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NAME

Wx::Perl::ProcessStream - access IO of external processes via events

VERSION

Version 0.22

SYNOPSYS

    use Wx::Perl::ProcessStream qw( :everything );
    
    EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_STDOUT( $self, \&evt_process_stdout);
    EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_STDERR( $self, \&evt_process_stderr);
    EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_EXIT  ( $self, \&evt_process_exit  );
    
    my $proc1 = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process->new('perl -e"print qq($_\n) for(@INC);"', 'MyName1', $self);
    $proc1->Run;
    
    my $command = 'executable.exe parm1 parm2 parm3'
    my $proc2 = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process->new($command, 'MyName2', $self)
                                                ->Run;
                                                
    my @args = qw( executable.exe parm1 parm2 parm3 );
    my $proc3 = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process->new(\@args, 'MyName2', $self);
    $proc3->Run;
    
    my $proc4 = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process->new(\@args, 'MyName2', $self, 'readline')->Run;
        
    sub evt_process_stdout {
        my ($self, $event) = @_;
        $event->Skip(1);
        my $process = $event->GetProcess;
        my $line = $event->GetLine;
        
        if($line eq 'something we are waiting for') {
            $process->WriteProcess('a message to stdin');
            
            $process->CloseInput() if($finishedwriting);
        }
        ............
        # To Clear Buffer
        my @buffers = @{ $process->GetStdOutBuffer };
        
    }
    
    sub evt_process_stderr {
        my ($self, $event) = @_;
        $event->Skip(1);
        my $process = $event->GetProcess;
        my $line = $event->GetLine;
        print STDERR qq($line\n);
        # To Clear Buffer
        my @errors = @{ $process->GetStdErrBuffer };
    }
    
    sub evt_process_exit {
        my ($self, $event) = @_;
        $event->Skip(1);
        my $process = $event->GetProcess;
        my $line = $event->GetLine;
        my @buffers = @{ $process->GetStdOutBuffer };
        my @errors = @{ $process->GetStdErrBuffer };
        my $exitcode = $process->GetExitCode;
        ............
        $process->Destroy;
    }
    

DESCRIPTION

This module provides the STDOUT, STDERR and exit codes of asynchronously running processes via events. It may be used for long running or blocking processes that provide periodic updates on state via STDOUT. Simple IPC is possible via STDIN.

Do not use this module simply to collect the output of another process. For that, it is much simpler to do:

    my ($status, $output) = Wx::ExecuteStdout( 'perl -e"print qq($_\n) for(@INC);"' );

Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process

Methods

new

Create a new Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process object. You must then use the Run method to execute your command.

    my $process = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process->new($command, $name, $eventhandler, $readmethod);

    $command      = command text (and parameters) you wish to run. You may also pass a
                    reference to an array containing the command and parameters.
    $name         = an arbitray name for the process.
    $eventhandler = the Wx EventHandler (Wx:Window) that will handle events for this process.
    $readmethod   = 'read' or 'readline' (default = 'readline') an optional param. From Wx version
                    0.75 you can specifiy the method you wish to use to read the output of an
                    external process.
                    The default depends on your Wx version ( 'getc' < 0.75,'readline' >= 0.75) 
                    read       -- uses the Wx::InputStream->READ method to read bytes. 
                    readline   -- uses the Wx::InputStream->READLINE method to read bytes
                    getc       -- alias for read (getc not actually used)
Run

Run the process with the parameters passed to new. On success, returns the process object itself. This allows you to do: my $process = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream->new($command, $name, $self)->Run; Returns undef if the process could not be started.

    my $process = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process->new($command, $name, $eventhandler, $readmethod);
    $process->Run;    
CloseInput

Close the STDIN stream of the external process. (Some processes may not close until STDIN is closed.)

    $process->CloseInput();
GetAppCloseAction

Returns the current process signal that will used on application exit. Either wxpSIGTERM or wxpSIGKILL. See SetAppCloseAction.

    my $action = $process->GetAppCloseAction();
GetExitCode

Returns the process exit code. It is undefined until a wxpEVT_PROCESS_STREAM_EXIT event has been received.

    my $exitcode = $process->GetExitCode();
GetProcessName

Returns the process name as passed to the OpenProcess constructor.

    my $processname = $process->GetProcessName();
GetStdErrBuffer

This returns a reference to an array containing all the lines sent by the process to stderr. Calling this clears the process object internal stderr buffer. (This has no effect on the actual process I/O buffers.)

    my $arryref = $process->GetStdErrBuffer();
GetStdOutBuffer

This returns a reference to an array containing all the lines sent by the process to stdout. Calling this clears the process object internal stdout buffer. (This has no effect on the actual process I/O buffers.)

    my $arryref = $process->GetStdOutBuffer();
GetProcessId

Returns the process id assigned by the system.

    my $processid = $process->GetProcessId();
GetPid

Returns the process id assigned by the system.

    my $processid = $process->GetPid();
IsAlive

Check if the process still exists in the system. Returns 1 if process exists, 0 if process does not exist, and undefined if there was some problem in signaling the process. If the process has already signalled its exit, the IsAlive method will wait until the system recogises the process exit before returning. Therefore IsAlive should always return 0 (false) once a EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_EXIT event has been received.

    my $isalive = $process->IsAlive();
KillProcess

Send a SIGKILL signal to the external process.

