Here is version 2.0, with the following enhancements:
1) Major performance improvement by launching a continuously running PowerShell process in parallel to service requests.
2) Added output options to write strings directly to the console, with or without terminating newline. This enables construction of multi-color lines with a single call to CONSOLE.
3) Added options to set the window position, which is the upper left corner of the displayed window relative to the overall buffer space.
Usage notes:The first CALL to console.bat with at least one option automatically launches the PowerShell parallel process. The process is launched using the START command with the /B option. It takes time for the PowerShell process to initialize before it is ready to process commands. For best initialization performance, the initial CONSOLE call should be made early in your batch script, with only the /START option. This call will return almost immediately, so your script can continue its initialization while the PowerShell process completes its initialization in parallel.
The initial call also defines critical config_* environment variables that are passed back to the calling script. These config_* variables must remain defined until you /STOP the process. So the initial call cannot be made within a FOR /F IN() clause, or on either side of a pipe, or as part of a CMD or START command.
A call to CONSOLE does not return until all options have been processed by the PowerShell process.
The PowerShell console process should be killed via the /STOP option as soon as you no longer need CONSOLE commands. A window with a running PowerShell console process cannot be programmatically closed until the PowerShell process is killed. But you can always kill the window by manually closing the window.
CONSOLE.BAT can be run simultaneously in multiple windows. CONSOLE.BAT uses lock files to detect collisions, and makes sure that each instantiation is given its own unique temporary file names for inter-process communication. The temporary lock file with a name like "console.hh.mm.ss.lock.n" will remain locked as long as the PowerShell process is still running. Any attempt to delete the file will fail if the PowerShell is still running. You can use this fact to determine if PowerShell is still running - simply try to delete the lock file: if you succeed, then PowerShell is not running, so you can safely delete the associated cmd and out temporary files. However, you generally should not have to worry about that. A properly closed CONSOLE session will automatically delete temporary files. Aborted sessions (the result of manual closure of the window) will automatically be cleaned up the next time CONSOLE is run.
The PowerShell process is in a continuously running polling loop, looking for commands to execute. It sleeps between each loop iteration, so as not to abuse system resources. The default polling interval sleep time is 10 msec. You can use the /PI option to use a different value. Small numbers improve responsiveness, but utilize more system resources.
So here is the code
CONSOLE.BAT version 2.0Code: Select all
@echo off
goto :start
:::console [/option[=value]] ...
:::
::: Utility for manipulating the console window within a batch script.
::: This utility works by launching a parallel PowerShell process within the
::: same window to service requests in a timely fashion. The initial call also
::: defines a series of environment variables with names beginning with console_
::: that must be preserved until the PowerShell process is stopped.
:::
::: Options are generally processed from left to right.
:::
::: A call without options displays this help.
:::
::: Admin Options: Used to start and stop the PowerShell process.
:::
::: /START - Start the PowerShell process. Only needed if the first call
::: to console.bat does not have any other options.
:::
::: /STOP - Stop the PowerShell process immediately.
:::
::: Output Options: Used to write strings directly to the console (not stdout).
:::
::: Note: Quoted string literals require the following escape sequences:
::: " -> ""
::: ! -> ^! (or ^^! if delayed expansion is enabled)
::: ^ -> ^^ (or ^^^^ if delayed expansion is enabled)
:::
::: /WS="{String}" - Write a string literal, without a newline.
:::
::: /WV={VariableName} - Write a variable, without a newline.
:::
::: /WSN="{String}" - Write a string literal, terminated by a newline.
:::
::: /WVN={VariableName} - Write a variable, terminated by a newline
:::
::: Set Options: Used to set console attributes.
:::
::: /BW={BufferWidth}
::: /BH={BufferHeight}
::: /WW={WindowWidth}
::: /WH={WindowHeight}
::: /WX={WindowPositionX}
::: /WY={WindowPositionY}
::: /CX={CursorPositionX}
::: /CY={CursorPositionY}
::: /CS={CursorSize} - integer from 0-100
::: /BC={BackgroundColor} - integer from 0-15 or color name
::: /FC={ForegroundColor} - integer from 0-15 or color name
::: /PI={PollingInterval} - in msec, initial value=10, continuous=0
:::
::: Get Options: Used to retrieve console attributes. Get options are always
::: processed after all other options, regardless of order. Theses options
::: cannot be combined with /STOP.
