ProgressBar (pure VBS)

HI,
I would like to introduce you to a ProgressBar script I wrote but because it takes some explainantions, and because there are two versions + two sample scripts, I will split it into several posts.
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Ok, First, the "readme":

How to

Copy-paste the lines from the samples.
I hope it won't be too difficult to find out where you can instert these lines into your script.

ProgressBarFast.vbs or ProgressBar.vbs , as well as ProgressBar.log must be included in the same directory as your script.

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Files

ProgressBarFast.vbs is to use for fast process that last between 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

ProgressBar.vbs is to use for very slow process that can last several hours.

ProgressBar.log contains the datas needed by the progressbar script. your script must write a header (see sample) then "+1" for each item procesed at the end of this file.

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Advantage:

1/ It's a purely textbox based progressbar. It doesn't require any dll installation and doesn't invoke heavy duty IE function or something.
It's fast and purely no-nonsens VBS.

2/ Modify and adapt the progressbar script as you please

3/ "ok" will make the taskbar disapear for a while then will come back after an intelligent period of time.

4/ "cancel" will stop the process without causing an error by leting an item half done.

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Downsides and limitations:

1/ This progressbar is not minimizable. It can be irritating to have it poping up all the time. In this case clic "ok".
However, in some case it can be useful to prevent user from using their computer during the process! :)

2/ "Cancel" won't be able to kill the process if the item being processed freezes, crashes or doesn't respond (in this case you will have to Ctr+Alt+Del).
It can stop only after the item is finished but can you copy-paste the code to terminate the script in several places in you main script.

3/ Design limited to the basic MsgBox. but we do VBS aren't we? ;)

This new version allows you to stop your script by pressing the "cancel" button on the taskbar.



Code for ProgressBarFast.vbs
Note that's a second script file, separate from the main script, and that must be in the same directory as the main script.
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'--------set--------
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.fileSystemObject")
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Title = "Progress"
'--------create nul file---------
'-----this file if exists, will tell the main script to continue.
'------This file contains no data. Only the existance of this file is important
fso.CreateTextFile "ok.nul", True
'--------read from file-----------
Set f = fso.GetFile("ProgressBar.log")
Set ts = f.OpenAsTextStream(1,0)
Execute ts.ReadAll
ts.Close
d = FormatNumber( Done / (sNum/100) +1 ,0,0,0,0)
Msg1 = String(d, "]") & String(100 - d, ".")
Msg2 = Done & "/" & sNum
Msg3 = "To stop the process clic ""Cancel"""
Do Until Done >= sNum
'---------this popup will refresh every 2 seconds
BtnCode = WshShell.Popup(Msg1 & VbCrlf & Msg2 & VbCrlf & Msg3, 2, Title, 1) '------to change the refresh speed: change the number after "Msg3,"
Select Case BtnCode
case 1 MsgBox "The progress bar will be back in one minutes.",,Title '------ok
WScript.Sleep 60000
case 2 MsgBox "The operation will be stopped once the current item is finished.",,Title
fso.GetFile("ok.nul").Delete '-----deleting the nul file to tell the main script to stop
wscript.quit
End Select
Set ts = f.OpenAsTextStream(1,0)
Execute ts.ReadAll
ts.Close
d = FormatNumber( Done / (sNum/100) +1 ,0,0,0,0)
If d <= 100 Then
Msg1 = String(d, "]") & String(100 - d, ".")
End If
Msg2 = Done & "/" & sNum
'-----------check if progressing--------
Done1 = Done2
Done2 = Done
If Done2 > Done1 Then
Idletime = 0
Else
Idletime = Idletime +1
If Idletime = 45 Then
WshShell.Popup "Program not responding!",, Title, 0 + 16
End If
End If
Loop

Here is the sample script for ProgressBarFast.vbs
You will need to insert some the codes of this script into your main script. This sample script is just doing nothing except waiting
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Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'---------number of items------------
sNum = 300 '------you will need to count how many items to process before. see (1)
'--------write to progressbar report---------
Set Progress = fso.OpenTextFile("ProgressBar.log", 2) '---ForWriting
Progress.WriteLine "sNum = " & sNum
Progress.WriteLine "Done = 0 _"
Progress.Write "+0"
WshShell.Run "ProgressBarFast.vbs"
WScript.Sleep 250
'----------------------------------------------------
For i=0 To sNum '-------process the items here. see (2)
WScript.Sleep 50 '-------replace "WScript.Sleep 50 " by some operation here. see (3)
Progress.Write "+1"
'-------------stop script at user's request------------
'------by pressing the "cancel" button on the progressbar (the other script), the user
'------will stop this script here.
'------and the script of the progressbar will delete the "ok.nul" file
'-------if "ok.nul" has been deleted te script will not continue-----
If Fso.FileExists("ok.nul") = False Then
Progress.Close
'-----------re-write your termination/end-of-script codes here (or call a sub)
MsgBox "Operation aborted by user",,Title
wscript.quit
End If
'---------------------------------
Next
'-----------write your termination/end-of-script codes here (or call a sub)

'--------------------------------------------------
Progress.Close
MsgBox "ok",,"Test"
'------------end of script sample---------

(1) The number of items that the progressbar will report to be done. For example you want to process 300 text files, you will have to first know that there will be 300 files to process, then write sNum = 300.
If you don't know how many items to process, it will be useless but there are many easy ways to count. For example File.Count or a quick loop that will read each lines in text file etc

(2)The items will have to be processed in the For/Next loop. As the script know the exact number of items there should be no error such as "out of range" etc. For/Next can be replaced by Do/Loop or While/Wend if you prefer. I think it should work as well

(3) WScript.Sleep 50 is NOT necessary, PLEASE REMOVE IT in your script, I just wrote it for the demo. In place there should be your code processing the item. This code can be as long as you want.

I have a question in regards to this....
 
There does not seem to be any code for ProgressBar.vbs is there any reason for this?
 
Many Thanks
 
James

"ProgressBar.vbs"  is in fact "ProgressBarFast.vbs" (the first code sample). Sorry for the confusion.
In fact "fast" was added because it updates faster than the original one.

Use the second code sample as a test to launch  "ProgressBarFast.vbs".

Note, this exapmle use a log file written constantly. That's old code.
recently I found better and more convenient to write and read in the registry (passing the variable there - the total of item to do and the total of item done - just two numerical var: x and y).

 
Note also that other and I did much cooler progress bars in hta. This one is either for fun or if you don't want to use hta under any circumstance.

Whenever i put this code into the program im using Notepad++ and save it. it comes up with an error. Whats wrong???

I don't know. It's a Notepad++ issue.