events. I don't care about the window or if it remains or not and I don't need to capture any information from the window. I just want a message to the user to press the correct button at the correct time. Any type of signaling would work; it doesn't have to be a gui window. It doesn't have to look pretty. Appreciate any suggestions or links to something like this. thx

It sounds like the operation of the Python script you're running does not depend upon the user input you request. To run another process without interrupting the Python script execution you can use:
import subprocess
subprocess.Popen([exe,arg1,arg2,arg3])
where
exe = executable/script to run from your OS command line
arg1= first argument to pass to exe
arg2= second argument to pass to exe
etc... (as many arguments as your OS supports in a list)
This separate exe process could request input from the user.

Is it possible to get current application running with python script

I am very much concerned about my productivity all the time. I have recently come across this beautiful chrome extension Limitless
But this is only measuring what i'm doing within the chrome application. As I work most of the time with pdfs, videos etc, I want to develop similar application for linux(ubuntu) desktop enviroment.
Basically I want the script to run continuously as long as the workstation is on.
It should be able to know what I'm currently looking at (for eg a pdf file or a lecture video in vlc) and get the name of the respective file, start time, end times etc and finally post to db.
It is better if it could know if the system is idle or at sleep.
I don't have slightest clue at bash scripting. so my questions is could this task be accomplished with python.
What I've tried?
I started with a search in google "get current application python", "current window title python" etc etc and really surprised to see absurd results.
Please give me pointers on this.

I think you are asking for vocabulary. So I give you what I know.
You are using Ubuntu so your Window Manager may be Gnome.
The window manager knows which window has the focus.
So maybe you want to find out which window has the focus and you want to map it to the Process that opened the window.
What you need to focus on is is module for Python or a Python Binding for the window manager. This module is likely to also be able to control the windows.
The window manager is started with startx.

You could try to call a command line tool and catch the results
How do get the process list on command line:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53489/how-do-you-list-all-processes-on-the-command-line-in-windows
And how to call a tool with python:
Python subprocess.call and subprocess.Popen stdout
[edit] Repeating the call in Intervals and counting the intervals a process were running gives you a good estimation of running time of a process...
[edit2] As GreenAsJade said, you search a way to find out which windows has the focus.
See How do I detect the currently focused application?

Waiting for a program to finish its task

I'd like to know how to have a program wait for another program to finish a task. I'm not sure what I'd look for for that...
Also, I'm using a mac.
I'd like to use Python or perhaps even applescript (I could just osascript python if the solution if for applescript anyway)
Basically this program "MPEGstreamclip" converts videos, and it opens what appears to be 2 new windows while it's converting. One window is a conversion progress bar, and the other window is a preview of the conversion. (Not sure if these actually count as windows)
(Also, MPEGstreamclip does not have an applescript dictionary, so as far as I know, it can't listen for certain window names existence)
But basically I want my program to listen for when MPEGstreamclip is done, and then run its tasks.
If it helps, when the conversion is done, the mpegstreamclip icon in the dock bounces once. I'm not sure what that means but I'd think you could use that to trigger something couldn't you?
Thanks!

I realized GUI applescript was the answer in this scenario. With it I could tell the PROCESS to get every window, and that worked. However, I'm leaving this up because I'd like to know other ways. I'm sure this GUI workaround won't work for everything.

If the MPEGstreamclip actually ends when it is done, you could wrap the whole thing up in a python script using various techniques already discussed in another post. Just be sure to wait for the external process to end before continuing with your other steps.