:::
::: /G - Get various console attributes and store the values in the
::: following environment variables:
:::
::: console.BufferSize.Height
::: console.BufferSize.Width
::: console.ColorBackground.Name
::: console.ColorBackground.Num
::: console.ColorForeground.Name
::: console.ColorForeground.Num
::: console.CursorPosition.X
::: console.CursorPosition.Y
::: console.CursorSize
::: console.PollingInterval
::: console.WindowMaxPhysicalSize.Height
::: console.WindowMaxPhysicalSize.Width
::: console.WindowMaxSize.Height
::: console.WindowMaxSize.Width
::: console.WindowPosition.X
::: console.WindowPosition.Y
::: console.WindowSize.Height
::: console.WindowSize.Width
:::
::: /D - Get the same console attributes described for /G but write the
::: values to stdout instead of storing them in environment variables.
:::
::: /D and /G can be combined to both store the values in environment
::: variables and write the values to stdout.
:::
::: CONSOLE.BAT version 2.0 was written by Dave Benham
:::
:start
if "%~1"=="" (
for /f "tokens=* delims=:" %%A in ('findstr "^:::" "%~f0"') do echo(%%A
exit /b
)
if defined console_config.lockFile ((call ) 9>>"%console_config.lockFile%") 2>nul || goto :skipInit
call :init 2>nul
:skipInit
setlocal enableDelayedExpansion
set "console_cmd="
set "console_get="
set "console_var="
set "console_show="
set "console_write= /WS /WV /WSN /WVN "
:parse
if "%~1"=="" goto :go
if /i "%~1"=="/G" (
set /a console_get=console_var=1
) else if /i "%~1"=="/D" (
set /a console_get=console_show=1
) else if /i "%~1"=="/START" (
(call )
) else if /i "%~1"=="/STOP" (
set "console_cmd=!console_cmd!del $cmdFile;exit;"
set "console_config.stop=1"
) else (
if /i "%~1"=="/PI" (
set "console_cmd=!console_cmd!$delay=%~2;"
) else if "!console_write: %~1 =!" neq "!console_write!" (
set "console_test=%~1"
if "!console_test:S=!" neq "!console_test!" (
set "console_str=%~2"!
) else (
set "console_str=!%~2!"
if defined console_str (
set "console_str=!console_str:"=""!"
)
)
if defined console_str (
set "console_str=!console_str:`=``!"
set "console_str=!console_str:$=`$!"
set "console_cmd=!console_cmd!write-host "!console_str!""
if "!console_test:N=!" equ "!console_test!" (
set "console_cmd=!console_cmd! -noNewLine;"
) else set "console_cmd=!console_cmd!;"
) else if /i "%~1" == "/WVN" set "console_cmd=!console_cmd!write-host $empty;"
) else if defined console_obj_%~1 (
set "console_cmd=!console_cmd!$O=$U.!console_obj_%~1!;$O.!console_att_%~1!=%~2;$U.!console_obj_%~1!=$O;"
) else if defined console_att_%~1 (
set "console_cmd=!console_cmd!$U.!console_att_%~1!="%~2";"
) else (
>&2 echo Invalid option: %~1
exit /b 1
)
if "%~2" == "" (
>&2 echo Missing value for option %~1
exit /b 1
)
shift /1
)
shift /1
goto :parse
:go
if defined console_get (
set console_cmd=!console_cmd!"$($U.WindowSize) $($U.BufferSize) $($U.WindowPosition) $($U.MaxWindowSize) $($U.MaxPhysicalWindowSize) $($U.CursorPosition) $($U.CursorSize) $($U.BackgroundColor) $($U.ForegroundColor) $($delay)";
)
if not defined console_cmd exit /b
echo(!console_cmd! >"%console_config.cmdFile%"
:wait
if exist "%console_config.cmdFile%" goto :wait
(for /f "usebackq tokens=1-16 delims=, " %%A in (
"%console_config.outFile%"
) do for /f "tokens=1,2" %%Q in ("!console_color.%%N! !console_color.%%O!") do (
if defined console_var endlocal&set "console_config.stop=%console_config.stop%"
set /a console.WindowSize.Width=%%A,^
console.WindowSize.Height=%%B,^
console.BufferSize.Width=%%C,^
console.BufferSize.Height=%%D,^
console.WindowPosition.X=%%E,^
console.WindowPosition.Y=%%F,^
console.WindowMaxSize.Width=%%G,^
console.WindowMaxSize.Height=%%H,^
console.WindowMaxPhysicalSize.Width=%%I,^
console.WindowMaxPhysicalSize.Height=%%J,^
console.CursorPosition.X=%%K,^
console.CursorPosition.Y=%%L,^
console.CursorSize=%%M,^
console.PollingInterval=%%P,^
console.ColorBackground.Num=%%Q,^
console.ColorForeground.Num=%%R
set "console.ColorBackground.Name=%%N"
set "console.ColorForeground.Name=%%O"
if "%console_show%"=="1" set console.
