RE: windows installer - vbs vs bat startup script

[PhilipNienhuis]

JohnD wrote
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:53:01 -0400
>> From: Nicholas Jankowski <

> jankowskin@

> >
>> To: octave maintainers mailing list <

> maintainers@

> >
>> Subject: windows installer - vbs vs bat startup script
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> GJdExxbuA0yCtWhnvaKzWpEU0wP006j9D4PrimO7A@.gmail

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>> 
>> working through a user issue on startup trouble that is tied to an (as
>> yet
>> unsolved) inability to execute vbs scripts[1][2], a comment was made "why
>> do you need VBS for something as simple as setting path and environment
>> variables and starting a program? A simple batch script will do it and is
>> guaranteed to work. If you would like to avoid a black CMD window see
>> this
>> post [3]"
>> 
>> I came across bug #41074 [4] that i think resulted in shifting from a
>> .bat
>> to .vbs file and seems to identify (1) no terminal window hanging around
>> while the gui is up, (2) starting cli version in a way that still let you
>> produce qt graphics, (3) producing the first time welcome dialog if
>> needed.  i seem to recall there being something else but it escapes me, I
>> don't know if it made any other setup steps easier.
>> 
>> thanks to the history of windoze security issues, using a vbs may be
>> problematic for some users, with the usual result of "octave doesn't
>> start". Were there other reasons for shifting to the .vbs that I'm
>> missing
>> above? Is there a workaround for someone who just can't run a vbs file
>> for
>> some reason?  I hate to suggest reverting to the 'include .bat as a
>> backup'
>> model, but is that the only method that would work for them?
>> 
>> [1]
>> https://octave.discourse.group/t/octave-cli-and-gui-does-not-open-from-
>> desktop-shortcut-after-installation-on-ms-windows-10/112
>> [2]
>> https://superuser.com/questions/1579906/vbs-script-execution-blocked-on-
>> windows-10
>> [3]
>> https://superuser.com/questions/62525/run-a-batch-file-in-a-completely-
>> hidden-way
>> [4] https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?41074
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> 
> So which solution on [3] did you mean for hidden batch file ? 
> 
> From memory I think the only reason for shifting to the .vbs was because
> it was the only solution that appeared to not flash a cmd console on
> startup, or hide the octave first use dialog 

FWIW if I start Matlab (r2014a) I also see a cmd window for a few seconds.
So on the plus side one could say that a .bat file adds some extra "Matlab
compatibility".

BTW in the Octave shortcuts wscript.exe is explicitly mentioned, but it is
sufficient to just put the full path to the octave.vbs file there.

Philip



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