Run DOS commands in Windows 10 - use cmd /c commands..

[ck81]

@kensoh, Tried to run a simple DOS command using TagUI in windows 10

run dir

It gives the error message:

Fatal Windows exception, code 0xc0000005.
PhantomJS has crashed. Please read the bug reporting guide at
<http://phantomjs.org/bug-reporting.html> and file a bug report.

Tried other DOS commands such as:

run copy c:\file1 to c:\file2

Same error message

Fatal Windows exception, code 0xc0000005.
PhantomJS has crashed. Please read the bug reporting guide at
<http://phantomjs.org/bug-reporting.html> and file a bug report.

For copy and move, I managed to have a workaround using the method you thought me earlier using phantomjs. However, would like to find out if TagUI can run DOS commands directly in Windows 10.

[kensoh]

Hi CK, the run step can only run commands that exist. Eg if you have a program.exe then the run step can run it. But DOS commands don't exist, there is no copy.exe or move.exe for example. They are all loaded in memory as part of the command prompt. So to access these commands, you can try -

run cmd /c dir
echo run_result

[kensoh]

Updated on typo above, should be cmd instead of command.

Windows has moved away from command.com for a long time 😅

[ck81]

Tried

run cmd /c dir
echo run_result

and

run cmd /c dir C:\Windows
echo run_result

Yes, it worked! But only for path without spaces

Tried the following, it didn't work:

run cmd /c dir C:\Program Files
echo run_result

No error message, but it shows the following:

 Volume in drive C is Windows10_OS
 Volume Serial Number is 30BC-5A12

 Directory of C:\


 Volume in drive C is Windows10_OS
 Volume Serial Number is 30BC-5A12

 Directory of C:\tagui\src

FINISH - automation finished - 0.4s

Tried the following too:

run cmd /c dir "C:\Program Files"
echo run_result

Error message:

The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

[kensoh]

As walkthrough earlier, the run step uses a CasperJS function to spawn OS-level processes. It's coded to interpret space as a separator between parameters. Thus having quotes around the folder name will not work.

The workaround is using the shorten Windows pathname which all Windows folder have. Eg 'Program Files' is 'progra~1' (first 6 characters of folder / file, followed by ~ and the running number depending on how many files with the same short name). That'll work!

[sheneeb]

Hi Ck,
You mentioned how to copy and move files above, can you share here please ?

[kensoh]

Sorry @sheneeb I was away the past few months - tebelorg/RPA-Python#144

You can use something like below, the normal Windows command prompt commands to copy and move files -

run cmd /c copy abc xyz

run cmd /c move abc xyz

[kensoh]

Note that when the run step is used, the folder it runs the command is from tagui\src folder