I'm trying to automate a VB6 build where different apps are built from the same source by:
Changing "Conditional Compilation Arguments".
"Make Project" to a different executable name.
I can do part of this on the command line:
VB6.EXE /m Project.VBP /d BUILD_OTHER_APP=1
but the executable still has the name "Project.exe". If I rename the .EXE it stops working (doesn't seem to run). VB6 doesn't seem to have a command line option to set the executable name and I can't get round this problem with renaming.
I'm using VB6 on Win7 32-bit.
If you run VB6 /? from the command line a dialog box pops up to tell you all the options, and no, it seems that there isn't an option to specify the output filename.
I can't as yet see any reason for a rename to stop an executable working, but I'll try this later on today on Win XP.
The other workaround to renaming is to move the executables into folders of different names and create shortcuts or batch files of different names to call the correct executable.
edit: I'm working on Win XP and these two solutions are available to me:
Rename the executable - You might be able to develop on XP and run on Win7?
Add the .exe name to the build command line. This does override the .vbp:
VB6 /m Project1 /d conHello=-1 Hello.exe
VB6 /m Project1 /d conHello=0 World.exe
The hack that we are forced to do to create a different named output (and to change other aspects of the project) is to create a copy of the VBP (Project_tmp.vbp), and then change the name in the copy and build from that copy.
Related
When the Java runtime is installed on a Windows PC, a folder C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath is created. It contains javaw.exe a SYSMLINK (not a .lnk file) to javaw.exe for the current verion of Java, such as C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_51\bin\javaw.exe.
This link can be used from the command line, and also in the registry (handy to add right click actions on files in explorer).
However if I create a shortcut (.lnk) file and set the properties/target to run a java program, I have to use the proper path to javaw, for example:
"C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_51\bin\javaw.exe" -cp S:\JavaClasses\production\WindowsTools Clippo /NS
If I use the SYMLINK file, when I double click on the .lnk shortcut a dialog asks me which program I would like to use to open the file.
Keeping the proper path in the shortcut is a pain, because when a new version of Java is installed and the old version removed, I have to update the links.
I could make my own hard link, and then I would only have to change that after updating Java, but is there a way to use the links provided by Oracle?
I realise I could use cmd /C, but I don't want a console flashing up (hence I am using javaw.exe and not java.exe
It appears that as well as the SYMLINK, a direct exe is placed in C:\Windows\System32 so I can just use:
C:\Windows\System32\javaw.exe -cp S:\JavaClasses\production\WindowsTools Clippo /NS
as the target in the .lnk shortcut file.
EDIT
Having read Harry Johnston's comment below this is not an ideal answer, thus if anyone knows the answer to the original question of using a SYMLINK, I'd be interested to know.
I'm in Windows 7. I have an executable. I put it somewhere. I put this location in my path. Now I can start it from anywhere using cmd. I have a different location where I work containing files the .exe will process. I shift right-click to open cmd in the work location. I can run the exe, but the exe starts in its own location and can't find the files. If I were to create a windows shortcut to it, I would get a "start in" field, which would work. But I do this a lot from many different locations and I don't want to create a shortcut in each location. How do I do this on the command line without creating a shortcut? It would be great if I could just run something like
progam /startin .
What is the actual syntax?
#echo off
setlocal
pushd "c:\where\you\want\to\start"
programname
popd
This is the basic structure.
My goal is to add a few executables to my PATH (for example, chrome), so that I can call
> chrome
from the command prompt and it will launch Chrome.
I know I could add Chrome's containing directory to my path (set PATH=%PATH%<chrome_path_here>;), but since I have a few executables I want to add, I'd rather make a new bin directory that contains symbolic links to the actual executables and just add that single directory to my PATH.
The Chrome executable is located at
C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
So I tried
> mklink chrome.exe "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
That successfully creates a symbolic link for the files (says so in output, and upon examining with > dir). I know my PATH is set up correctly, b/c when I run > where chrome it finds my new symbolic link.
However, when I try to execute chrome with my new link, nothing happens. A new empty window should appear, but nothing happens. No error message in the command prompt or anything.
What am I doing wrong? Am I misunderstanding symlinks in Windows? This is the approach I use in Linux all the time, but I'm new to Windows Cmd.
Thanks!
Most programs will not run from places other than they install location - which is exactly what happens when you try to run it from symlink.
It would be much easier to create CMD/BAT files in that folder with matching names which will launch programs from locations you want:
REM chrome.cmd
start /b cmd /c "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" %*
With Windows 7 I confirm that symlinks do not work, are simply ignored as reported in the original question.
As Harry states in his comment, shortcuts do work, and to me are simpler and easier than writing a separate script for each new command I want to enable under CMD.
