Re: Trying to run VBScript from Cygwin

[Andrew DeFaria <Andrew at DeFaria dot com>]

steve dean wrote:
> > You are aware when you ssh (or rsh/telnet, etc) into a Windows box 
> > using Cygwin that you are using pty's and that many Windows programs 
> > don't like pty's.
> >
> > You might try re-writing that VBScript something more suitable for 
> > Cygwin like Perl or something like that.
> Thanks for the suggestion. I know very little about Perl but from what 
> I've seen whilst Excel will work the other programme (a CAD package) 
> won't. Have you any other ideas?
Huh? Perl is Perl. What does that have to with Excel or "a CAD 
package"?!? Are you trying to drive Excel or this CAD package via the 
script?

I assume you are and since you asked about VBScript I will further 
assume that perhaps the CAD package offers a VBScript interface? Well 
one thing you can do is ask the CAD package maker if they similar offer 
a Perl API. Also, I believe Perl can manipulate COM objects like 
VBScript objects. I'm not sure though. When it gets that Windows like 
and proprietary I usually opt out and tell them to use a more standard 
set of tools.
> I also appreciate that I am running GUI applications but intend to run 
> them in batch in the background and therefore don't need any display 
> to be visible. Not sure if this is an added problem or not. Ideally I 
> want to run everything on my linux box and then fire off an ssh to a 
> Windows box running cygwin to do the bits that don't exist on linux.
Understood. Just understand that some Windows oriented programs get 
confused when run attached to something like ssh or rxvt which uses ptys 
underneath. For example, I do Clearcase work (from IBM/Rational). It 
provides a command line tool called cleartool. When you run cleartool 
with no parms it prompts you for a command. On rxvt (or ssh, etc.) you 
don't see the prompt because it's written to something like /dev/con or 
something like that. The cleartool command also allows you to do 
cleartool <cmd> which just executes <cmd> under cleartool and exits. 
That's they way I use it anyway. But I'm very aware that if cleartool 
ever has to prompt me then I won't see the prompt. Luckily I usually 
just specify everything on the command line and we're both happy with that.

If you are running GUI apps in command mode (or just command apps) they 
may be confused when you are in a situation where you are using a pty. 
ssh/telnet, etc all use ptys. So does rxvt. So if it isn't working 
correctly try remote desktop into the other machine then run a plain 
bash shell in a cmd window and try it. If it works then then I would 
suspect you have a pty problem.
> Sorry about the disclaimer. Forgot it was going to be there. I've now 
> moved to a non-work address to stop it happening. Didn't see anything 
> that says it's against site policy so sorry.
While the disclaimer is now shorter, I alway abhor even the short ads to 
use MSN messenger or Yahoo whatever...

--

Andrew DeFaria <http://defaria.com>
He's not dead, he's electroencephalographically challenged.


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