Run a Script in the background

[Terrymorgan]

Is there a method for Running a Script entirely in the backgroud i.e. there would be no indication it is being run & no interference for the user.
Thanks
Terry

[Ted Giles]

Yes.
Select option to Run Silently.
Create a button, On Push play a script. When you chose the script, look at the options tab and set it to run silently.

[Terrymorgan]

I cannot find an option to run a script silently, were you thinking of operations?

[Ted Giles]

No. You need to put it in the script


script name.run_silent

[Terrymorgan]

This is my script name "UPDATERENEWALSTATS"
could you expand on your suggestion as i cannot seem to get this to work.
i get the error method not found

[Ted Giles]

It will be a day or two Terry.
Hospital appointments.
Will get on it as soon as I can.

[Terrymorgan]

Thanks in advance
Hope the appointments are not for something serious

[Ted Giles]

It could go 1of 3 ways Terry. Hopefully the easiest one!

Just pondering on my Tablet when i remembered a function which might work in your case.

Have you tried Freeze function?
You can freeze the screen while code is running and unfreeze when it's finished.

[Terrymorgan]

Quite familiar with freeze, but these days prefer to put up some sort of dialog, but of course unfortunately this is the opposite of what i am trying to achieve.
I am trying to immediately return control to the user whilst the script runs entirely in the background.
Thanks

[Ted Giles]

I don't think that is possible Terry.
What is the process and does it take a long time to run?
You could put it in the app start or close if its a one off per user session?

[Mike Wilson]

Maybe you could wrap the background script inside a modeless dialog. Here is an example that demonstrates this. You could make the background script dialog small enough to tuck away into a corner.

FUNCTION _aatesting AS C ( )

'FIRST DIALOG
dim vLstart as C
dim vLleft as C
dim vLright as C
dim vno_now as C
dim vn_ini as N=0
dim vc_ini as C=(""+vn_ini)
dim vn_end as N=10

ui_modeless_dlg_box("Background Script",<<%dlg%
{startup=init}{timer=rotate}{interval=1}{position=9,3}
{region}Count:;{color=red}{font=arial,12,b}{text=10,vc_ini}{color=black}{font=arial,8}{endregion};
Right:{sp=3}Left:;
[%c=5%.9,6vleft_pick^#vLleft]{sp=3}[%c=5%.9,6vright_pick^#vLright];;;
{font=arial,10}{sp=5}<Stop!Close>;
%dlg%,<<%code%
if a_dlg_button="init"
for i = 1 to vn_end
vLstart=vLstart+(""+i)+crlf()
next
vLleft=vLstart
ui_modeless_dlg_refresh("Background Script")
end if
if a_dlg_button="Close" then
ui_modeless_dlg_close("Background Script")
end if
if a_dlg_button="rotate"
vn_ini=vn_ini+1
vc_ini=(""+vn_ini)
if vn_ini>vn_end
vn_ini=1
vc_ini=(""+vn_count)
vLright=""
vLleft=vLstart
end if

vno_now=word(vLleft,1,crlf())
vLright=vLright+vno_now+crlf()
vLleft=word_subtract(vLleft,vno_now,crlf())

ui_modeless_dlg_refresh("Background Script")
end if
%code%)

'SECOND DIALOG
dim vn_count as N=0
dim vn_mod_val as N=0
dim vmsg as C=""
dim vmsg_full as C="The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog"
dim vn_msg as N=w_count(vmsg_full," ")

ui_dlg_box("SECOND DIALOG",<<%dlg%
{timer=rotate}{interval=.5}{position=8,5.5}
{region}{color=red}{font=arial,10,bi}{text=60vmsg}{lf=5};{endregion}{color=black};;

{region}{justify=center}
{condition=(vn_mod_val=0)}
{region=a}
{image=$$generic.stoplight.go}
{condition=.t.}{endregion}

{condition=(vn_mod_val=1)}
{region=a}
{image=$$generic.stoplight.stop}
{condition=.t.}{endregion};
{endregion};
{font=arial,10}<Stop!Close>;
%dlg%,<<%code%
if a_dlg_button="Close" then
ui_modeless_dlg_close("SECOND DIALOG")
end if
if a_dlg_button="rotate" then
vn_count=vn_count+1
vn_mod_val=mod(vn_count,2)

if vn_count<=vn_msg
vmsg=word(vmsg_full,1," ",vn_count)
else
vn_count=0
vmsg=""
end if
ui_modeless_dlg_refresh("SECOND DIALOG")
a_dlg_button=""
end if
%code%)

END FUNCTION
_aatesting()​

[Lenny Forziati]

https://documentation.alphasoftware....%20Example.xml

[Ted Giles]

So, Lenny, as always, an excellent catch.
But.
If the thread is running while the user is working on the application, and they change something which the thread relies on, does that not defeat the objective?
From reading the text, it would appear that the thread processing must be firewalled from the app.
Is that the case?

[Lenny Forziati]

Anything running in the background will always need to be done in a way that is thread safe. Terry did not give any indication of what needs to be done in the background, but you are correct that the programmer needs to ensure that anything shared is not changed in one place and potentially breaks the other. This is true regardless of the specific approach taken.

[Ted Giles]

Thanks.
That's why an "interference diagram" is useful when developing any software.
Saves all sorts of issues down the line.