He states that you need to add .lnk to your PATHEXT variable in order to do this. I affirm that this does work, and with .lnk added to PATHEXT I can simply enter the name portion of the shortcut to run the command. For example if my shortcut is named "sublime.lnk" and PATHEXT includes .lnk, I can execute the link with the simple command "sublime". Nice!
As an alternative I found that PATHEXT need not be modified if I simply type in the full name of the shortcut, including the .lnk, at my CMD prompt. E.g., I created a shortcut named "sublime.lnk" under %HOMEPATH%/bin, pointing to "C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 2\sublime_text.exe".
Now by placing %HOMEPATH%\bin in my %PATH% I can run sublime via the command "sublime.lnk".
Either of the above are the best way I know of giving access to various commands from around Windows' filesystem from a CMD prompt. I'm not a Windows expert though, and welcome a better or more standardized solution to this problem.
P.S.: I just found out the hard way that you need to ensure the "Start in:" property of any shortcut you use in this fashion is blanked out, or your program will not start in the directory you invoke the shortcut from.
P.P.S.: On a related note, I discovered how to run Windows Explorer (or its replacement) on the directory your CMD session is logged in to: start ..
I realize this is going to be an exotic question, but I just can't find the answer.
I'm trying to fix up and enhance an old visual basic-based application.
My problem is: where is the output directory with the compiled binaries?
Thanks.
If some clarification is needed, please ask.
In the .VBP, if there is a line specifying the path like this
Path32="C:\"
Then the resulting EXE will be built at that location. Otherwise, it will be built in the same directory as the .VBP file. The path can be relational as well and may not be a fully qualified path.
I think you want the /outdir switch. This overrides the Path32 setting in the Project file.
VB6[.EXE] [[{/run | /r}] | [/runexit] | [{/make | /m}] projectname]
[/out filename] [/outdir path] [/d const=value{[:constN=valueN]}]
[/mdi | /sdi] [{/cmd argument | /c argument}]
Options:
/run or /r projectname Tells Visual Basic to compile projectname and run it,
using the arguments stored in the Command Line
Arguments field of the Make tab of the Project
Properties dialog box.
/runexit projectname Tells Visual Basic to compile projectname and run it.
Visual Basic will exit when the project returns to
design mode.
/make or /m projectname Tells Visual Basic to compile projectname and make an
executable file from it, using the existing settings
stored in the project file.
/out filename Specifies a file to receive errors when you build using
/m or /runexit. If you do not use /out, command line
bild errors are displayed in a message box.
/outdir path Specifies a directory path to place all output files in
when using /make. This path must already exist.
/d or /D const=value... Tells Visual Basic which values to use for conditional
compilation constants when making an .EXE or ActiveX
component with the /make switch. Separate multiple
constants with colons.
/cmd or /c argument Specifies a command string to be passed to the Command$
function. When used, it must be the last switch on the
command line.
/mdi or /sdi Changes the Visual Basic environment to either Single
Document Interface (SDI) or Multiple Document Interface
(MDI) mode. Visual Basic remains in this mode until
you change it.
/? Displays a list of valid command line switches.
You may use a group name in place of projectname in any of the above switches.
Works fine here.
There is no equivalent 'bin/lib' output directory for VB6. When you compile a VB6 project, the default is to compile to the same folder as the project (vbp file). It is also possible to compile to any other folder available to the user.
i am using 'Bat to Exe Converter' to convert my batch files to exe format.
Now, i am running into some problems.
Whenever i convert something, and i set 'Working Directory' to 'Current Directory', and i start my exe in echo on mode, this is what i end up with to check if there is a specific file in the directory of my exe:
the actual command: if not exist "%~dp0\file.txt" goto :nofile
output: if not exist "C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\Temp\4CBC\\file.txt" goto :nofile
Can anyone help me with this? I don't want it in the temp directory, i want it to be in the directory of my exe.
Thanks.
Without having Bat to Exe changed by the author, I think you have two options:
Remove the need for accessing %~dp0
Perhaps you can merge file.txt with the include option of Bat to Exe into the EXE file. If so, "file.txt" will automatically be unpacked in the current directory when running your compiled exe, and you can it access by %CD%\file.txt.
Get %~dp0 from outside and pass it to the exe as a command line parameter.
This can be done by a simple starter bat file that resides in the same directory as your compiled main batch file. This script schould contain the line
YourCompiled.Exe %~dp0% %%*
Your compiled exe then gets its directory from %1. So you cannot pack everything into one exe, but the main portion of it, perhaps that is sufficient for you.
