PC Access for Windows Reference Guide

for PC Access for Windows 4.30.158

Recording and Playing Script Files

The Terminal window can record a script file containing commands you send to a host, and some of the information the host sends back to you. This is useful for automating tasks you perform repeatedly on a particular host. You tell PC Access to "watch" you perform the task on the host by hand once, and thereafter PC Access "knows" how to tell the host to repeat exactly what you did.

· Note: this is a feature for advanced users only. No technical support is available for script files you generate.

· When you record a script, it remains valid only as long as the host continues to display the same fields, prompts, and screens that it did when you originally recorded the script. If the people who operate your host decide to change something, they may "break" your scripts.

· After you record a script file, you may want to examine it with a text editor. PC Access is fairly clever about generating compact and efficient script files for repeating procedures you teach it. By studying the script files PC Access generates, you can learn about the PC Access script language.

· Script files do not directly represent mouse movements or clicks, but you can still use your mouse to send commands to the host while you record a script. PC Access converts your mouse movements and clicks into the equivalent keyboard commands before sending them to the host. Therefore, when you record a script file, you should get the same result whether you use the mouse or keyboard commands.

· Script files record primarily your interaction with the host. While you are recording a script file, you should restrict yourself to host commands. That is, you should only work with prompts and fields that appear in the session area of the Terminal window. If you click buttons or menus local to PC Access, these operations do not become part of the script.

¨ Exceptions: if you click the Bye button on the Terminal window while you are recording a script, your script will end with the hangup command. If you open or close a capture file, the script file will contain the corresponding open and close commands. If you turn print capture on or off, the script file will contain the corresponding print commands. If you click the Script | Create Message Dialog... menu item, the script file will contain the corresponding messagebox command. Finally, if you click the Script | Create Input Dialog... menu item, the script file will contain the corresponding inputbox command.

· You can enable your script file to log on to a host automatically.

More:

Recording a Script

Create Script Message Dialog

Create Script Input Dialog

Send a Date Relative to Today

Record for Auto-Logon

Playing a Script

Debugging a Script

Last modification date: Friday, January 17, 2003 00:58:55