Run programs from button screen

[DEN19]

Right .. so that's just some sort of start-up process, which creates the other one. Hence the problem.

I assume, then, that "pdc.exe" is gone by the time WideClient tries to terminate it?

When I watch the process tab whilst starting FDC it supports your comment. FDC.exe runs when I click on the short cut (and the splashscreen is displayed), but only for a second then Flightdeck_Companion.exe starts and fdc.exe disappears.

Is it possible to direct the CloseKey function to Flightdeck_Companion.exe instead?

I suppose therefore that none of the facilities offered by WideFS to send stuff to it would work?

I'll try a few other thing, but I suspect you are right on that.

Regards

Den

[Pete Dowson]

Is it possible to direct the CloseKey function to Flightdeck_Companion.exe instead?

Not the close facility, no, because I've no way of knowing its process ID or Window handle. I can only suggest trying one of the ways to send it a keypress combination to close it, like Ctrl+C or one of the Alt combinations which Windows provides to close apps. You'd direct the keypress via the class-name option as already mentioned.

If there's no way to get that working in a suitable manner, maybe I can look at a way of finding its process ID or its main top level window by using the EXE name. Not sure how to do that at present. Obviously Task Manager can do it, but I don't know if that's something an ordinary application can do.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

If there's no way to get that working in a suitable manner, maybe I can look at a way of finding its process ID or its main top level window by using the EXE name. Not sure how to do that at present. Obviously Task Manager can do it, but I don't know if that's something an ordinary application can do.

Okay. Never one to ignore a challenge, I think I've cracked it, but you'll need to try it on FDC.

Please download the new WideClient:

http://fsuipc.simflight.com/beta/WideClient6823.zip

I've documented the new facilities in the Updates announcement, as follows:

9. The Program Close facilities have been extended to cope with a variety of different ways applications can be designed to apparently defeat the simple sending of Windows "Close" messages or even the operation of the process termination ("KILL") method.

The first and easiest option is to use the keyword "Last" instead of "Yes" or "Kill" as the value for the relevant Close... parameter. Instead of seeking to close all the top level windows of the application in order, it merely closes the LAST visible one. Since Windows appears to enumerate an applications windows in reverse order of creation, this should usually find the first one.

The second, which may be needed with applications which start off as one process (the named EXE in the "Run" line), but then create another process (i.e. run another EXE) of which, of course, WideClient is then unaware. If it is that new process which needs closing, WideClient needs to be told its name. You do this by adding the EXE name (or the whole pathname if there's likely to be any ambiguity), to the Close parameter, after the "Yes", "Kill" or "Last" part. For example:

Close1=Kill,"Flightdeck_Companion.exe", or possibly

Close1=Yes,"Flightdeck_Companion.exe"

for FDC, which seems to be one such application. (Note: it has not yet been verified that either method works on FDC). The outside quotation marks (") are optional, but certainly needed if you want to add any comments to the line.

I just need you to try it and let me know, please.

Regards

Pete

[DEN19]

Pete

Just seen your latest post. Been a bit busy today,we have recently moved house and SWMBO has had me with a paint brush in my hand all day and I've just sat down and opened up the laptop.

Will try it tomorrow and let you know.

Regards

Den (still spotted white!)

[DEN19]

IT WORKS! :D :D :D

Both the CloseKey=Kill,"Flightdeck_companion.exe" version CloseKey=Yes,"Flightdeck_companion.exe" works perfectly. I thought that the Yes option may be problematic as FDc puts up an "Are you Sure" box when you click on the Windows X button, but it doesn't do this when closed by Wideclient. That's why I thought it might need to Kill parameter so I tried that first.

Thanks again for your determination to not let it beat you.

I've now removed the mouse and keyboard from my instrument pc and can control everything I need from button Screen on the touch screen.

Just a thought, I seem to remember from somewhere that you have 7 pcs in your sim.How do you manage, do you have 7 mice and 7 keyboards?

Regards

Den

[Pete Dowson]

IT WORKS! :D :D :D

Good!

Just a thought, I seem to remember from somewhere that you have 7 pcs in your sim.How do you manage, do you have 7 mice and 7 keyboards?

No. There are no such things in the cockpit. All except the two external PCs run programs which either need no direct attention when running (like Project Magenta instrumentation) or which can be handled via things like KeySend keypresses. I only need to get at them with keyboard/mouse emulations to set things up or change things, and VNC handles that from a PC with such accoutriments. See http://www.realvnc.com . Project Magenta's "pmStartUp" program takes care of automatically updating programs from a central depository.

Regards

Pete

[DEN19]

I only need to get at them with keyboard/mouse emulations to set things up or change things, and VNC handles that from a PC with such accoutriments. See http://www.realvnc.com .

I use tightVNC which is similar and is freeware.

Thanks again Pete

Den