I'm trying to execute this simple test script, but a command shell window is appearing after I execute the script.:
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
strCommand = "cmd /C tasklist"
Set objExecObject = objShell.Exec(strCommand)
wscript.echo "Test"
How can I prevent it from showing up?
Update
I was able to improve it with this code change:
strCommand = "cmd /C /Q tasklist"
Now the window only shows up for a split second. But I don't want it to show up at all.
You're always going to get a window flash with Exec(). You can use Run() instead to execute the command in a hidden window. But you can't directly capture the command's output with Run(). You'd have to redirect the output to a temporary file that your VBScript could then open, read, and delete.
For example:
With CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
' Pass 0 as the second parameter to hide the window...
.Run "cmd /c tasklist.exe > c:\out.txt", 0, True
End With
' Read the output and remove the file when done...
Dim strOutput
With CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
strOutput = .OpenTextFile("c:\out.txt").ReadAll()
.DeleteFile "c:\out.txt"
End With
The FileSystemObject class has methods like GetSpecialFolder() to retrieve the path of Windows temp folder and GetTempName() to generate a temporary filename that you can use instead of hardcoding an output filename as I've done above.
Also note that you can use the /FO CSV argument with tasklist.exe to create a CSV file which should make parsing it much easier.
Finally, there are VBScript "native" ways to retrieve the list of running processes. WMI's Win32_Process class, for example, can do this without the need for Run/Exec.
Edit:
For the sake of completeness, I should mention that your script can relaunch itself in a hidden console window where you can run Exec() silently. Unfortunately, this hidden console window will also hide your output from functions like WScript.Echo(). Aside from that, however, you probably won't notice any differences running your script under cscript vs wscript. Here's an example of this method:
' If running under wscript.exe, relaunch under cscript.exe in a hidden window...
If InStr(1, WScript.FullName, "wscript.exe", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
With CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WScript.Quit .Run("cscript.exe """ & WScript.ScriptFullName & """", 0, True)
End With
End If
' "Real" start of script. We can run Exec() hidden now...
Dim strOutput
strOutput = CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Exec("tasklist.exe").StdOut.ReadAll()
' Need to use MsgBox() since WScript.Echo() is sent to hidden console window...
MsgBox strOutput
Of course, if your script expects command-line parameters, those would need to be forwarded when relaunching your script as well.
Edit 2:
Yet another possibility is to use the Windows clipboard. You can pipe the output of your command to the clip.exe utility. Then, retrieve the text via any number of available COM objects that can access the contents of the clipboard. For example:
' Using a hidden window, pipe the output of the command to the CLIP.EXE utility...
CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Run "cmd /c tasklist.exe | clip", 0, True
' Now read the clipboard text...
Dim strOutput
strOutput = CreateObject("htmlfile").ParentWindow.ClipboardData.GetData("text")
You can use .Exec() method, without console window flash, temp files and unexpected WScript.Echo output muting. The method is slightly tricky, and requires to launch secondary linked script, so I added the comments:
Option Explicit
Dim objDummy, strSignature, objPrimary, objSecondary, objContainer, objWshShell, objWshShellExec, strResult
' this block is executed only in the secondary script flow, after primary script runs cscript
If WScript.Arguments.Named.Exists("signature") Then
' retrieve signature string from argument
strSignature = WScript.Arguments.Named("signature")
Do
' loop through all explorer windows
For Each objContainer In CreateObject("Shell.Application").Windows
' check if the explorer's property with signature name contains the reference to the live script
If ChkVBScriptTypeInfo(objContainer.getProperty(strSignature)) Then
Exit Do
End If
Next
WScript.Sleep 10
Loop
' create shell object within secondary script
Set objWshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
' retrieve the primary script me object reference from explorer's property with signature name
Set objPrimary = objContainer.getProperty(strSignature)
' quit explorer window to release memory as it's no longer needed
objContainer.Quit
' assign the secondary script me object to the primary script's variable
Set objPrimary.objSecondary = Me
' emtpy loop while primary script is working
Do While ChkVBScriptTypeInfo(objPrimary)
WScript.Sleep 10
Loop
' terminate secondary
WScript.Quit
End If
' the code below is executed first in the primary script flow
' create signature string
strSignature = Left(CreateObject("Scriptlet.TypeLib").Guid, 38)
' create new hidden explorer window as container to transfer a reference between script processes
Set objContainer = GetObject("new:{C08AFD90-F2A1-11D1-8455-00A0C91F3880}")
' put this script's me object reference into explorer's property
objContainer.putProperty strSignature, Me
' launch new secondary process of the same script file via cscript.exe with hidden console window, providing signature string in named argument to identify host script
CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Run ("""" & Replace(LCase(WScript.FullName), "wscript", "cscript") & """ //nologo """ & WScript.ScriptFullName & """ ""/signature:" & strSignature & """"), 0
' wait until secondary script has been initialized and put his me object into this script variable
Do Until ChkVBScriptTypeInfo(objSecondary)
WScript.Sleep 10
Loop
' here is your code starts...
