Keyboard Redirection in a DOS batch file?

On May 7, 12:05*pm, "Bill in Co."
wrote:
Bill Blanton wrote:
On 5/6/2010 23:40, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

Normally when I run this windows online program and am finished and close
it
down, I have to then type "S" to stay connected online (otherwise, the
default behavior is to disconnect from being online (I'm using dial-up).

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program, so
that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S" character
to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each and
every time.

Not a exactly a batch, but you could use vbs script instead. (save
send.vbs, etc)

Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run("notepad")
WScript.Sleep(3000) * * * 'wait (3 seconds (# milliseconds))
oShell.Sendkeys "S"
WScript.Sleep(2000)
oShell.Sendkeys"{ENTER}"

In retrospect, I think what I am trying to do is impossible. * Let me
explain:

Ever since installing IE8 (or IE7), whenever I go to check mail and close
OE, it (annoyingly) prompts me to disconnect from being online. *And, in
retrospect, I don't think there is a way to "intercept" that, unless I
completely turn off autodisconnect.

It never did this in IE6. * It wouldn't prompt me to disconnect until I
closed down IE (assuming IE was also online as it normally would be).
Sure, I can disable the autodisconnect option, but that's just as annoying,
as it forces you to manually disconnect.

After I (dial-up) connect online (with IE), I simply want to be able to go
to OE and check my mail or the newsgroups, close OE and go back to IE to
browse, and THEN when I close IE, get the disconnect prompt, as it used to
be with IE6. *Guess it ain't gonna happen.

May not apply, but doesn't IE allow you to set whether you go offline,
or not?

For me, it took a long time to find where to put IE BACK tohanging up
automatically, kept wanting to change to stay on line.

Robert Macy wrote:
On May 7, 12:05 pm, "Bill in Co."
wrote:
Bill Blanton wrote:
On 5/6/2010 23:40, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

Normally when I run this windows online program and am finished and
close
it
down, I have to then type "S" to stay connected online (otherwise, the
default behavior is to disconnect from being online (I'm using
dial-up).

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program, so
that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S"
character
to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each
and
every time.

Not a exactly a batch, but you could use vbs script instead. (save
send.vbs, etc)

Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run("notepad")
WScript.Sleep(3000) 'wait (3 seconds (# milliseconds))
oShell.Sendkeys "S"
WScript.Sleep(2000)
oShell.Sendkeys"{ENTER}"

In retrospect, I think what I am trying to do is impossible. Let me
explain:

Ever since installing IE8 (or IE7), whenever I go to check mail and close
OE, it (annoyingly) prompts me to disconnect from being online. And, in
retrospect, I don't think there is a way to "intercept" that, unless I
completely turn off autodisconnect.

It never did this in IE6. It wouldn't prompt me to disconnect until I
closed down IE (assuming IE was also online as it normally would be).
Sure, I can disable the autodisconnect option, but that's just as
annoying,
as it forces you to manually disconnect.

After I (dial-up) connect online (with IE), I simply want to be able to
go
to OE and check my mail or the newsgroups, close OE and go back to IE to
browse, and THEN when I close IE, get the disconnect prompt, as it used
to
be with IE6. Guess it ain't gonna happen.

May not apply, but doesn't IE allow you to set whether you go offline,
or not?

For me, it took a long time to find where to put IE BACK to hanging up
automatically, kept wanting to change to stay on line.

I am only aware of the option as to whether or not to use autodisconnect,
which I think is about the same thing. (like the: "disconnect when
connection is no longer needed" checkbox)

If you deselect it, then it always stays online, unless and until you
manually disconnect (easiest to do in the taskbar).

If you select the autodisconnect option, then as soon as you close IE (or
evidently OE, in IE 7/8), you will get the disconnect prompt.

Robert Macy wrote:
On May 7, 12:05 pm, "Bill in Co."
wrote:
Bill Blanton wrote:
On 5/6/2010 23:40, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

Normally when I run this windows online program and am finished and
close
it
down, I have to then type "S" to stay connected online (otherwise, the
default behavior is to disconnect from being online (I'm using
dial-up).

