what is the method used to run configured external diff tools?

[u2468]

If I put the full path to a perl script and have the .pl extension set to run in windows (ie.  I just type the script name in a cmd window and it runs) put in as an external diff tool, then try to diff a file - it errors out saying "Error in diff tool 'C:\Users\joe\Desktop\myscript.pl'. Diff tools in client.conf are incorrectly defined."

 

However, just as a test, if I put notepad.exe in as a diff tool,  plastic will launch notepad when using the file diff.

 

So is there a restriction that the external diff tool has to be an exe file?

[u2468]

Well from my experimenting, the external diff program can only be an exe file that has a windows gui.

 

What is the reason for this restriction?  

[manu]

Hello u2468,

 

I'm afraid your experiments are wrong.

 

For example, let's say I want to execute the following python "difftool":

import time
import datetime

ts = time.time()
st = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(ts).strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
f = open('C:\\Users\\manu\\out.txt','a')
f.write(st + '\n') 
f.close()

Then we setup the diif tool as follows:

 

 

We set it to the first position so it will be used for all the "text" type files.

 

 

Then if I use the diff operation I get the timestamp written inside the out.txt file:

 

 

This proves that you can use a non exe tool that is also non graphical for the diff tool. But I have to say that I prefer a graphical tool, I don't see the point of using a CLI diff tool.

 

Notice that if I want to run a python tool I need to execute "python.... blablabla". If I want to use a mono tool I need to run "mono... blablabla"

 

Which external diff tool are you trying to configure?

 

[manu]

I saw in your first post that it's a perl script. Did you include the "perl.exe" thing before "myscript.pl"?

[u2468]

I saw in your first post that it's a perl script. Did you include the "perl.exe" thing before "myscript.pl"?

 

Yes.  I had the full path to perl, then the full path to the script.  It didn't work. 

Then I wrote a C# command line app and it didn't work.

Then I wrote a C# windows GUI app and that did work.

 

I will try your example.

[manu]

Hi u2464, any update? can I help you somehow?

[u2468]

Hi u2464, any update? can I help you somehow?

 

 

I confirmed that the scripts run in the background.  But I want the script to run in the foreground. 

Can you show me  the diff tool command line specification for  a python script that prints "hello world" to the terminal and stays open?

[manu]

Hi!

 

sure, look, here I have a python "hello world" program using pygtk. Every time I run a diff operation (Ctrl+D) I get the python window over Plastic SCM:

 

 

 

And this is how the diff tool is configured:

 

[u2468]

Hi!

 

sure, look, here I have a python "hello world" program using pygtk. Every time I run a diff operation (Ctrl+D) I get the python window over Plastic SCM:

 

pygtkHelloDiffTool.png

 

 

And this is how the diff tool is configured:

 

helloConfig.png

 

Oops, sorry I wasn't clear enough. 

 

Yes, I can get GUI programs to run.  

What I can't get running is a console program in the foreground.

 

So just a program that has:

print("hello world")

 

No GUI.

 

How to you make this run in the foreground so that you see the console with "hello world" and the console stays open.

[manu]

Hi,

 

no, that's not possible, the client is set to not to launch a new command line window.

[u2468]

Just documenting for the benefit of other users. 

 

We were able to figure out that this can be done as follows:

 

cmd /c start c:\path2perl\bin\perl.ext c:\path2script\myperlscript.pl

 

It works!  The trick is: cmd /c start

[calbzam]

Thanks for updating!