What's wrong with this code or a MMM bug?? Please help!

[Johnc]

Hi Steve,

Spent hours on the following codes but could not figure out what was wrong. I would highly appreciate any help!
On the first pass thru, variables contents seemed ok. But when it entered the second loop around,
the variable %STRING3% was reset to "NULL"  or "" (nothing)!!!  I was hoping %STRING3% would retain "USA" 
for the second loop around. Tested on MMM Pro V6.7.0. and also MMM V6.7.0. Same results. Thanks!
PS: actually all variables seemed to have been reset on the second loop around!!

Here is the main macro:


1 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | SELECT WINDOW BY NAME | WordPad
2 | X | X | 1000 | Keypress Ctrl+ | home
3 | X | X | 100 | Keypress Shift+ | END
4 | X | X | 100 | Keypress Shift+ | LEFT
5 | X | X | 100 | Keypress Ctrl+ | c
6 | X | X | 100 | Keypress DELETE
7 | X | X | 100 | Keypress DELETE
8 | IF | CLIPBOARD | VALUE | TEXT IS | END | STOP
9 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | MESSAGE PROMPT | %STRING% %STRING3%::out0
10 | FOR | EACH | LINE IN | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\CLIPBOARD_IN_NOECHO.mmmacro | RUN
11 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | MESSAGE PROMPT | %STRING% %STRING3%::out1
12 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | USA | MESSAGE PROMPT | this is usa::outif
13 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | USA | DEFINE STRING VARIABLE | %STRING3%::USA
14 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | CDN | DEFINE STRING VARIABLE | %STRING3%::CDN
15 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | MESSAGE PROMPT | %STRING% %STRING3%::out2
16 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | USA | GOTO MACRO LINE | 1
17 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | CDN | GOTO MACRO LINE | 1
18 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | MESSAGE PROMPT | %STRING% %STRING3%::out3


[Johnc]

WordPad contained:



USA
John
CDN
Mary
END



[Johnc]

Your ingenious macro to copy %CLIPBOARD% to %STRING% is here as I copied it exactly and it works.

Name is: E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\CLIPBOARD_IN_NOECHO.mmmacro




1 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | DEFINE STRING VARIABLE | %STRING%::%STRING%
2 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | DEFINE STRING VARIABLE | %STRING1%:: |
3 | IF | FILE | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\in.mmmacro | EXIST | DELETE FILE | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\in.mmmacro
4 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | OUTPUT TO FILE | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\in.mmmacro::APPEND::1%STRING1% RUN ACTION%STRING1% %STRING1% %STRING1% %STRING1% DEFINE STRING VARIABLE%STRING1%
5 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | OUTPUT TO FILE | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\in.mmmacro::APPEND:: %STRING%
6 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | WAIT SECONDS | 1
7 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | RUN VIA CMD /C | echo ^:^:%CLIPBOARD%>>E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\in.mmmacro
8 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | WAIT SECONDS | 1
9 | FOR | EACH | LINE IN | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\in.mmmacro | RUN


[Johnc]

looks like variables were cleared after this condition evaluated true and the GOTO action executed. 


16 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | USA | GOTO MACRO LINE | 1

[Johnc]

modified the simple script to the following:




1 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | MESSAGE PROMPT | %STRING% %STRING3%::out1
2 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | SELECT WINDOW BY NAME | WordPad
3 | X | X | 1000 | Keypress Ctrl+ | home
4 | X | X | 100 | Keypress Shift+ | END
5 | X | X | 100 | Keypress Shift+ | LEFT
6 | X | X | 100 | Keypress Ctrl+ | c
7 | X | X | 100 | Keypress DELETE
8 | X | X | 100 | Keypress DELETE
9 | IF | CLIPBOARD | VALUE | TEXT IS | END | STOP
10 | FOR | EACH | LINE IN | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\CLIPBOARD_IN_NOECHO.mmmacro | RUN
11 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | USA | MESSAGE PROMPT | this is usa::out2
12 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | USA | DEFINE STRING VARIABLE | %STRING3%::USA
13 | IF | STRING VARIABLE | %STRING% | IS | CDN | DEFINE STRING VARIABLE | %STRING3%::CDN
14 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | MESSAGE PROMPT | %STRING% %STRING3%::out3
15 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | GOTO MACRO LINE | 1

Worked ok till line 14 as the variables's contents were ok. After the goto on line 5, line 1 no longer shows the correct variable contents!  Seemed like line 15 with the goto cleared all variables! It seems a MMM bug to me, or is it? Thanks!

[Steve]

Hi John,

I'm mid way through an update that fixes the issue of getting variable data into MMM. The 16 script lines you have written above have pretty much replaced with 1 line of the updated version. I'm probably a couple of weeks off the official release. Do you want to check it out now, I can send you the release prior to the release date? it will fix your issue.

The update adds a new feature that monitors a file for variable input. The new action works like this:
2 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | INPUT FROM FILE | variables::REFRESH::D:\Macro\RX\VARSmany.txt
VARSmany.txt
INTEGER::1000
INTEGER1::20000
INTEGER2::30000
INTEGER3::40000
INTEGER4::50000
STRING::Ants
STRING1::Bee
STRING2::Cats
STRING3::Dogs
STRING4::Eagles
The action assigns the values in VARSmany.txt to the variables. Whenever there is a change to VARSmany.txt the macro will automatically update the variables in real time during the running macro.

The action can also be used for single variables. The line below assigns the value in VARS.txt to the %integer% variable whilst monitoring the file:
2 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | INPUT FROM FILE | integer::REFRESH::D:\Macro\RX\VARS.txt
VARS.txt

1000

The new action is available via the 'add condition' menu.

Let me know if you want to check it out.

Regards,
Steve.

[Johnc]

Hi Steve, this is so cool! I love to try it. Please see PM. How do u change the VARS.txt file from MMM? Thanks! John

[Johnc]

The MMM Beta V6.7.1.0 worked Steve!! Yay!!
The new "INPUT FROM FILE" action worked beautifully in combination with "OUTPUT TO FILE"!!
Now I can store a snapshot of %CLIPBOARD% in any string variable. Example shown here is with %STRING%.

Now I no longer need to use the submacro "CLIPBOARD_IN_NOECHO.mmmacro".

Nice work Steve! Congrat and a million thanks!!


* | 10 | FOR | EACH | LINE IN | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\CLIPBOARD_IN_NOECHO.mmmacro | RUN
13 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | OUTPUT TO FILE | E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\temp.txt::OVERWRITE::%CLIPBOARD%
* | 14 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | WAIT SECONDS | 1
15 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | INPUT FROM FILE | STRING::NO_REFRESH::E:\File_John\F_variable\minimm\temp.txt


Note the WAIT 1 SECOND line is not even required!  Great job Steve!!

[Steve]

The 6.7.X can assign %clipboard% directly to %string% now:
2 | RUN ACTION |  |  |  | DEFINE STRING VARIABLE | %STRING%::%clipboard%
So you might not need the output and input file IO anyway.

[Johnc]

Wow Steve! Such a good news! Yes, just tested the direct assignment of %clipboard% to %STRING% via a big Macro on 6.7.X!
It is working!! Yay!! %STRING% is now fully independent of %CLIPBOARD%!! How silly I was to use 2 lines when 1 would do!
Another great accomplishment Steve! Congrat!! Thanks so much for the hard work!!!