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program, so
that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S"
character
to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each
and
every time.

Not a exactly a batch, but you could use vbs script instead. (save
send.vbs, etc)

Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run("notepad")
WScript.Sleep(3000) 'wait (3 seconds (# milliseconds))
oShell.Sendkeys "S"
WScript.Sleep(2000)
oShell.Sendkeys"{ENTER}"

In retrospect, I think what I am trying to do is impossible. Let me
explain:

Ever since installing IE8 (or IE7), whenever I go to check mail and close
OE, it (annoyingly) prompts me to disconnect from being online. And, in
retrospect, I don't think there is a way to "intercept" that, unless I
completely turn off autodisconnect.

It never did this in IE6. It wouldn't prompt me to disconnect until I
closed down IE (assuming IE was also online as it normally would be).
Sure, I can disable the autodisconnect option, but that's just as
annoying,
as it forces you to manually disconnect.

After I (dial-up) connect online (with IE), I simply want to be able to
go
to OE and check my mail or the newsgroups, close OE and go back to IE to
browse, and THEN when I close IE, get the disconnect prompt, as it used
to
be with IE6. Guess it ain't gonna happen.

May not apply, but doesn't IE allow you to set whether you go offline,
or not?

For me, it took a long time to find where to put IE BACK to hanging up
automatically, kept wanting to change to stay on line.

I am only aware of the option as to whether or not to use autodisconnect,
which I think is about the same thing. (like the: "disconnect when
connection is no longer needed" checkbox)

If you deselect it, then it always stays online, unless and until you
manually disconnect (easiest to do in the taskbar).

If you select the autodisconnect option, then as soon as you close IE (or
evidently OE, in IE 7/8), you will get the disconnect prompt.

On 5/7/2010 15:05, Bill in Co. wrote:
Bill Blanton wrote:
On 5/6/2010 23:40, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

Normally when I run this windows online program and am finished and close it
down, I have to then type "S" to stay connected online (otherwise, the
default behavior is to disconnect from being online (I'm using dial-up).

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program, so that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S" character to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each and
every time.

Not a exactly a batch, but you could use vbs script instead. (save
send.vbs, etc)

Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run("notepad")
WScript.Sleep(3000) 'wait (3 seconds (# milliseconds))
oShell.Sendkeys "S"
WScript.Sleep(2000)
oShell.Sendkeys"{ENTER}"

In retrospect, I think what I am trying to do is impossible.

I missed the part about sending the char when you _close_ the program.
In vbs you can call a program, and set a flag to suspend script
execution until the program returns. After the return, the script
resumes execution. Perhaps you could use that.

dim oShell
Set oShell=WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run "notepad ", 1, TRUE
oShell.Sendkeys "S"

In this case an "S" would be sent to whatever Window has focus after
notepad closes.


From my notes:
'Syntax
'oShell.Run strCommand, [intWindowStype], [bWaitOnReturn]
'Parameters
' strCommand
' Environment variables within the strCommand parameter are
automatically expanded.

' intWindowSType
'
' Likely this.
'
' Value Window Style
' ---------------------------------
' 1, 5, 9 Normal with focus
' 2 Minimized with focus
' 3 Maximized with focus
' 4, 8 Normal without focus
' 6, 7 Minimized without focus
'

' bWaitOnReturn
' If bWaitOnReturn is not specified or FALSE, this method immediately
returns to script ' ' ' execution rather than waiting on the
process termination.
' If bWaitOnReturn is set to TRUE, the Run method returns any error code
returned by ' ' the application.
' If bWaitOnReturn is not specified or is FALSE, Run returns an error
code of 0 (zero).



Let me
explain:

Ever since installing IE8 (or IE7), whenever I go to check mail and close
OE, it (annoyingly) prompts me to disconnect from being online. And, in
retrospect, I don't think there is a way to "intercept" that, unless I
completely turn off autodisconnect.

It never did this in IE6. It wouldn't prompt me to disconnect until I
closed down IE (assuming IE was also online as it normally would be).
Sure, I can disable the autodisconnect option, but that's just as annoying,
as it forces you to manually disconnect.

