Win/Batch: display progress of work

[lwkt]

Hi there,

I am using batch file to collect files generated by other application.

The elapse time of the collection process may take for 10 to 30 minutes depends
on the number of files generated.

I have told users to wait for the completion of process with following echo commands: -

===================================================

ECHO Collecting information... Please be patient...
ECHO.
ECHO Will take 10 to 30 minutes...

===================================================

Is it possible to display some work in progress message or
putting a continuous ...... sign on the screen during the running of collection process?

Thanks,
Thomas

[smeezekitty]

not without seeing your batch code

[lwkt]

Here is the code:

============================================
@ECHO OFF.
EXTRACT.exe "File *.txt" > "date_time*.txt"
rem
ECHO Collecting information... Please be patient...
ECHO.
ECHO Will take 10 to 30 minutes...
rem
pause
exit
===============================================

Please be noted that EXTRACT.exe is an
executable that use to collect required information
and translate to text files. It is come with a
proprietary application.

Thanks,
Thomas

[smeezekitty]

since the program is operating in the background
i dont think you can show progress
the best you can do is this have a spinning indicator like this
| then / then -- then \
even that would be hard
maybe salmon_trout aka virus accuser or batch file basics may help

[lwkt]

Sorry, it is a foreground process.
The correct code is: -

============================================
@ECHO OFF.

ECHO Collecting information... Please be patient...
ECHO.
ECHO Will take 10 to 30 minutes...
rem
EXTRACT.exe "File *.txt" > "date_time*.txt"
rem
pause
exit
===============================================

Spinning indicator is fine. At least it shows
the collection process is still running.

Thanks,
Thomas

[BatchFileBasics]

it should be pretty straight forward.
it would help if some one could extend my knowledge of making multi line variables...
"%var%" = Hello
               there

but this is what i got so far

Code: [Select]

@echo off
set msgg=Collecting information... Please be patient...
set dly=Ping localhost -n 2 -w 1000 ^>nul ^& cls
EXTRACT.exe "File *.txt" > "date_time*.txt"
:wait
%dly%
echo %msgg% \
%dly%
echo %msgg% ^|
%dly%
echo %msgg% /
%dly%
echo %msgg% -
goto wait
OOPS
new change of code, forgot most important piece "EXTRACT.exe "File *.txt" > "date_time*.txt""

[Salmon Trout]

Instead of passing a wildcard to Extract.exe and leaving it to finish, can't you pass every single file name you want it to process, one by one? If you counted them first, you could show a done/to do figure e.g. 1/127, then 2/127 then 3/127 etc (Or calculate percentage done)

[BatchFileBasics]

great idea 

sadly i must continue this is the morning

[smeezekitty]

try this

Code: [Select]

echo off
cls
set /A files=0
echo please wait a few min
for %%f in (*.txt) do set /A files=%%files+1
set /A _done=0
for %%x in (*.txt) do (
cls
EXTRACT.exe "File %%x" > "date_time%%x.txt"
echo %%_done of %%files done
set /A _done = %%_done+1
)


[Salmon Trout]

smeezekitty, a reasonable first effort.  But. you are getting ordinary %variables% and single letter loop variables confused. What kind of animal is %%files? And a bit of delayed expansion is needed too. Maybe you could try the script out on some dummy files before posting?

[smeezekitty]

i tired it
and it printed the variable name instead of printing there value
why is that?
it should have worked

[smeezekitty]

ok i think i got it figured out it seemed to work but i am not completely sure

Code: [Select]

echo off
cls
set /A files=0
echo please wait a few min
for %%f in (*.txt) do set /A files=%files%+1
set /A _done=0
for %%x in (*.txt) do (
cls
echo %_done% of %files% done
set /A _done=%_done%+1
EXTRACT.exe "File %%x" > "date_time%%x.txt"
)


[lwkt]

Thank you for your suggestions.

However, the number of files that Extract.exe would be generated were not constant.
The suggestions from Salmon and Smeezekitty are not fit for my case.

BatchFileBasics' suggestion sound interesting but the code
just putting my program into endless loop of spinning
indicator.  Any idea about the problem?

Thanks,
Thomas

[smeezekitty]

no
it should work
because it counts the files in the directory before it runs extract
meaning you could have 1 10 or 1000 files it would still work fine

[lwkt]

Smeezekitty,

Your code works perfect if we know the total number of files in the directory.

However,  the function of  Extract.exe is to extract data from some anolog logging devices and then convert to text files. The amount of files generated depends on the data that collected before the requested period.
Therefore, the number of files in the collected folder is unknown before Extract.exe is being run.

My purpose of using progress indicator is to indicate that process of collection and data convertion is still running. Telling user to be patient.

Thanks,
Thomas

[smeezekitty]

for %%f in (*.txt) do set /A files=%files%+1
this line is suppose to count the files before it starts
but i think i may know what you mean
and without the source code of extract.exe an a C compiler
i dont think waht you are asking for is possable

[lwkt]

Well, I have another idea.