Well, apparently your batch to exe converter simply packs the batch file and extracts it to a temporary directory prior to execution. Very simplistic, hard to get wrong (compared to actually understand the batch file) but it introduces errors such as the one you're describing.
Your best bet is probably to use another batch to exe converter; some of them are actually a little more sophisticated.
Generally, this is not a good idea. firstly, its prone to errors and instability of the converter on different cmd features. secondly, a determined hacker can still decode what you are doing with the batch. My suggestion, if you are so afraid of people looking into your batch,
1) let only the people who are authorized to use your batch to use it
2) give them the correct permissions.
OR, don't use batch at all
1) create a central interface such as a web interface, where all tasks to be done goes through that interface, like using an ATM machine where only buttons are allowed and all the available user options can be done by pushing buttons...etc..
2) authenticate your users through a central authentication system, eg Active Directory, or LDAP or a database.
This is an 2.5 yr old subject but there is an answer to this so I'm posting for anyone else that happens to find this in a search.
B2EC written by Fatih Kodak, has an option to "Submit current directory".
When this is used, you can reference %1 in your batch file to get the path of the EXE that was executed (instead of the path of the extracted BAT that is really being run).
Hovering over that option in the UI shows "Submit the current working directory as the last parameter". The "last parameter" in my use has always been %1 but you can test your code to be sure.
The latest version, 2.1.4 at time of writing, of Bat to Exe by Fatih Kodak creates an Environmental Variable at runtime that can be substituted in place of %~dp0 to reference the Exe's path. Therefore, you can simply replace %-dp0 with %b2eprogrampathname% in the original batch file.
You can use external folders with f2ko's batch to exe converter. Having
a separate folder for subroutines can neaten up a project folder.
To call mysubroutine that is located in mysubroutinesfolder\mysubroutine,
...
pushd mysubroutinesfolder
call mysubroutine
popd
...
The call can be made a one liner:
call xqt mysubroutine
where xqt.cmd is a program that does the call for you:
pushd mysubroutinesfolder
call %*
popd
exit /b
(the %* means "all of the arguments").
In this way your batch programs run as batch, and UNMODIFIED they will
compile with the bat to exe converter, creating a completely folder independent executable. Select "temporary directory",
and include all of the subroutines/executables in your mysubroutines folder
by "selecting them all" with your cursor as usual, then hit "copy".
Be sure to include the xqt.cmd program too; place it "outside" of your mysubroutines folder. Make sure that is is accessible by your main program. Remember to select x64 if you
are runnning on a x64 machine, or the executable will not find SYSTEM32
files. You can find f2k0's batch to exe converter at:
http://www.f2ko.de/programs.php?pid=b2e
Try this development environment for batch scripts, Batch Compiler . It has everything you need to develop a batch program.And compile into stable stand alone executable (Exe).
Friendly user interface.
Debugger, Check your code for syntax errors.
Powerful, versatile compiler.
Allows mouse input in batch files.
Use Windows Common Dialog Boxes.(BrowseFiles,BrowseFolders)
Draw graphics in batch files.
Reverse engineering proof encryption of source code.
Include Company name, Copyright info and Version info.
Make invisible(silent) executables.
Executables with administrator privileges.
Run & debug your script while editing.
Embed resources with executable.(music,images,files)
Advance Commands (BrowseFiles,LaunchSilent,MouseCMD)
Stand-alone executables.No dependencies needed.
Executables are woking on almost all windows operating systems.(98 to 10)
Quick download : http://bc.gotek.info/files/BatchCompiler159.zip
Cheers!
%cd% will give you the current directory:
if not exist "%CD%\file.txt" goto :nofile
Use %CD% instead of %~dp0.
EDIT:
B2EC is not a real converter. Creation location of equipped .cmd file was chosen to be %TEMP% and this is a good choice. Application just lacks 3rd option for working directory of the script - .exe file directory. I advise you to mail the author about adding this one.
Different paths for .exe and created .cmd lead to information loss, i.e. we are unable to know .exe directory and current directory at the same time without providing additional information to the script (e.g. using environment variable or passing it as first/last argument to the script). This script would need to handle it and we would end writing cmd scripts tailored for this converter, which is bad.
%~dp0 - script directory (%TEMP%/.../) - practically useless
%cd% - working directory (as set up in the converter) - currently there are only 2 options: current directory (working directory of .exe) and temporary directory (actually equal to %~dp0, but without trailing backslash)
I think it can be solved by patching cmd.exe instance in memory to change the script path, but that's B2EC developer's duty.
Side note: Normal executable files can be easily executed with specified 0th argument by providing appriopriate lpApplicationName and lpCommandLine to CreateProcess function. Command files are executed via cmd.exe, so 0th argument cannot be set this way.