CODEWITHSUNDEEP
vbscript
oldsport
oldsport

Reputation: 993

What does 'say' and 'ws.run task' in vbscript?

I have to work on a vbs script. I have to admit that I have only c# experience and no clue about the following, what from my point of view is more SysAdmin Powerhell VBS-scripting.

  1. For what stands 'say' here or in general? vbcrlf seems to be some kind of constant that puts the cursor to the beginning of a new line?

    say(vbcrlf)

say("Some text...")

ws.Run "C:\whatever.exe /PACK-* /SEND /Q", , True

say(vbcrlf)

  2. What does the ws.run task here? Just starts and run the scsript.exe?

    set ws = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")

if ucase(right(wscript.fullname,11)) = "WSCRIPT.EXE" then

task = "cscript.exe " & chr(34) & wscript.scriptfullname & chr(34)

ws.run task

wscript.quit

end if

Thank you for any help on that!

Edit:

Problem is that the script runs like a charm on XP, but not on Win7. I think it must have something to do with the spaces in the path. Here is the exact path I'm dealing with. Do I need to enclose them with additional double quotes or is chr(34) the way to go?

    ws.Run "C:\Program Files (x86)\whatever.exe /PACK-* /SEND /Q", , True

Edit:

Ok, I got it->

    ws.Run """C:\Program Files (x86)\whatever.exe"" /PACK-* /SEND /Q", , True

Upvotes: 0

Views: 692

Answers (2)

Ekkehard.Horner
Ekkehard.Horner

Reputation: 38755

vbCrLf is a pre-defined string constant consisting of a carriage return and a linefeed:

>> WScript.Echo Asc(vbCrLf), Asc(Right(vbCrLf, 1))
>>
13 10

see String Constants

say isn't native VBScript; it must be a user-defined Sub:

>> Sub say(x) : WScript.Echo x : End Sub
>> say "pipapo"
>>
pipapo

(The param list () in your sample violate the rule: Don't use param list () when calling a Sub)

.Run is a method (function) of the WScript.Shell object; it executes/runs an external process. In your example it is used (as a Sub) to re-start the script with the *c*script.exe host (instead of *w*script.exe).

see WshShell object, .Run method

P.S.

If you use .Run (or. Exec), it is a very good idea to build the first/strCommand parameter into a variable for inspection and tests from a command prompt. The argument "Pointlessly create a variable to use extra memory, slow down the script, and to make script harder to read" became obsolete shortly after clay replaced stone for information storage.

Upvotes: 1

David Candy
David Candy

Reputation: 743

'Connects to COM object WScript.Shell
set ws = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")

'Testing what script engine is running the script, if the GUI one then do the following. wscript object is always available in wscript/cscript run scripts
if ucase(right(wscript.fullname,11)) = "WSCRIPT.EXE" then

'Pointlessly create a variable to use extra memory, slow down the script, and to make script harder to read
task = "cscript.exe " & chr(34) & wscript.scriptfullname & chr(34)

'Run the current script in the console version of the scripting host
ws.run task

'quits the script leaving the console version to run
wscript.quit

end if

Upvotes: 0

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