Code Launcher

Requires: Windows (2000 and higher) and Ruby

When I first started playing with lots of languages two years ago, I built a simple extensible ruby script for myself that compiles/executes source code. I called it "Code Launcher." I was using Textpad mostly at that time, so I set up Textpad to run codeLauncher on the active file with the press of "ctrl-1". "Code Launcher" has a different effect depending on the extension of the currently opened file. For example, I have HTML files open in firefox, ruby code run through a batch file (so it can have a guaranteed pause), and java code compiled and then run through a batch file. It's a simple idea, but it was also a really useful idea that I still use for quick coding. Here's the code for it... the nicest thing about it is that you can add and take from it freely and quickly. Build in special cases for yourself and whatnot.

CodeLauncher.rb

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1. # This program was created for use in TextPad, so that I could add this  
2. # as a user tool which would do exactly what I wanted to the current open file.  
3. # This way, I didn't need a different user tool (and different key shortcut)   
4. # for every different kind of file.  I did this in Ruby because I had been learning   
5. # it and liking it a lot at the time.  
6. #  
7. # The current problem with it is that there can not be more than one parameter.  
8. #  
9. # This program requires ruby 1.8 and AutoIt3 installed.  
10. # 03/20/07  
11.   
12. require 'win32ole'  
13.   
14. class CodeLauncher  
15.     def initialize( fileParam, promptForParams = false, browser = "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" )  
16.         params = ""  
17.         exit if( !fileParam )  
18.   
19.         #Get parameters if parameters are asked for  
20.         if( promptForParams )   
21.             require 'getParams.rb'  
22.             app = FXApp.new("Get Parameters", "FXRuby")  
23.             gp = GetParams.new(app)  
24.             app.create  
25.             app.run  
26.             params = gp.param  
27.             params = "\" \""+params+"\""  
28.         end  
29.   
30.         #parse out the file name  
31.         if( fileParam =~ /(.*)\\(.*)\Z/ )  
32.             fileDir = $1  
33.             fileName = $2  
34.         else  
35.             exit  
36.         end  
37.         extension = $2 if( fileName =~ /(.*)\.(.*)\Z/ )  
38.   
39.         #Special Cases (if any, for quick parameter testing)  
40.   
41.         #Extension based general executions/compilations  
42.   
43.         # Ruby, simpy open using a batch file (for the pause effect)  
44.         if( extension == "rb" || extension == "rbw")  
45.             runInCmd( fileDir, fileName, params, true )  
46.         end  
47.   
48.         # Java, compile the code an run in a batch file (for the pause effect)  
49.         if( extension == "java" )  
50.             runInCmd( fileDir, "javac\" \""+fileName, "", false )  
51.             runInCmd( fileDir, "java\" \""+fileName.chomp(".java"), params, true )  
52.         end  
53.   
54.         # HTML, open the page in the browser  
55.         if( extension == "html" )  
56.             openInBrowser( browser, fileDir+"\\"+fileName )  
57.         end  
58.   
59.         # PHP, open the page in the browser  
60.         if( extension == "php" )  
61.             openInBrowser( browser, fileDir+"\\"+fileName )  
62.         end  
63.   
64.         # JSP, open the page in the browser  
65.         if( extension == "jsp" )  
66.             openInBrowser( browser, fileDir+"\\"+fileName )  
67.         end  
68.   
69.         # batch, simply open the batch file  
70.         if( extension == "bat" )  
71.             runInCmd( fileDir, fileName, params, false )  
72.         end  
73.     end  
74.   
75.     #Run the code  
76.     def runAutoIT3( cmdString )  
77.         au3 = WIN32OLE.new("AutoItX3.Control")  
78.         au3.opt("WinTextMatchMode", 2)  
79.         au3.RunWait( cmdString )  
80.     end  
81.   
82.     def openInBrowser( browser, url )  
83.         runAutoIT3( browser+" \""+url+"\"" )  
84.     end  
85.   
86.     def runInCmd( fileDir, command, params, leaveOpen )  
87.         cmdString = ""  
88.         if( leaveOpen )  
89.             cmdString = "cmd.exe /c \"codeLauncherPause.bat \"" + fileDir + "\" \""+ command + params + "\"\""  
90.         else  
91.             cmdString = "cmd.exe /c \"cd " + fileDir + " && \"" + command + params + "\"\""  
92.         end  
93.         runAutoIT3( cmdString )  
94.     end  
95. end  
96.   
97. if __FILE__ == $0  
98.     #Get Parameters  
99.       
100.     filename = ARGV[0]  
101.     exit if( !filename )  
102.     browser = ARGV[1]  
103.       
104.     browser = "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" if( !browser )  
105.       
106.     #execute  
107.     CodeLauncher.new( filename, false, browser )  
108.     exit  
109. end  

