RunAProgram
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The problem: you want a program to run on a windows PC as a result of something that happens on your Windows or Unix-based server. It's usually less of an issue to have a Unix server run something on a Unix client, or Windows server to Windows client - there's plenty of built in ways for that to work. So we'll just consider a Windows PC with a network connection (LAN,WAN or VPN) to a Unix server.
For this to work "something", some program, has to be running on the PC.
0) TerminalEmulators
The most common "something" is a terminal emulator and they pretty much all allow you to send an escape sequence and fire off a program. If you want the program to run in response to something the user did on the server, this is the most straightforward way to do it. Also, if you have a serial connection, this is probably the only option.
- wIntegrate:
Use the WIN.PCRUN command installed on the server, CALL WIN.PCRUN(COMMAND,ARGS)
To execute a command and return to PICK/BASIC immediately:
PRINT CHAR(27):CHAR(2):"<":command:CHAR(13)
To execute a command and wait for the command to terminate before returning to PICK/BASIC:
PRINT CHAR(27):CHAR(2):">":command:CHAR(13)
See AccuTerm help for details: From the Help Introduction, see AccuTerm Programming. Also see Help on Object Bridge.
More examples are at AccuTermFileTransfer.
?
- Powerterm:
PRINT CHAR(27):"$tS":COMMAND:CHAR(27):"\"
- Netterm:
Start/run the program specified by COMMAND.
CRT CHAR(27):"[]":COMMAND:CHAR(27):"[1*
Send the URL to the client's WWW browser for processing.
CRT CHAR(27):'[]':URL:CHAR(27):'[0*'
Start/run the program specified by COMMAND and wait till it terminates. COMMAND can contain both the program to run and command line arguments.
CRT CHAR(27):"[]":COMMAND:CHAR(27):"[9*"
Start the program associated with the extension contained within FILENAME.
CRT CHAR(27):"[]":FILENAME:CHAR(27):"[12*
1) Doit
Doit is a small utility program that installs a tray applet on the client. The server sends it the path of a file to open.
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/doit/
2) Install rcmd
Either from the windows resource kit, or purchase it from mks. You can then issue an rcmd from the unix side.
http://www.dynawell.com/support/ResKit/winnt.asp
http://www.mkssoftware.com/support/kb/faqs.asp?product=Toolkit&type=tech#art140
3) Install or turn on a telnet server
W2K/XP come with a telnet server, or you can purchase one. Then use http://expect.nist.gov to script the login/command process.
4) Install an SSH server
Just like Telnet, only secure!
http://tech.erdelynet.com/cygwin-sshd.html
5a) Write a small server program
Have the program listen on a predefined port. There are obvious security issues here, but with a little handwaving we can move past them :-)
Recent U2 products can create socket connections from basic and connect to the server. Sample code for this is at BasicSocketClient.
Here's a stripped down example of a server in Python:
urlserver.py
import SocketServer
import os
class UrlHandler(SocketServer.StreamRequestHandler):
def handle(self):
url=self.rfile.readline(512)
print "opening "+url
os.system("start "+url)
server=SocketServer.TCPServer( ('', 79), UrlHandler)
server.serve_forever()
On the pc, type "python urlserver.py" to start the server up, then from another machine, "telnet pc-address 79" and then type the url to go to - the client will open up a browser and go to that address.
