Re: windows installer - vbs vs bat startup script

On Fri, 28 Aug 2020 at 13:33, JohnD <[email protected]> wrote:

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> *From:* Ian McCallion [mailto:[email protected]]
> *Sent:* Friday, August 28, 2020 3:24 AM
> *To:* JohnD
> *Cc:* John W. Eaton; Nicholas Jankowski; octave-maintainers
> *Subject:* Re: windows installer - vbs vs bat startup script
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> On Friday, 28 August 2020, JohnD <[email protected]> wrote:
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> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: John W. Eaton [mailto:[email protected]]
> > Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 11:49 AM
> > To: Nicholas Jankowski; JohnD
> > Cc: octave-maintainers
> > Subject: Re: windows installer - vbs vs bat startup script
> >
> > On 8/27/20 11:44 AM, Nicholas Jankowski wrote:
> > >     I wonder if the issue is trying to run the .vbs script, or trying
> to
> > >     run a program as hidden from another program ?____
> > >
> > >     __ __
> > >
> > >     If it just the general act of running a .vbs script , we could just
> > >     a small program using activex and call almost the same commands
> > >     from within it.
> > >
> > >
> > > if the issue with vbs files is the various, potentially conflicting,
> > > non-standard security protocols,  is activex any better? I wasn't aware
> > > it was supported outside of a browser environment.
> >
> > Does it need to be a script or could the same job be done with a
> > separate .exe program file that sets up the environment appropriately
> > and then execs the real Octave binary?
> >
> > jwe
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> Heres a launcher exe code that looks like will work. See comments in file
> for compiling.
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> It probally needs a little more work to ensure things don’t buffer run,
> and doesn’t do much error checking
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> It assumes its in the same directory as the octave executable and works
> out the paths from that.
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> Its pretty close to what is being done in the.vbs scrip, but in a
> different order for parts
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> Looks good John. If I may suggest octave-launcher.exe is always installed
> in the root folder for the release, independently of where the main exes
> get installed. This will avoid a potential cause of breakage between
> releases for user code that launches octave.
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> Cheers... Ian
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> Ok modded to expect to be in the root of the install directory where
> octave.vbs currently would reside.
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I confirm it works launching the GUI with no black window appearing.

When launching the CLI it works the same as the .vbs, i.e. it creates a new
window even if the launch is invoked from an existing commandline window.
The .bat file however runs Octave in the existing window, see the following:

rem this runs octave-cli in existing window
   call octave.bat --no-gui

rem all the following lines run octave-cli in new window
   start octave.bat  --no-gui
   call octave.vbs --no-gui
   start octave.vbs --no-gui
   call octave-launcher --no-gui
   start octave-launch --no-gui

The ideal would be for
   call octave-launcher --no-gui
to run octave-cli in existing window. I believe then that both .bat and
.vbs could then be deprecated or immediately deleted.

Cheers... Ian