    $process->KillProcess();
SetAppCloseAction

When your application exits, any remaining Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process objects will be signaled to close. The default signal is wxpSIGTERM but you can change this to wxpSIGKILL if you are sure this is what you want.

    $process->SetAppCloseAction( $newaction );

    $newaction = one of wxpSIGTERM, wxpSIGKILL
TerminateProcess

Send a SIGTERM signal to the external process.

    $process->TerminateProcess();
WriteProcess

Write to the STDIN of process.

    $process->WriteProcess( $writedata . "\n" );

    $writedata = The data you wish to write. Remember to add any appropriate line endings your external process may expect.

Wx::Perl::ProcessStream

Methods

OpenProcess

Run an external process. DEPRECATED - use Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process->new()->Run; If the process is launched successfully, returns a Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process object. If the process could not be launched, returns undef;

    my $process = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream->OpenProcess($command, $name, $eventhandler, $readmethod);

    $command      = command text (and parameters) you wish to run. You may also pass a
                    reference to an array containing the command and parameters.
    $name         = an arbitray name for the process.
    $eventhandler = the Wx object that will handle events for this process.
    $process      = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process object
    $readmethod   = 'getc' or 'readline' (default = 'readline') an optional param. From Wx version
                    0.75 you can specifiy the method you wish to use to read the output of an
                    external process. The default depends on your Wx version ( 'getc' < 0.75, 
                    'readline' >= 0.75) 
                    'getc' uses the Wx::InputStream->GetC method to read bytes. 
                    'readline', uses the wxPerl implementation of Wx::InputStream->READLINE.

If the process could not be started then zero is returned. You should destroy each process after it has completed. You can do this after receiving the exit event.

GetDefaultAppCloseAction

Returns the default on application close action that will be given to new processes. When your application exits, any remaining Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::Process objects will be signalled to close. The default signal is wxpSIGTERM but you can change this to wxpSIGKILL if you are sure this is what you want. Whenever a mew process is opened, it is given the application close action returned by GetDefaultAppCloseAction. You can also set the application close action at an individual process level.

    my $def-action = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream->SetDefaultAppCloseAction();

    $def-action will be one of wxpSIGTERM or wxpSIGKILL; (default wxpSIGTERM)
SetDefaultAppCloseAction

Sets the default on application close action that will be given to new processes. See GetDefaultAppCloseAction.

    Wx::Perl::ProcessStream->SetDefaultAppCloseAction( $newdefaction );

    $newdefaction = one of wxpSIGTERM or wxpSIGKILL
GetPollInterval

Get the current polling interval. See SetPollInterval.

    $milliseconds = Wx::Perl::ProcessStream->GetPollInterval();
SetPollInterval

When all buffers are empty but there are still running external process, the module will pause before polling the processes again for output. By default, the module waits for 500 milliseconds. You can set the value of this polling intrval with this method. Internally, a Wx::Timer object is used to handle polling and the value you set here is passed directly to that. The precision of the intervals is OS dependent.

    Wx::Perl::ProcessStream->SetPollInterval( $milliseconds );

    $milliseconds = number of milliseconds to wait when no buffer activity

Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::ProcessEvent

A Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::ProcessEvent is sent whenever an external process started with OpenProcess writes to STDOUT, STDERR or when the process exits.

Event Connectors

EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_STDOUT

Install an event handler for an event of type wxpEVT_PROCESS_STREAM_STDOUT exported on request by this module. The event subroutine will receive a Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::ProcessEvent for every line written to STDOUT by the external process.

    EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_STDOUT( $eventhandler, $codref );
EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_STDERR

Install an event handler for an event of type wxpEVT_PROCESS_STREAM_STDERR exported on request by this module. The event subroutine will receive a Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::ProcessEvent for every line written to STDERR by the external process.

    EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_STDERR( $eventhandler, $codref );
EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_EXIT

Install an event handler for an event of type wxpEVT_PROCESS_STREAM_EXIT exported on request by this module. The event subroutine will receive a Wx::Perl::ProcessStream::ProcessEvent when the external process exits.

    EVT_WXP_PROCESS_STREAM_EXIT( $eventhandler, $codref );

Methods

GetLine

For events of type wxpEVT_PROCESS_STREAM_STDOUT and wxpEVT_PROCESS_STREAM_STDERR this will return the line written by the process.

GetProcess

This returns the process that raised the event. If this is a wxpEVT_PROCESS_STREAM_EXIT event you should destroy the process with $process->Destroy;

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2007-2009 Mark Dootson, all rights reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Johan Vromans for testing and suggesting a better interface.

AUTHOR

Mark Dootson, <mdootson at cpan.org>

SEE ALSO

The distribution includes examples in the 'example' folder. From the source root, run

    perl -Ilib example/psexample.pl

You can enter commands, execute them and view results.

You may also wish to consult the wxWidgets manuals for:

Wx::Process

Wx::Execute

Wx::ExecuteArgs

Wx::ExecuteCommand

Wx::ExecuteStdout

Wx::ExecuteStdoutStderr