Messed up Execute Program Device

loo_hoo_ser · Post by **loo_hoo_ser** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 2:07 pm

Hi All -

Bit of a screw up on my part, I'd appreciate it if someone could help me out here!

While configuring housebot, in the property manager, I was trying to add new properties but instead overwrote an previous property value (and changed its attribute). It turns out I screwed up one of the properties for the Execute Program Device! Now this device won't work correctly until I fix it. Can someone tell me what the property values (names and types) so I can get this software device working again???

Many thanks!

Osler · Post by **Osler** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 3:23 pm

Property - "Path and Name of Program"
Value - user defined ('File Path' Property)

Property - "Wait for program to complete"
Value - "Yes" or "No"

Property - "Return Code"
Value -empty-

Property - "Execute Program"
Value - "Yes" or "No"

Property - "Arguments"
Value - [optional - Program Arguments]

Osler

loo_hoo_ser · Post by **loo_hoo_ser** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 5:39 pm

Osler,

Thanks - but I don't think these are the ones that I accidentally deleted. It must have been one of the global properties in the database because when I start up Housebot, it says "Unable to find all required properties for the Execute Program device." for all devices that use the execute program device. Therefore, it appears I altered some global property that this device depends on. The ones you mentioned are only specific to each instance of a device using the execute program device.

Scottbot - can you tell me what the global property is, so I can try to restore it manually? I tried a re-install of Housebot but that really didn't help - the database I want to use is the one missing the property value.

loo_hoo_ser · Post by **loo_hoo_ser** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 5:52 pm

Alright!

It appears I fixed my problem! I accidently renamed the property value "Arguments" to something else. Unfortunately, when you create a NEW property value called "Arguments", Housebot won't use that one. It wanted the old one because it appears to have some unique identifier that binds it to the execute program device.

How did I find the old one again? When I tried deleting my newly created (was really renamed) property value, it warned me that it was already in use by other devices (which were all execute program devices). I just renamed it back to what it was before ("Arguments") and everything is fine now.

Lessons to be learned here:

1) BACK UP HOUSEBOT CONFIGURATION before going into the property manager to make changes!

2) Be careful in the Property Manager. When you go to use it, I thought the fields on the right side of the window were to be used to add new property values (I hadn't used Housebot Property Manager in a long while), instead, I was modifying existing properties. Unfortunately, damage was done before I realized what was happening.

Scott, I am wondering if the global properties that the built in devices depend on should have some protection from accidental modifications (like a modify-property-allow bit - not the property value itself but the property name and attributes)?

Thanks!

Post by **ScottBot** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:11 pm

loo_hoo_ser wrote:Scott, I am wondering if the global properties that the built in devices depend on should have some protection from accidental modifications (like a modify-property-allow bit - not the property value itself but the property name and attributes)? Thanks!

Probably a good idea. Thanks.

Post by **Richard Naninck** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:34 am

It would also be very nice if this modify-property-allow bit were to be set manually. When importing a device, all properties to that device are modify protected. When changing configurations, this can be a pain since the complete device needs to be redone after an import to be able to change property names etc. So actually this is the opposite of what was requested in the port above mine.