' create exec object within hidden console window of secondary script, execute cmd instruction
Set objWshShellExec = objSecondary.objWshShell.Exec("%comspec% /c tasklist")
' read cmd output
strResult = objWshShellExec.StdOut.ReadAll()
WScript.Echo strResult
' ...
' utility check if me object is live
Function ChkVBScriptTypeInfo(objSample)
On Error Resume Next
If TypeName(objSample) <> "VBScriptTypeInfo" Then
ChkVBScriptTypeInfo = False
Exit Function
End If
ChkVBScriptTypeInfo = True
End Function
UPDATE
I've slightly reworked the code to make it more straightforward:
Option Explicit
Dim strCmd, strRes, objWnd, objParent, strSignature
If WScript.Arguments.Named.Exists("signature") Then WshShellExecCmd
strCmd = "%comspec% /c tasklist"
RunCScriptHidden
WScript.Echo strRes
Sub RunCScriptHidden()
strSignature = Left(CreateObject("Scriptlet.TypeLib").Guid, 38)
GetObject("new:{C08AFD90-F2A1-11D1-8455-00A0C91F3880}").putProperty strSignature, Me
CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Run ("""" & Replace(LCase(WScript.FullName), "wscript", "cscript") & """ //nologo """ & WScript.ScriptFullName & """ ""/signature:" & strSignature & """"), 0, True
End Sub
Sub WshShellExecCmd()
For Each objWnd In CreateObject("Shell.Application").Windows
If IsObject(objWnd.getProperty(WScript.Arguments.Named("signature"))) Then Exit For
Next
Set objParent = objWnd.getProperty(WScript.Arguments.Named("signature"))
objWnd.Quit
objParent.strRes = CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Exec(objParent.strCmd).StdOut.ReadAll()
WScript.Quit
End Sub
BTW, here is VBScript "multithreading" implementation that uses the same container approach.
Some great suggestions are listed above. I'd like to make one more suggestion which is more of a workaround. You can use Sysinternals Desktops (a free program) to run your macro on another desktop on your same machine. That way the flashing can all happen on its own desktop and won't interrupt your work.
I use Sysinternals PSEXEC
https://learn.microsoft.com/sv-se/sysinternals/downloads/psexec
Created a Batch-file (in the same folder as the vbs and exe-file) that runs the script as system user.
I can not Access the user profile and I need to be local Admin but when i run the script without interaction with the desktop it will hide all annoying popups.
Run Script as system without interaction with desktop
"%~dp0PsExec.exe" -s wscript.exe "%~dp0MyScript.vbs"
Run Script as system with interaction with desktop
"%~dp0PsExec.exe" -s -i wscript.exe "%~dp0MyScript.vbs"
To hide the command line windows in VBscipt is use Run in WshShell Object
Then to get the result you can send this result to text file in %temp%
Then read this result with FileSystemObject
Set Sh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
tFile=Sh.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%Temp%")&"\t.txt"
Sh.Run "cmd.exe /C tasklist > """&tFile&""" ",0,False
Wscript.echo CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject").openTextFile(tFile).readAll()
OR
If StrComp(right(WScript.FullName,11),"wscript.exe",1) = 0 Then '' get only wscript.exe from "c:\windows\system32\wscript.exe" to compere with wscript.exe
WScript.Quit CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Run("cscript.exe """ & WScript.ScriptFullName & """", 0, False)
End If
MsgBox CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Exec("cmd.exe /c tasklist /v /fi ""imagename EQ explorer*"" /FO LIST | FIND ""PID:""").StdOut.ReadAll()
An alternative to using to windows scripting host is here: Run a batch program(.bat) through a Visual Basic 6.0
It runs a program and captures its screen output. It works for me in VB6, but not in VBA (hangs at WaitForSingleObject, don't know why).
