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...

Python: how to create multiple threads running at the same time

I am creating a game using Python and tkinter, and when I tried to add some music, the function making the music stopped the rest of the script (and also the window).
So I need to create a new thread I think to play the audio and keep the window working...
I tried some things making errors, not running, or stopping the window, I currently have :
window.after(2000,showText,"Text 1")
window.after(2000,playSound,"Sound 1.wav")
window.after(7000,showText,"Text 2")
Important detail : the playSound function returns nothing, so nothing needs to wait for it.
I also don't know much about programming in Python, I prefer using LUAU.

Try using the module threading. I found this article very useful for understanding the core concepts and setting up my first multithreaded program

I found another article telling exactly how to make it work and it now works.
The article is probably in french, but I give the link : http://www.xavierdupre.fr/app/teachpyx/helpsphinx/c_parallelisation/thread.html

Serial Inputs into Kivy

I have a project that I'm working on that takes some analog inputs from an Arduino Mega and sends it over to a Raspberry Pi. I am using Kivy as a GUI development tool and have things working pretty well. The main issue that I'm having is getting the analog inputs to update on Kivy. I'm following this https://www.instructables.com/id/Sending-Temperature-Humidity-Data-From-Arduino-to-/ code(the py code is at the bottom). In my program, the while true loop get stuck in the loop(duh), and won't move onto the rest of the program. However, if I take out the while loop, the analog inputs will be displayed, but they won't be updated.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to call the function periodically, so that my program will continue past the while loop? The code is quite extensive and I didn't want to bog down the screen with it.
Thank you for any assistance/ideas! I'm quite stuck

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!

Blender frozen in python script?

I am new to both blender and python.
I tried to manipulate some properties of an object via python script in script console of blender.
What I don't understand is I can do it in this way.
bpy.data.object['Cube'].rotation_euler.x+=1
but when I put it in a loop.
import time
i=1
while i<100:
i+=1
bpy.data.object['Cube'].rotation_euler.x+=1
print('run once')
time.sleep(5)
Blender freezes without any output of 'run once'.
Would someone please tell me what is wrong with this code.

Your script isn't freezing, blender just isn't getting a chance to update during the loop.
The time.sleep(5) command sleeps for 5 seconds, being run 100 times means the script takes 8 minutes to run at which stage blender updates it's interface again.
You may want to look at a modal operator - there are several samples within the python templates available in blender's text editor.