Re: DOS Automatic DOS Keystroke tool [XARC 4569]



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Number   :  4569
Date     :  2003-05-11
Author   :  yodaslo
Subject  :  Re: DOS Automatic DOS Keystroke tool
Size(KB) :  4


Hello,
Meir wrote-
>You know the keystrokes 
>in advance? Why not just 
put them in a .bat file?

Well, I know the keystrokes,
since the DOS program works on 
menus, but I don't know enough DOS
to do so. 

Simply
1- open the program ps.bat
2- type the numeric password- 140 & hit enter
3- type my user name- rp & hit enter
4- type the reports menu- 6 & hit enter
5- hit the down arrow twice & hit enter
6- type in YESTERDAYS numeric date & hit enter
7- type in the letter D and hit enter
8- type in the file name to print to- trans.txt & hit enter
9- when report FINISHES, hit escape
10- hit escape again

It's the same day after day, and I need the report by the next 
morning. The report takes a while to finish, it has to be backed up 
before printing (xxcopy), which is why automation is wanted

I can open the DOS program from a bat, but get it to enter keystroke 
into the program when it opens? That's new to me.

Either way, I still have to pull yesterdays date out of the bat,
which is a big question, and would have to let it when the dos report 
is done, or just enter a 30 minute pause, in order to escape out of 
the program.

I will look into your answer and suggestions further, and I thank you 
for the time you took to reply.

Rich

--- In xxcopy@yahoogroups.com, meirman@e... wrote:
> At 03:28 AM 5/11/03 -0000, yodaslo wrote:
> >Hello,
> >I realize this only involes 
> >xxcopy in my instance, but 
> >having failed at locating a 
> >program which enters keystrokes 
> >into a dos window program 
> >automatically, I thought I'd 
> >ask the group.
> >
> >I am trying to automate a 
> >task (print a report from DOS POS 
> >Program) which takes too much time 
> >to do by hand daily. I would like 
> >to set it up to print the report 
> >daily, so that xxcopy can back it 
> >up nightly, yet keystokes have to 
> >be entered to tell the program what 
> >report details I want. I managed to 
> >get the xxcopy part of it working once the
> > report completes, but I can't get the 
> >report part.
> >
> >I've test a couple of programs designed to automate keystrokes in 
> >programs that run in DOS or a DOS window, but all have been 
extremely 
> >difficult to implement due to a lack of a "record keystrokes" 
> >capability for the DOS area. 
> 
> You've posted before, but I certainly can't remember what version 
of DOS
> you are using.
> 
> >I've tried AutoIt, Automate5, and Fabsoft's Shortcut, and one more 
I 
> >can't remember the name of, and although Shortcut would do the 
job, 
> >you had to enter the date of the report by hand in the DOS 
program, 
> >which defeats the purpose.
> 
> I must admit that I don't understand the question, in general or as 
it
> pertains to Shortcut. If you mean you have to enter the current 
date, I
> haven't tried the last suggestion given to me on the newsgroup, 
alt.msdos,
> but it may work. (ok, I just tried it and it doesn't work for 
me.) If
> not, 4DOS, definitely does it easily. 
> 
> 
> And for everyone reading, someone on the newsgroup alt.msdos has a 
way to
> do everything I've asked about in straight DOS 6 iiuc. The problem 
is that
> I never understand his answers, but maybe you or the other guys 
here will
> (and since I have 4DOS, I'm just not that motivated) All his 
answers are
> similar in style, so I figure once I get the hang of them, they 
will all
> fall into place, but I haven't spent enough time on them yet, and 
no time
> copying them in and actually executing them. (they will all need a 
bit of
> customizing, and I'm stubbornly insisting on understanding them in 
advance.)
> 
> Rather than print his whole answer regarding retrieving the date 
and time,
> here is the message ID:  
If you
> go to groups.google.com, and then to advanced search, and then 
enter this
> in the message-id field and click, you should get back his answer 
to my
> question: "Is there a way within a .bat file to retrieve the system 
date
> and the system time?"
> 
> I will give his signature, which includes pointers to a lot of DOS 
bat
> resources, including his online instruction. I've only done a 
little of
> that too, but I think if I started from the beginning of bat files, 
it
> might explain what I said above I didn't understand:
> 
> > Learn to write Batch Files on your Win95/98/ME PC. Free, 
interactive
> > Web Course. Syllabus and Index to Lessons: 
http://www.allenware.com/
> > Batch Library StudyPacks: http://www.allenware.com/find?
BatchLibrary
> > For up-to-date Batch-related links: 
http://www.fpschultze.de/bss.htm
> 
> 
> Someone else also replied to my question about current date/time 
with
> http://purl.oclc.org/net/Batfiles/ Item number 6 of FAQ 1.
> 
> 
> >Anyone here using such a program to automate keystrokes in DOS or 
a 
> >DOS window?
> 
> You know the keystrokes in advance? Why not just put them in 
a .bat file?
> 
> >Thanks
> >Rich
> 
> Meir 
> 
> meirman@e... Baltimore, MD, USA



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