Run Descoder.exe from command-line without dialogue?

Peter2

Bricscad 18.2, Descoder 2.7:

I tried to compile a PRV with descoder from command-line, without displaying the dialogue. I tried from

CMD-dialogue:
s:: "s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\DESCoder.exe" "s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\gefaelle_erzeugen.prv"
and
s:: "s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\DESCoder.exe" -project "s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\gefaelle_erzeugen.prv"

Lisp-comands from Autocad:
(startapp "s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\DESCoder.exe" "\"s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\gefaelle_erzeugen.prv\"")

Result: It starts only the Descoder-dialogue, but doesnot compile in background as expected.
What's wrong?

Torsten Moses

hmmm - should work, indeed;
personally I also compile several sources into DES, from a batch file ...
also BLADE uses such commandlines / arguments when running DEScoder in background.

Since v2.7, there is also the "-dialog" switch to enforce the dialog version, that is just the opposite.

Is the given PRV/PRJ file shown in DEScoder dialog then ?
If not, it would indicate that the prv/prj file given was not found (spelling ?).

many greetings !

Peter2

no, the dialogue does not show the defined PRV, it shows the last-used one. I will test "finding the file"

Peter2

Seem to be a problem of Descoder, handling spaces in paths although they are "quoted".

a) The calling of Descoder.exe works fine - without spaces or with quoted blanks: "s:\my test\descoder.exe"

b) The path to the file is the problem:
Example: s:\my test\test.prv

descoder.exe "s:\my test\test.prv" -> calls dialogue, no result
descoder.exe s:\my test\test.prv -> calls dialogue, no result

type s:\my test\test.prv -> expected alert from CMD: "Cannot find file s:\my
type "s:\my test\test.prv" -> file is found, expected result

dir s:\my test\test.prv -> expected alert from CMD: "Cannot find file s:\my
dir "s:\my test\test.prv" -> file is found, expected result

Removing the blank from the path:
descoder.exe "s:\my_test\test.prv" -> fine compiling in background
descoder.exe s:\my_test\test.prv -> fine compiling in background

Can someone confirm the behaviour?

Torsten Moses

Dear Peter,

many thanks !
I will verify and fix this here, to have an updated DEScoder, as usually included in "Lisp Developer Support Package" (freeware download in our ApplicationDialog).

Will update you here.
many greetings !

Torsten Moses

Dear Peter,

I think I found it (at least, a clear issue)

See
(startapp "s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\DESCoder.exe" "\"s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\gefaelle_erzeugen.prv\"")

Inside strings, the backslash of the pathes needs to be "escaped" ... same way, as you "escape" the " apostrophe :
(startapp "s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\DESCoder.exe" "\"s:\my progs\Kompilierungen\Definitionen\gefaelle_erzeugen.prv\"")

or
you can replace "\" with "/" via Lisp

The improper backslash is also in DEScoder.exe path - but likely, DEScoder.exe is found by coincidence.

Please try with "\" or "/" for the backslashes in the path ...
many greetings !

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Note: '\' is also used as an escape character by the forum software. The get double backslashes inside 'normal' text you need the enter four.

The OP's problem may also be related to faulty paths in the PRV file.

Torsten Moses

Dear Roy,
many thanks :-)
Indeed ... I should have placed that code snippet into the "as code" marks ...
I hope, Peter will understand anyway ...

"The OP's problem may also be related to faulty paths in the PRV file."
yes, could be ... but Peter mentioned, that even the PRV/PRJ file itself is not displayed in DEScoder, at the file name field ...
many greetings (hope to see you in London ! a good beer is waiting )

Peter2

Hmm - now I'm confused ...

Maybe the problem with the escaped and non-escaped backslashes or the code/non-formatting lead you to a wrong path, but my as written in the first posting "It starts only the Descoder-dialogue, but doesnot compile in background as expected."

And this brings us to the problem that Torsten already confirmed: "The exe does not understand the path of the prv."
So not the "startapp-call" is the problem, but the descoder. Right?

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Thanks Torsten. But I won't attend the conference so I'll have to take a rain check.

Torsten Moses

Dear Peter,

most likely, DEScoder does not get a correct path - if the backslash is not written as double-backslash :-)

A backslash as you enter in any Windows application, or prompt, needs to be "escaped" when such a backslash is inside the string ...
that means, you need to use double-backslash inside the string - same as you do with the apostrophes, those are also written with preceeding backslash.

Same is needed for a backslash inside a string ...
Or, you simply replace the backslash with a forward-slash ... :-)

hope this explains better ?

James Maeding

I can confirm its working properly, with spaces in path and all.
Here is an example lisp line:
(startapp "C:\\CAD_SUPPORT\\Bricscad DesCoder\\DESCoder.exe" "\"C:\\+Storage\\Programming\\Lisp\\HAForge\\+HA Forge-R19.prv\"")
You must always use double \'s, ans also add the extra quotes on prv path.
If only the acad vlide could do this!

Peter2

I'm desperated - maybe my German System is the reason for the problem? I tried with local and network based EXE and local and network based PRV, with backslash and slash, with and without quotes, ..

Result - as written above:

• The calling of the EXE is easy

• The calling of the PRV is impossible when there is a space

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" d:\xxx\dd.prv) -->> missing quotes
  nil

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" d:/xxx/dd.prv) -->> missing quotes
  nil

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" "d:/xxx/dd.prv") -->> working, but no blanks
  28848

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" "d:/xxx/a b/dd.prv") -->> only dialogue, because of blanks
  19896

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" d:\xxx\dd.prv) -->> missing quotes
  nil

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" "d:\xxx\dd.prv") --->> working, but no blanks
  14320

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" "d:\xxx\a b\dd.prv") -->> only dialogue, because of blanks
  19752

  (startapp "c:/Program Files/Bricsys/BricsCAD V18 de_DE/DESCoder.exe" "\"d:\xxx\a b\dd.prv\"") -->> only dialogue, because of blanks
  9944

Torsten Moses

Dear Peter,

yes, I can reproduce the problem :-(
Going to fix that ...

Besides, please have a close look at v2.7 dialog - it now has an option "-dialog" to enforce the dialog version, when a valid lisp/prj/prv file is specified;
this allows background "compilation" (when used without -dialog switch), but also dialog mode (when -dialog is specified);
it is shown in the dialog explanations.

So with latest DEScoder v2.7, as included in V18.2.20, you will need to specify "-dialog" if you want to have it.

The problem is, that (startapp) allows only 2 arguments - the application file (.exe), and the command argument line ...
this means, you will need to include "-dialog" then :

 (startapp "DESCoder.exe" "-dialog \"E:/folder1/folder2/Problem-1.prv\"")

Once fixed, I will attach the DEScoder.exe here ... for the time being, the only option is to not use folders with spaces in it.
many greetings !