Pause and Resume a Macro?

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RNIB
Macro Veteran
Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:25 am
Location: London, UK

Pause and Resume a Macro?

Post by RNIB » Thu Sep 05, 2024 3:15 pm

I have a drive with several thousand folders. The macro I've written opens the project files within each folder, makes various changes, saves the project to a new drive and then runs some checks on the new project files in other applications.

It does this by using a few different loops.

Loop A runs repeats the entire macro. It counts the number of folders on the drive and loops until A=count

Loops B & C run within Loop A and repeat other tasks, these loops count other things and continue until the loop = the respective counts.

The problem is that the amount of time it takes to run this macro on a drive due to the number of folders is quite considerable. I'd estimate 2-3 days. Therefore I'm wondering if there is a way to stop the macro and resume it where it left off at a different time?

I was thinking it could write to an .ini file /text file storing the loop number but I'm not entirely sure how that would work. I also need it to be able to complete its loop if it's stopped, rather than just stopping half way through a loop but I can't even begin to work out how to do that.

Is there a way of doing these things, or is there a better way of handling large tasks like this?

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JRL
Automation Wizard
Posts: 3526
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: Pause and Resume a Macro?

Post by JRL » Thu Sep 05, 2024 4:54 pm

I'd use an OnEvent>key_down that goes to a subroutine that sets a flag variable. When the script is at a point where it can stop, test for the value of the flag variable. If the flag variable is set to pause, go to a modal message that says close this message to continue. Also reset the flag variable.

Let>Flag=0

OnEvent sets flag to 1

If>Flag=1
Let>Flag=0
MDL>press ok to continue
Endif

RNIB
Macro Veteran
Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:25 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Pause and Resume a Macro?

Post by RNIB » Fri Sep 06, 2024 7:53 am

Hmm, that's an interesting idea and certainly one that I think could be the answer to making sure it completes a loop before exiting.

The only thing is that the more I think about it, due to the size of the job I think it will be necessary to stop the macro and resume where it left off on a different day. In other words, the computer needs to be able to be used for other things and turned off rather than waiting for someone to click to continue.

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