5b) ...and here's another in VBScript
urlserver.vbs
Option Explicit
' Heavily cribbed from the amazing 4K webserver at:
' http://www.interclasse.com/scripts/4KWebServer.php
Dim oSck
On Error Resume Next
Err.Number=0
Set oSck=WScript.CreateObject("MSWinsock.Winsock","s_")
Select Case Err.Number
Case 0
case &H80040112
echo "No licence found. Install Visual Studio"
case &H80020009
echo "ActiveX Winsock not in the registry, check if installed or use regsvr32"
Case else
echo "Error " & Err.Number & " - &H" & Hex(Err.Number) & " - " & Err.Description
End Select
On Error Goto 0
oSck.LocalPort=79
oSck.Listen
echo "Listening on port " & oSck.LocalPort
Do
' Sleep for 2 seconds
WScript.sleep 2000
Loop
Sub echo(S)
WScript.Echo Now & " " & S
End Sub
Sub s_ConnectionRequest(Byval requestID)
oSck.Close
echo oSck.RemoteHostIP & " - Connection request:" & requestID
oSck.Accept requestID
End Sub
Sub s_Close
oSck.Close
echo "closed - re-listening"
oSck.Listen
End Sub
Sub s_[[SendComplete]]
oSck.close
oSck.Listen
End Sub
Sub s_Error(ByVal N, D, ByVal C, ByVal S, ByVal F, ByVal H, Y)
echo "Error" & N & " - " & D
oSck.Close
oSck.Listen
End Sub
Sub s_DataArrival(Byval b)
Dim S,sh
S=""
oSck.GetData S
S=left(S,len(S)-2)
S=left(S,512)
echo S
set sh = createobject("wscript.shell")
on error resume next
sh.run "cmd /c start " & S
on error goto 0
oSck.Close
oSck.Listen
End Sub
On the PC, type "cscript urlserver.vbs" to start the server up, then from another machine, "telnet pc-address 79" and then type the url to go to - the client will open up a browser and go to that address.
6) Have a polling program on the client
If the client and the server share access to a directory (via samba or NFS for example), the server can drop a file in the common directory and a program running on the client can watch for new files. When one is found it can read the file and perform some action based on the contents. Here's a VB example:
Private Sub Form_Load()
txtScheduleNum.Enabled = False
cboCategory.Enabled = False
cmdOK.Enabled = False
cmdPreview.Enabled = False
Label1.Enabled = False
Label3.Enabled = False
Me.Show
' Start the poll right away
Timer1_Timer
End Sub
Private Sub [[Timer1_Timer]]()
TxtLog.ForeColor = vbBlack
LogMsg "Checking c:\batch"
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set dir = fso.GetFolder("C:\BATCH")
For Each file In dir.Files
If LCase(Right(file.Name, 3)) = "pdf" Then
Timer1.Enabled = False
TxtLog.Enabled = False
fstr = file.Name
hpsname = Left(fstr, Len(fstr) - 3) & "hps"
justname = Left(fstr, Len(fstr) - 3)
LogMsg fstr
Label1.Enabled = True
Label3.Enabled = True
cboCategory.Enabled = True
cmdOK.Enabled = True
cmdPreview.Enabled = True
' Enable some controls and do something with the file
txtScheduleNum.SetFocus
Exit For
End If
Next
End Sub
7) Consider using a solution created specifically to solve the problem
(Ad) The following link goes to the Nebula R&D forum where an offering is discussed and a link is provided to a blog entry for more information. As of the time of this writing the software is fully usable but is not being offered as a product simply for lack of demand. That situation can change with a compelling business case. http://nebula-rnd.com/forum/index.php/topic,51.0.html (/Ad)
A general description of this approach, not specific to the Nebula solution, would be to write a PC program in your favourite language (.Net, Java, Flex for example), that runs on the PC and makes periodic calls to a Pick program using whatever technology makes sense for your Pick variety. In the U2 world, this would be UniObjects, though a web services call that hides the connection details from the client, and be much more likely to work through firewalls, would make more sense.
Note: this is not exactly the problem we are trying to solve on this page. The problem is "how do I run a program on the client side, on demand from a Pick program?" The polling solutions presented suffer from a lag between something happening on the server and a program running on the client.
Running a program on the server from outside
Connectivity to MV is discussed many places in this wiki and any language can be used to execute BASIC business rules and return a result. A unique freeware program called MV Exec uses mv.NET to run any query, any command, any program on a MV server from any PC.
TODO: Expand on this topic with info about D3 compile to executable with G option, UDT, notes about unique jBASE exe/dll design...
