Northcode's Runtime.exe verses Proxy.exe

Me again. I have noticed that the no timeout proxy will execute commands in the batch file at any time, but I still am having a time-related problem in that if my first program doesn't terminate within so many seconds, the second program will run, but without the focus in it so that you have to click on it with the mouse to make it the active window that accepts keyboard input. Problem is my application is sort of a kiosk-type use that will not have any mouse. Again, this approach works fine when I just call the batch file, but I get the ugly DOS window.

Any idea why this is?

As a point of interest, I tried getting around this problem by putting into the batch file a call to another renamed proxy.exe (Test.exe) to launch the second appl., so:

Batchfile.exe and Test.exe are both no-timeout copies of proxy.exe and:

Batchfile.bat has:
Appl1.exe
Test.exe

and Test.bat has:
Appl2.exe

So then I run Batchfile.exe and what then happens is that Appl1.exe runs and after a few seconds Appl2.exe starts even though the first process Appl1 hasn't yet stopped. So, I am not sure why the second line (Test.exe) of the batch file is being executed because I am not using the start command.

Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure what's happening with the focus issues but I may have a solution. Instead of just starting your second application, you can use my ncstart utility to launch it and make it the topmost window at the same time. The are examples and intructions in the ZIP file. If making the window topmost is not enough to resolve the focus issues, I can add a new argument to set the focus as well ;)

Well, I tried ncstart with the /t option and it does start my program as the top window (instead of being behind another window), but it is still not the active window so none of the keyboard input goes to it. :confused:

I did verify again that the no timeout proxy.exe will launch the second application with the focus in it if you terminate the first application within so many seconds, but will start the second application without the focus in it if you wait longer than that.

Tim, I sent you an email the other day, but thought I'd include my message here in case the other got spam-blocked. Sorry if I seem to be pestering you.

I was just wondering if you can add the argument you mentioned in your last post in this thread to force the focus into the program being launched?

I still haven't found anyway to do it while using proxy.exe.

I realize that no one has posted in this thread for a while, but I found it through google and I'm desperately in need of some help. I'm trying to launch a powerpoint slideshow from a flash projector file. I have the powerpoint viewer.exe on the disc, I just need to tell it what file to open with it. Since we can't use parameters in flash, I downloaded the proxy.exe solution.

However, I can't seem to get anything to happen when I run proxy.exe from my projector file. At first I thought it was the coding with my .bat file, but even when I just put: Start play.pdf in the .bat file nothing happens. If I manually run proxie, the pdf will open, but I'm not getting anything from flash, which leads me to believe I must be calling it wrong. Here's the code I have on my button:

on (release) {
fscommand("exec", "play.exe");
}

the .bat file is also in the fscommand folder and is named play.bat. Like I said, if I manually double click on the play.exe my powerpoint viewer launches and the slideshow begins.

I also tried copying the code used in the example file that came with proxy:

on (release)
{

cmd = "play.exe";
fscommand("exec", cmd);

}

And that also doesn't work. If anyone has any suggestions for what I'm doing wrong, I'd really appreciate it because I'm coming up very quickly on my deadline and this is the only thing that isn't working.

The easiest way to set things up is to put the BAT file, the renamed proxy.EXE file and the PDF you want to open in the fscommand folder beside your projector (your projector does NOT go in the fscommand folder).

If you're using Vista you might want to have a look at Fixing the Windows Start Comman in Vista on my blog.

I'm on XP, so it's not a vista problem. And as far as I can tell, I have my set-up exactly as you described. My projector file is in my root folder and the proxy.exe, .bat file, and pdf or slideshow files are all in the fscommand folder. But I'm not getting anything at all when I click on the button calling the proxy.exe. The whole proxy setup seems to be working fine on it's own, but I just can't seem to get flash to call it correctly.

Then are you 100% SURE the code on your button is getting called? Put some code in the button release along with the fscommand that changes something on the stage so you KNOW its being called. If that doesn't work, ZIP it all up and send it to me at [email protected] and I'll take a peek at it for you. Just send a test FLA that launches the EXE file, I don't want to dig through your entire FLA :)

If I put in a geturl command to open the pdf, the pdf does open. There's something about the fscommand function that isn't working.

I'll send you a test file. Thanks for your help!

You're using version 1.0 of the proxy utility that you probably downloaded from a link here at FlashKit. My blog has the latest copy of proxy that works with Flash CS3.

hi northcode, as u can see im new at this, and i was really impressed with your other work which yes i have now implemented and have working.

i just wanted to know if it was possible to copy a whole folder to the desktop or unzip a .rar file in the process of copying it to the desktop.

if you could help me in this i would really appriciate it.

thanks in advance

jamen_from_uni

Anything you can do in a BAT file can be kicked off from Flash. So as long as you have a command line tool that does what you need (like pkunzip.exe) then you can just put the call in a BAT file and EXEC that BAT file from Flash. Once you get that working you can clean it up and make it pretty using proxy.

um i hate to sound dumb but any code you could share to get this working would be greatlly appriciated. i dont know what you ment by pkunzip. was that a exe file or something i had to write in.

sorry im just not that good at this, and need it to finish off this project im doing.

Ok i just googled the PKunzip and got an exe file. however it will not work on my computer because i am runnig a 64 bit system. do you know a link that would allow me to download a 64bit one. and then how will i put it on the desktop, then unzip it.

this is what really confuses me

You'll need a 64-bit compatible version of a zip/unzip tool that allows you to run it from the command line. Be warned that not all your users will have 64-bit systems so you need to find a solution that works with 32 and 64-bit systems. The old pkzip/pkunzip utilities were 16-bit DOS (command line only) apps which is why they may not work properly on your 64-bit system, although the WOW (Windows on Windows) layer should kick in when you try to start one of those old applications. Alternatives compression utilities you can try are 7-zip or winrar.