After I (dial-up) connect online (with IE), I simply want to be able to go
to OE and check my mail or the newsgroups, close OE and go back to IE to
browse, and THEN when I close IE, get the disconnect prompt, as it used to
be with IE6. Guess it ain't gonna happen.

When I was on dialup, I would try to keep it always connected. My ISP
would auto-disconnect me after 10 minutes (or something) if there was no
activity. So I set OE to check for mail every 8 minutes, and left OE
open all the time.

On 5/7/2010 13:24, MEB wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:40 PM, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program, so that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S" character to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each and
every time.


Wouldn't you need to setup a loop based upon errorlevels and with a
pause [waiting for the close return] or timed [repeating the test after
a defined period], and then send con the ansii 115 {s} with a
return/enter when your application returned the closed errorlevel or it
ceased to exist?

Or use
CALL OTHER.BAT
which would contain the executable. The original .bat will suspend
execution until OTHER.BAT returns.

On 5/7/2010 13:24, MEB wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:40 PM, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program, so that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S" character to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each and
every time.


Wouldn't you need to setup a loop based upon errorlevels and with a
pause [waiting for the close return] or timed [repeating the test after
a defined period], and then send con the ansii 115 {s} with a
return/enter when your application returned the closed errorlevel or it
ceased to exist?

Or use
CALL OTHER.BAT
which would contain the executable. The original .bat will suspend
execution until OTHER.BAT returns.

On 5/7/2010 20:35, Bill Blanton wrote:
dim oShell
Set oShell=WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run "notepad ", 1, TRUE

WScript.Sleep(3000) 'wait (3 seconds (# milliseconds))

oShell.Sendkeys "S"

Perhgaps add time delay between program closing and sendkey.

On 5/7/2010 20:35, Bill Blanton wrote:
dim oShell
Set oShell=WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.Run "notepad ", 1, TRUE

WScript.Sleep(3000) 'wait (3 seconds (# milliseconds))

oShell.Sendkeys "S"

Perhgaps add time delay between program closing and sendkey.

On 05/07/2010 08:43 PM, Bill Blanton wrote:
On 5/7/2010 13:24, MEB wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:40 PM, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program,
so that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S"
character to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each
and
every time.


Wouldn't you need to setup a loop based upon errorlevels and with a
pause [waiting for the close return] or timed [repeating the test after
a defined period], and then send con the ansii 115 {s} with a
return/enter when your application returned the closed errorlevel or it
ceased to exist?

Or use
CALL OTHER.BAT
which would contain the executable. The original .bat will suspend
execution until OTHER.BAT returns.



I see that's true, I pulled out some old DOS books thinking the method
was worth a re-look. I see you've fixed the script, which should work
better in the newer OS for what he wanted, and is a heck of a lot simpler.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.org/ref/windows-main.htm
Windows Info, Diagnostics, Security, Networking
http://peoplescounsel.org
The "real world" of Law, Justice, and Government
___---

On 05/07/2010 08:43 PM, Bill Blanton wrote:
On 5/7/2010 13:24, MEB wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:40 PM, Bill in Co. wrote:
Does anyone know how to do this in a DOS batch file?

So instead, I'm creating a batch file to run (call up) that program,
so that
when I close the program, I want the batch file to send the "S"
character to
the keyboard buffer automatically, so I don't have to type it in each
and
every time.


Wouldn't you need to setup a loop based upon errorlevels and with a
pause [waiting for the close return] or timed [repeating the test after
a defined period], and then send con the ansii 115 {s} with a
return/enter when your application returned the closed errorlevel or it
ceased to exist?

Or use
CALL OTHER.BAT
which would contain the executable. The original .bat will suspend
execution until OTHER.BAT returns.



I see that's true, I pulled out some old DOS books thinking the method
was worth a re-look. I see you've fixed the script, which should work
better in the newer OS for what he wanted, and is a heck of a lot simpler.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.org/ref/windows-main.htm
Windows Info, Diagnostics, Security, Networking
http://peoplescounsel.org
The "real world" of Law, Justice, and Government
___---