My experience is primarily with Windows, and I have none with Cron. When I successfully execute a program with VisualCron(foreground), the task does not report "Success". It reports "Running" in Status and Result, until the process is killed somehow. Is that the expected behavior? Consequently, the job does not continue on to the next task.

The other products I use report "Success/Complete" upon the successful launch of an executable.

So.. how do I get my job to move on to the next task, in this case?

Thanks!

VisualCron support has been excellent. I'm excited about this product.

I might add.. I am testing this with FTP and Notepad.

Here is my current workaround to get the(almost) desired behavior.

Execute Foreground

Execute Tab:
Command: cmd.exe
Arguments: "/C start notepad"
Use shell execute [checked]

A bit of work.

If you execute through cmd.exe you will get a different behavior. In fact, it will report immidiately as success and continue to the next right away. Perhaps you are missing that the second Task runs right away?

Anyway, instead of executing to cmd.exe try using the full path to notepad.exe instead (located in Windows folder).

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I've tried executing to the full path. First task(notepad.exe) result is "Running", and the job never progresses beyond this first task.

Not until I manually close the notepad window does the result update to "Success" and the job proceed to the next task.

Yes, that is correct behavior. It waits for task completion. If you don't want to wait for the completion you should go for your first approach with cmd.exe. That kicks off the second process right away.

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OK, I suppose I found another option... to UNcheck "Run tasks in order".

Thanks.

I suppose I'll enter a feature request for the Execute Task:

"Go to next task on Running Status"

This way I can create Job with a work-flow of Tasks (that may include pauses, variables etc.) that include running executables.

But if you do the cmd run etc. you did first it moves to the next task directly? I guess that could be made "built in" but your first approach works.

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The difference is with my workaround is that VirtuaCron no longer has control of the executable. I can't use the Timeout functions, I can't stop Notepad, and I can't tell if Notepad is "running" from the VisualCron Client, etc. I'd prefer to preserve workflow and VC functionality while working with executables. Without that, I could probably get by with a lessor product.

Here is my feature request as posted in your forum:

Workflow options when running the "Execute" task

Feature request for the Execute Task:

"Go to next task on Running Status"

This way I can create a Job with a work-flow of Tasks (that may include pauses, variables etc.) that include running executables.

Currently, a job that includes an Execute task will stop until it receives completion from that task. For, example.. a task to run notepad will not complete(status "Running") until Notepad is shutdown/killed(status "Completed"). I'd like to have an option to run notepad and continue to the next step of the job(before a completion event). I think this should be an option in the Execute task dialog.

I might add. My request is the default behavior in most the big, expensive Windows automation products.

I understand the request but the change will send a Success to the following Task and the output of the Task will not be available in the next Task.

You just want to utilize the timeout functionality but don't care about result, exit codes and output, right?

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I suppose that is correct. I want the option to continue job workflow without an exit code on specific tasks.

and/or.. basically If process is "running", that is my status/exit/result.

Ok.. I see now what my experience with other products has been. I am given two choices for continuing to the next task: 1. After application is ready for input. or 2. After the application has ended(and/or with Exit Code). The default is #1, whereas it would, for example, start notepad and wait until it is "ready for input" before continuing to the next task.

I hope that helps.