At first I created a batch file that make use of BatchFileBasics' code.(say indicator.bat).

Then before I start to run Extract.exe, I spawn  a child process with separate DOS window and execute indicator.bat.
(The command may be START indicator.bat ... etc. Please suggest.)

When Extract.exe is finished, close the child process window.

Here is my program flow (the pseudo code portion still need to further elaborate into corresponding DOS commands): -

@echo off
REM
<pseudo code> spawn child window to run indicator.bat
REM
EXTRACT.exe "File *.txt" > "date_time*.txt"
REM
<pseudeo code> minimize main program DOS comand window
REM
REM After finish run of EXTRACT.exe
<pseudo code> close the child process
<pseudo code> restore the main program DOS command window
REM
ECHO done.
pause
exit

Is that feasible?

[Salmon Trout]

Rewrite extract.exe

[lwkt]

EXTRACT.exe come from an proprietary application, it is impossible to rewrite.

BTW, I think the new approach seems make sense, I know the way to start
a separate window to show the spinning indicator. The command is
"START indicator.bat".

But, I don't know how to stop that process after the completion of EXTRACT.exe
in main window.

Anyway, I just want to provide an indication to some inexperience users during the execution of the application. If no solution in Win/Batch, just let it be.

Thanks,
Thomas

[lwkt]

Just found that DOS command TASKKILL can kill process or application.

However, it seems that TASKKILL can only kill program that in .exe format.
That means I have to convert the indicator.bat file to indicator.exe then
spawn the program in the main DOS window.

When the collection process is finished. I can use the TASKKILL to kill
the indicator process.

Does this approach feasible?

[smeezekitty]

write a C program to do it

[Salmon Trout]

write a C program to do it

I guess you would be an expert in the D programming language.

[Salmon Trout]

[Moderated Message: Removed Post. Please keep it clean.]

[Helpmeh]

...
Taskkill cmd will work, but it will close all cmd.exe windows.

[wbrost]

...
Taskkill cmd will work, but it will close all cmd.exe windows.

this is true except if you use the PID of the process you are trying to kill. If you know the PID then you can just stop the specific process.

[lwkt]

The process I want to kill was spawn from a parent process. PID of the child process will change on each run of the parent process.

Is it possible to know the PID of a spawn process?

[billrich]

Tasklist will list the pid of all processes:


C:\>tasklist

Image Name                   PID
============== ======
System Idle Process            0
System                         4
smss.exe                     764
csrss.exe                   1112
winlogon.exe                1284
services.exe                1452
lsass.exe                   1512
svchost.exe                  572
svchost.exe                 1256

If each child has unique name, use findstr and then taskkill to kill number in second field.

good luck

[lwkt]

It is not possible to use PID as PID of the child process
sometimes is smaller and sometimes is larger than the
PID of the main program.

As checked from the help menu of taskkill, there is a
option of "windowtitle".

Therefore I tried to test with following code:

main program: -
@echo off
start "counter" counter.bat
:end
pause
exit

Child process (counter.bat): -
@echo off
set msgg=Collecting information... Please be patient...
set dly=Ping localhost -n 2 -w 1000 ^>nul ^& cls
:wait
%dly%
echo %msgg% \
%dly%
echo %msgg% ^|
%dly%
echo %msgg% /
%dly%
echo %msgg% -
goto wait
:end

When the child process was running in a CMD window with
title of "counter - counter.bat"

I issue the following command kill the child task:
D:/taskkill /fi "windowtitle eq counter - counter.bat" /im cmd.exe

It can kill the child process!!
Well, I think I can use this approach to display the progress of work.

O.K. Does anyone know the way to minimize the main program when the
child process is running and then resume the main program after the child process was being killed?

[billrich]

When you call the Child killer from the main batch, an exit /B  will return control back to the main batch.   An exit by itself will return control to windows.

<<<<"
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>exit  /?
Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter) or the current batch
script.

EXIT [/B] [exitCode]

  /B          specifies to exit the current batch script instead of
              CMD.EXE.  If executed from outside a batch script, it
              will quit CMD.EXE

  exitCode    specifies a numeric number.  if /B is specified, sets
              ERRORLEVEL that number.  If quitting CMD.EXE, sets the process
              exit code with that number

.

C:\>

[lwkt]

Well what I mean is the <pseudo code> portion (highlighted in red) that I had posted previously.
==========================================
@echo off
REM
<pseudo code> spawn child window to run indicator.bat
REM
EXTRACT.exe "File *.txt" > "date_time*.txt"
REM
<pseudeo code> minimize main program DOS comand window
REM
REM After finish run of EXTRACT.exe
<pseudo code> close the child process
<pseudo code> restore the main program DOS command window
REM
ECHO done.
pause
exit
==================================================