# This program was created for use in TextPad, so that I could add this<br /># as a user tool which would do exactly what I wanted to the current open file.<br /># This way, I didn't need a different user tool (and different key shortcut) <br /># for every different kind of file. I did this in Ruby because I had been learning <br /># it and liking it a lot at the time.<br />#<br /># The current problem with it is that there can not be more than one parameter.<br />#<br /># This program requires ruby 1.8 and AutoIt3 installed.<br /># 03/20/07<br /><br />require 'win32ole'<br /><br />class CodeLauncher<br /> def initialize( fileParam, promptForParams = false, browser = "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" )<br /> params = ""<br /> exit if( !fileParam )<br /><br /> #Get parameters if parameters are asked for<br /> if( promptForParams ) <br /> require 'getParams.rb'<br /> app = FXApp.new("Get Parameters", "FXRuby")<br /> gp = GetParams.new(app)<br /> app.create<br /> app.run<br /> params = gp.param<br /> params = "\" \""+params+"\""<br /> end<br /><br /> #parse out the file name<br /> if( fileParam =~ /(.*)\\(.*)\Z/ )<br /> fileDir = $1<br /> fileName = $2<br /> else<br /> exit<br /> end<br /> extension = $2 if( fileName =~ /(.*)\.(.*)\Z/ )<br /><br /> #Special Cases (if any, for quick parameter testing)<br /><br /> #Extension based general executions/compilations<br /><br /> # Ruby, simpy open using a batch file (for the pause effect)<br /> if( extension == "rb" || extension == "rbw")<br /> runInCmd( fileDir, fileName, params, true )<br /> end<br /><br /> # Java, compile the code an run in a batch file (for the pause effect)<br /> if( extension == "java" )<br /> runInCmd( fileDir, "javac\" \""+fileName, "", false )<br /> runInCmd( fileDir, "java\" \""+fileName.chomp(".java"), params, true )<br /> end<br /><br /> # HTML, open the page in the browser<br /> if( extension == "html" )<br /> openInBrowser( browser, fileDir+"\\"+fileName )<br /> end<br /><br /> # PHP, open the page in the browser<br /> if( extension == "php" )<br /> openInBrowser( browser, fileDir+"\\"+fileName )<br /> end<br /><br /> # JSP, open the page in the browser<br /> if( extension == "jsp" )<br /> openInBrowser( browser, fileDir+"\\"+fileName )<br /> end<br /><br /> # batch, simply open the batch file<br /> if( extension == "bat" )<br /> runInCmd( fileDir, fileName, params, false )<br /> end<br /> end<br /><br /> #Run the code<br /> def runAutoIT3( cmdString )<br /> au3 = WIN32OLE.new("AutoItX3.Control")<br /> au3.opt("WinTextMatchMode", 2)<br /> au3.RunWait( cmdString )<br /> end<br /><br /> def openInBrowser( browser, url )<br /> runAutoIT3( browser+" \""+url+"\"" )<br /> end<br /><br /> def runInCmd( fileDir, command, params, leaveOpen )<br /> cmdString = ""<br /> if( leaveOpen )<br /> cmdString = "cmd.exe /c \"codeLauncherPause.bat \"" + fileDir + "\" \""+ command + params + "\"\""<br /> else<br /> cmdString = "cmd.exe /c \"cd " + fileDir + " && \"" + command + params + "\"\""<br /> end<br /> runAutoIT3( cmdString )<br /> end<br />end<br /><br />if __FILE__ == $0<br /> #Get Parameters<br /> <br /> filename = ARGV[0]<br /> exit if( !filename )<br /> browser = ARGV[1]<br /> <br /> browser = "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" if( !browser )<br /> <br /> #execute<br /> CodeLauncher.new( filename, false, browser )<br /> exit<br />end

codeLauncherPause.bat

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1. cd %1  
2. %2 %3  
3. pause  

cd %1<br />%2 %3<br />pause

And setting CodeLauncher to be run through "ctrl-1" in Textpad is pretty easy. Go to configure, then select preferences, then select tools. Add a DOS Command, name it whatever you want. I called mine Code Launcher.

Click Apply, then expand Tools. For Parameters, type "codeLauncher.rb $File". For Initial Folder, enter the full path to the codeLauncher.rb script. Make sure "Close DOS window on exit" is checked. Then click OK. You're all set.



As a parting note, make sure whatever you're using to develop code with does code launching (maybe build/execute is a better term) and make sure you tailor fit it to your usage. Any decent development environment does... F5 is a common key to try. This is really basic funcitonality that makes a developer's life tons easier.