Re: How to script DOS app that doesn't use stdout

2005-03-10 Thread Harlin Seritt
"Phantom of the Keyboard" ... now that's a name!

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Re: How to script DOS app that doesn't use stdout

2005-03-09 Thread Gregor
Timothy Grant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]: 

> On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 13:41:57 GMT, Gregor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote: 
>> There's a DOS console application I am trying to script (in Python),
>> but it doesn't seem to use stdout or stderr... For example, if I
>> redirect output to a file ("cmd > file.txt"), the output still
>> appears on screen. Similarly, the output pipes returned by popen*
>> don't catch the app's output. How might this app be generating its
>> output? Any thoughts on how it could be captured (perhaps with
>> something in the win32 extensions)? 
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> Greg.
> 
> I've had to do this a couple of times but never in recent years. I
> don't know your exact needs, but the best tool I ever found for this
> sort of job was called Phantom of the Keyboard.
> 
> I ran into a couple of apps that I needed data out of and couldn't get
> it. They'd only output to screen, never to disk. I used Phantom to
> automate the app to dump data to screen and then capture the screen to
> disk.
> 

Hmmm, interesting. I'll give that app a try. Thanks for the info.

Greg.

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Re: How to script DOS app that doesn't use stdout

2005-03-08 Thread Timothy Grant
On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 13:41:57 GMT, Gregor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> There's a DOS console application I am trying to script (in Python), but it
> doesn't seem to use stdout or stderr... For example, if I redirect output
> to a file ("cmd > file.txt"), the output still appears on screen.
> Similarly, the output pipes returned by popen* don't catch the app's
> output. How might this app be generating its output? Any thoughts on how it
> could be captured (perhaps with something in the win32 extensions)?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Greg.

I've had to do this a couple of times but never in recent years. I
don't know your exact needs, but the best tool I ever found for this
sort of job was called Phantom of the Keyboard.

I ran into a couple of apps that I needed data out of and couldn't get
it. They'd only output to screen, never to disk. I used Phantom to
automate the app to dump data to screen and then capture the screen to
disk.

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Stand Fast,
tjg.
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Re: How to script DOS app that doesn't use stdout

2005-03-08 Thread Gregor
> "Gregor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message 
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>> There's a DOS console application I am trying to script (in Python),
>> but it
>> doesn't seem to use stdout or stderr... For example, if I redirect
>> output to a file ("cmd > file.txt"), the output still appears on
>> screen. Similarly, the output pipes returned by popen* don't catch
>> the app's output. How might this app be generating its output? Any
>> thoughts on how it
>> could be captured (perhaps with something in the win32 extensions)?

"Paul Watson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]: 

> The good-ole DOS app could be doing many things.  It could be making
> BIOS calls or writing directly to the video display memory at segment
> 0xB800. One would think that if it did a DUP of stdout that it might
> get captured, but apparently you have tried the popen* family.
> 
> Any hints as to what the DOS app is?  If it is known by anyone,
> perhaps a workaround is also known. 

Hmmm. Sounds like scripting this app might be a bit of a problem...

I don't think the program was available to the general public... It's 
called "PC-Bill." It's used to send doctors' bills to the Canadian 
government.

Greg.
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Re: How to script DOS app that doesn't use stdout

2005-03-06 Thread Paul Watson
"Gregor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message 
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> There's a DOS console application I am trying to script (in Python), but 
> it
> doesn't seem to use stdout or stderr... For example, if I redirect output
> to a file ("cmd > file.txt"), the output still appears on screen.
> Similarly, the output pipes returned by popen* don't catch the app's
> output. How might this app be generating its output? Any thoughts on how 
> it
> could be captured (perhaps with something in the win32 extensions)?

The good-ole DOS app could be doing many things.  It could be making BIOS 
calls or writing directly to the video display memory at segment 0xB800. 
One would think that if it did a DUP of stdout that it might get captured, 
but apparently you have tried the popen* family.

Any hints as to what the DOS app is?  If it is known by anyone, perhaps a 
workaround is also known. 


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How to script DOS app that doesn't use stdout

2005-03-06 Thread Gregor
There's a DOS console application I am trying to script (in Python), but it 
doesn't seem to use stdout or stderr... For example, if I redirect output 
to a file ("cmd > file.txt"), the output still appears on screen. 
Similarly, the output pipes returned by popen* don't catch the app's 
output. How might this app be generating its output? Any thoughts on how it 
could be captured (perhaps with something in the win32 extensions)?

Thanks,

Greg.
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