)) 2>nul
:stop
if defined console_config.stop (
del "%console_config.outFile%" 2>nul >nul
del "%console_config.lockFile%" 2>nul >nul
if exist "%console_config.lockFile%" goto :stop
)
exit /b 0
:init
:: Clean up dead sessions
for %%F in ("%temp%\console.??.??.*.lock.???") do (
del "%%F"
if not exist "%%F" for %%G in ("%%~dpnF") do del "%%~dpnG.*%%~xF"
) >nul
for %%v in (console_ color.) do for /f "delims==" %%V in ('set %%v 2^>nul') do set "%%V="
set "console_obj_/ww=WindowSize"
set "console_obj_/wh=WindowSize"
set "console_obj_/wx=WindowPosition"
set "console_obj_/wy=WindowPosition"
set "console_obj_/bw=BufferSize"
set "console_obj_/bh=BufferSize"
set "console_obj_/cx=CursorPosition"
set "console_obj_/cy=CursorPosition"
set "console_att_/cs=CursorSize"
set "console_att_/bc=BackgroundColor"
set "console_att_/fc=ForegroundColor"
set "console_att_/ww=Width"
set "console_att_/wh=Height"
set "console_att_/wx=X"
set "console_att_/wy=Y"
set "console_att_/bw=Width"
set "console_att_/bh=Height"
set "console_att_/cx=X"
set "console_att_/cy=Y"
set "console_config.base=%temp%\console.%time::=.%"
set "console_config.seq=1"
set /a console_color.Black=0,console_color.DarkBlue=1,console_color.DarkGreen=2,^
console_color.DarkCyan=3,console_color.DarkRed=4,console_color.DarkMagenta=5,^
console_color.DarkYellow=6,console_color.Gray=7,console_color.DarkGray=8,^
console_color.Blue=9,console_color.Green=10,console_color.Cyan=11,^
console_color.Red=12,console_color.Magenta=13,console_color.Yellow=14,^
console_color.White=15
for /f "delims=.= tokens=1-3" %%A in ('set console_color.') do set "%%A.%%C=%%B"
:retry
set "console_config.cmdFile=%console_config.base%.cmd.%console_config.seq%"
set "console_config.outFile=%console_config.base%.out.%console_config.seq%"
set "console_config.lockFile=%console_config.base%.lock.%console_config.seq%"
setlocal
set "console_config.cmdFile=%console_config.cmdFile:`=``%"
set "console_config.cmdFile=%console_config.cmdFile:$=`$%"
set "console_config.outFile=%console_config.outFile:`=``%"
set "console_config.outFile=%console_config.outFile:$=`$%"
start "" /b powershell -command ^
$empty="""""""";^
$delay=10;^
$cmdFile=""""%console_config.cmdFile%"""";^
$outFile=""""%console_config.outFile%"""";^
$U=$Host.ui.rawui;^
while (1){^
if (test-path $cmdFile){^
$cmd=gc $cmdFile;^
iex $cmd ^| out-file $outFile -width 100 -encoding default;^
del $cmdFile;^
};^
sleep -m $delay;^
} 9>"%console_config.lockFile%" || (
endlocal
set /a console_config.seq+=1
goto :retry
)
endlocal
exit /b
Dave Benham
Useful in this thread too.