After trying the main solutions without success, I was able to solve my problem with the following code:
With CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
.Run "cmd /c start /b tasklist.exe > c:\out.txt", 0, True
End With
The real deal was the "/b" as the console help display:
START ["title"] [/D path] [/I] [/MIN] [/MAX] [/SEPARATE | /SHARED]
[/LOW | /NORMAL | /HIGH | /REALTIME | /ABOVENORMAL | /BELOWNORMAL]
[/NODE <NUMA node>] [/AFFINITY <hex affinity mask>] [/WAIT] [/B]
[command/program] [parameters]
"title" Title to display in window title bar.
path Starting directory.
B Start application without creating a new window. The
application has ^C handling ignored. Unless the application
enables ^C processing, ^Break is the only way to interrupt
the application.
I have a simple SQL file that I'd like to read and execute using a Python Script Snap in SnapLogic. I created an expression library file to reference the Redshift account and have included it as a parameter in the pipeline.
I have the code below from another post. Is there a way to reference the pipeline parameter to connect to the Redshift database, read the uploaded SQL file and execute the commands?
fd = open('shared/PythonExecuteTest.sql', 'r')
sqlFile = fd.read()
fd.close()
sqlCommands = sqlFile.split(';')
for command in sqlCommands:
try:
c.execute(command)
except OperationalError, msg:
print "Command skipped: ", msg
You can access pipeline parameters in scripts using $_.
Let's say, you have a pipeline parameter executionId. Then to access it in the script you can do $_executionId.
Following is a test pipeline.
With the following pipeline parameter.
Following is the test data.
Following is the script
# Import the interface required by the Script snap.
from com.snaplogic.scripting.language import ScriptHook
import java.util
class TransformScript(ScriptHook):
def __init__(self, input, output, error, log):
self.input = input
self.output = output
self.error = error
self.log = log
# The "execute()" method is called once when the pipeline is started
# and allowed to process its inputs or just send data to its outputs.
def execute(self):
self.log.info("Executing Transform script")
while self.input.hasNext():
try:
# Read the next document, wrap it in a map and write out the wrapper
in_doc = self.input.next()
wrapper = java.util.HashMap()
wrapper['output'] = in_doc
wrapper['output']['executionId'] = $_executionId
self.output.write(in_doc, wrapper)
except Exception as e:
errWrapper = {
'errMsg' : str(e.args)
}
self.log.error("Error in python script")
self.error.write(errWrapper)
self.log.info("Finished executing the Transform script")
# The Script Snap will look for a ScriptHook object in the "hook"
# variable. The snap will then call the hook's "execute" method.
hook = TransformScript(input, output, error, log)
Output:
Here, you can see that the executionId was read from the pipeline parameters.
Note: Accessing pipeline parameters from scripts is a valid scenario but accessing other external systems from the script is complicated (because you would need to load the required libraries) and not recommended. Use the snaps provided by SnapLogic to access external systems. Also, if you want to use other libraries inside scripts, try sticking to Javascript instead of going to python because there are a lot of open source CDNs that you can use in your scripts.
Also, you can't access any configured expression library directly from the script. If you need some logic in the script, you would keep it in the script and not somewhere else. And, there is no point in accessing account names in the script (or mappers) because, even if you know the account name, you can't use the credentials/configurations stored in that account directly; that is handled by SnapLogic. Use the provided snaps and mappers as much as possible.
Update #1
You can't access the account directly. Accounts are managed and used internally by the snaps. You can only create and set accounts through the accounts tab of the relevant snap.
