How to run a script every day at the same time

[Windstarsoftware]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Thanks Tom,

That must be the problem. Question?

If I want it run run once every day do I calculate the total number od=f seconds in a day and put that number into the timer field/

[Al Buchholz]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Why not use windows task scheduler and base the run on an Alpha shortcut that runs a specific script/function once a day?

Then it will run whether Alpha is running or not...

Is the mainmenu left running so this timer event can happen at the proper time? What do you do if Alpha isn't running?

[Stan Mathews]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

You want the timer interval to be one hour.

When the timer event fires the script

if time("h") = "6"
script_play("PmixD")
end if

only executes if the current time is between 6:00:00 am and 6:59:59 am. That only happens once a day. So the PmixD script will only run once a day.

Think of waking, at least partially, every hour through the night and looking at your alarm clock. You have an internal script that calls for you to get up if the time is between 6 and 6:59 am. You only execute the get up script if that's the time you see. Otherwise you go back to sleep.

[Windstarsoftware]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Thank you all!

Al, I would really like to know how to set up the Alpha side and use windows task scheduler.

Back in the day I flew Balckbirds in the Air Force and the plane was a bit faster than my brain. Now days at 59 even the computer and Alpha are way faster than my brain.

Stan, I think that the information Stan and tom gave has helped me a lot and I wold love to know themethod the method Al was talking about. That would eliminate failure when the user closed the program.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Thanks Tom,

That must be the problem. Question?

If I want it run run once every day do I calculate the total number od=f seconds in a day and put that number into the timer field/

Fred, you're welcome. I'll respond further after you do a bit of testing and work through the example I outlined for you.

[Windstarsoftware]

Ureka! It Works

Thanks again to all for your for your great advice and patience. The sbript executes as needed. Its great to be part of the Alpha family. There is no better support than the users group for Alpha5. Thats why so many of us have stayed with it for so long.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

I am a little troubled with the approach, but do not know exactly what you are trying to achieve. What happens if PC is not rurned on until 7:05am? The script does not run that day! I doubt whether this is ok.
I wanted to do a similar thing and set up two fields in a one record Parameters table for DateLastRun and ScriptStartTime.
The OnTimer event in the form then checks more frequently and in pseudo code:

if (date()>DateLastRun) and (time()>ScriptStartTime) then
run script
modify date in Parameters table to date()
end

This approach also has the advantage that the script will run at more or less the same time every day and if business rules require a new ScriptStartTime it is a change of a field rather than hard coded.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Garry,

A valuable addition to the discourse. My answer was predicated on

I want to schedule a script to run at the same time everyday of the week year round.

If the machine wasn't constantly on or on at the desired time, the question would have been pointless.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Stan,
I know that you and Tom helped solve the question asked and I was in no way detracting from that with my earlier post. However, my work with clients often reveals that what they think they need is not what they actually need and I guess I wanted Windstarsoftware to think carefully about whether his approach is best.
Even with a PC that is always on, the power goes off occasionally, so always is hard to guarantee.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

As I said, yours was/is a valuable addition to the topic. Glad you helped.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Thank you all!

Al, I would really like to know how to set up the Alpha side and use windows task scheduler.

Back in the day I flew Blackbirds in the Air Force and the plane was a bit faster than my brain. Now days at 59 even the computer and Alpha are way faster than my brain.

Stan, I think that the information Stan and tom gave has helped me a lot and I wold love to know the method the method Al was talking about. That would eliminate failure when the user closed the program.

Fred, so you flew Blackbirds... Outstanding. I've seen a few of them, but I'd certainly loved to have flown one.. Of course there are a lot of planes that I'd love to fly but with corrected vision, not too many that I could.

I toured an Airbus 380 at the EAA last week. What a monsterous size. Cracked my head crawling through a Lancaster. Just a little difference in size.

As far as the window's task scheduler... here are a couple of posts that are relevant.
http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...9&postcount=17

http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...9&postcount=18

I also suggest that you build an auditing/logging process (also suggested by Garry) to track when the schedule ran and perhaps what the results were.. It's very handy when verifying who/what/why/when/how...

[Windstarsoftware]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

Hi Al,

I have not been to the EAA show in years but I know you had a good time. Now days my flight time is spent in a Piper CHerokee six 300 that I fly part time for a small company. One of the Blackbirds that I flew years ago is on display in Charleston SC. All but a few are now sitting on display in museums around the country. Really a great plane to fly and NASA is still using one for research.

You mentioned earlier that you knew how to set up Alpha to run as a service where it could perform the script even if Alpha was closed. Could you tell me more on that?

Fred

[Al Buchholz]

Re: How to run a script every day at the same time

You mentioned earlier that you knew how to set up Alpha to run as a service where it could perform the script even if Alpha was closed. Could you tell me more on that?

Fred

See post 26 - not a service but use windows task scheduler to start Alpha at a predetermined time and run a specific script.

In post 26, there are links to 2 other posts that explain the process.

I learned in Cessnas, mostly a 172, but liked to fly a Piper Arrow, Mooney 201 or 231.

Was going into the Navy, but by 1974 the demand went down and so did my aviation career.

No time for it now. logmein and gotomeeting are much faster.