Avoid using script snap as much as possible; especially, if you can do the same thing using normal snaps.
Update #2
The simplest solution to this requirement would be as follows.
Read the file using a file reader
Split based on ;
Execute each SQL command using the Generic JDBC Execute Snap
So I am creating an application that can connect printers with a Python GUI that runs PowerShell scripts in the background. I was wondering if there was a way I could pass a variable inputted from a Python widget into a PowerShell script that is being invoked by Python. This variable would be the name of the printer that I could specify in Python so that I do not have to create separate scripts for each printer.
My code in Python that calls upon the PS script:
def connect():
if self.printerOpts.get() == 'Chosen Printer':
subprocess.call(["C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe",'-ExecutionPolicy','Unrestricted', '.\'./ScriptName\';'])
PS script that connects printer to computer:
Add-Printer -ConnectionName \\server\printer -AsJob
Basically, I am wondering if I can pass a variable from Python into the "printer" part of my PS script so that I do not have to create a different script for each printer that I would like to add.
A better way to do this would be completely in PowerShell or complete in Python.
What you're after is doable. You can pass it in the same way that you have passed -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted, by ensuring that the PowerShell script is expecting the variable.
My Python is non-existant so please bear with if that part doesn't work.
Python
myPrinter # string variable in Python with printer name
subprocess.call(["C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe",'-ExecutionPolicy','Unrestricted', '.\'./ScriptName\';','-printer',myPrinter])
PowerShell
param(
$printer
)
Add-Printer -ConnectionName \\server\$printer -AsJob
The way that worked for me was first to specify that I was passing a variable as a string in my PS script:
param([string]$path)
Add-Printer -ConnectionName \\server\$path
My PS script was not expecting this variable. In my Python script I had to first define the my variable which named path as a string and then input "path" into the end of my subprocess function.
path = "c"
subprocess.call(["C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe",'-ExecutionPolicy','Unrestricted', 'Script.ps1', path])
I have composed an ArcPy script which is run via a windows scheduler.The same script is loaded into a script tool so a user can run the process manually. I've used: get parameters as text, with or's and not's, to hard-wire the standard variables if they are not speicifed.
ReportFolder = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
if ReportFolder == '#' or not ReportFolder:
ReportFolder = "C:\\Data\\GIS"
The process runs and during so writes to a text file log, for example:
txtFile.write("= For ArcGIS 10.3.1: Date: "+str(timed)),txtFile.write ('\n')
I'd like to record what method was used to execute the script; was it via the windows scheduler, or by the script tool via ArcGIS, or by a python client like PyScripter.
Is anyone aware of some form of os environment thingy that can be called by Python?
I have an interesting issue I've run into where I can easily tap into python code from VB in an excel instance, as described here: Calling python script from excel/vba
However, when I mimic the exact same code structure in visual studio in a form, the pyscript.language = "python" line fails. Does anyone know if MSScriptControl.ScriptControl can be used in VB .Net to control python like you can in excel? This would be a lot easier than setting up a com object for my python scripts.
Example code (need to add microsoft script control 1.0 and excel object library):
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop
Public Class Form1
Dim WithEvents PyScript As MSScriptControl.ScriptControl
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim xlApp As New Excel.Application
xlApp.Visible = True
Dim xlwbook As Excel.Workbook = xlApp.Workbooks.Add(Excel.XlWBATemplate.xlWBATWorksheet)
Dim xlSheet As Excel.Worksheet = CType(xlwbook.Worksheets(1), Excel.Worksheet)
If PyScript Is Nothing Then
PyScript = New MSScriptControl.ScriptControl
PyScript.Language = "python"
PyScript.AddObject("Sheet", xlSheet)
PyScript.AllowUI = True
End If
PyScript.ExecuteStatement("Sheet.cells(1,1).value='Hello'")
End Sub
End Class
According to this http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa227633(v=vs.60) the scriptcontrol is a VS6 item which means that it may not be completely compatible with later versions. There is also an issue of context as the two environments (Windows forms and Excel) are different in fundamental ways so what is possible in one is not always possible in another.
Also it would be well worth double checking the first four steps in the given example and making sure that you can do this from Excel.