Usage

Introduction

To run the script, use: python -m cronner --settings-file jobs.json --cache-file cache.db --log-file log.txt (the names of the files are just suggestions)

To see all of the command-line options, use python -m cronner. Here’s an example:

usage: cronner [-h] --cache-file CACHE_FILE --settings-file SETTINGS_FILE
               --log-file LOG_FILE [--history] [--clear-last-run] [--echo]
               [--sleep-after SLEEP_AFTER] [--interactive]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --cache-file CACHE_FILE
                        Path to the cache file
  --settings-file SETTINGS_FILE
                        Path to the settings file
  --log-file LOG_FILE   Path to the log file
  --history             Display job history
  --clear-last-run      Clears the last run of all jobs
  --echo                Echo stdout from command
  --sleep-after SLEEP_AFTER
                        Number of seconds to wait after jobs complete before
                        sleeping (0=disabled)
  --interactive         Choose to run a job interactively

Automatic Batch File

You can run the python -m cronner command however you want. However, you may want to create a BATCH file to make life easier (and keep less info in the inevitable Task Manager entry). Here’s a sample BATCH file.

:: cronner BATCH file
:: You can use this BATCH file to run cronner from a directory of your choosing.
:: This directory should already be created, and contain at least *this* BATCH
:: file and your settings file.  The other files will be created as needed.
@echo off
pushd "%~dp0"

:: set up variables to make the command more portable.
set cache=cache.db
set settings=config.json
set log=log.txt
set sleep_time=30

:: this command will run your config file and then sleep your computer.  The
:: "%*" at the end allows you to override the command line.  For example, if you
:: wanted to run cronner without sleeping, you call this script like so:
::    go.bat --sleep-after 0
call python -m cronner --cache-file %cache% --settings-file %settings% --log-file %log% --echo --sleep-after %sleep_time% %*
popd

:: These lines will display a message in the DOS window after your computer has
:: woken from sleep.  It's probably good to keep these in here in case anything
:: goes wrong (otherwise you wouldn't see it).  Cronner will also tell you
:: the next scheduled time to run the task.
echo Welcome back
pause

Interactive Batch File

Cronner also has an interactive mode. You can use this to force the running of certain jobs (e.g. you don’t want to wait until the next time a job is scheduled to run). Here’s a sample BATCH file to run cronner in interactive mode.

:: cronner BATCH file
:: You can use this BATCH file to run cronner from a directory of your choosing.
:: This directory should already be created, and contain at least *this* BATCH
:: file and your settings file.  The other files will be created as needed.
@echo off
pushd "%~dp0"

:: set up variables to make the command more portable.
set cache=cache.db
set settings=config.json
set log=log.txt

:: this command will run your config file and prompt you to manually run each
:: job.
call python -m cronner --cache-file %cache% --settings-file %settings% --log-file %log% --echo --interactive %*
popd

Recommendations

We recommend using cronner like the following (assuming you already have cronner installed):

1. Create a folder to contain your cronner files (e.g. C:\cronner-data)
2. Create a file named go.bat in the folder with the text above
3. Create a sample config.json file (Example)

After that’s complete, you can either run cronner manually from this directory, or you can add a Task Manager item to run it for you. If you use Task Manager, don’t forget set the working directory to the directory you put go.bat in. Otherwise this won’t work (your custom settings file will never be read).

Personally, I have the batch file mapped to a custom key. I use that key to sleep my computer when I’m going to be away from it for a while (e.g. before I go to work). I simply hit the key and walk away.

Windows Service

Someday I’d really like to add a Windows service. It wouldn’t be very difficult, as it’s certainly been done before [1]. However, I actually enjoy the active running of the script and that I get feedback of what the script did when I power back on my PC after a sleep. shrugs YMMV

[1]	http://code.activestate.com/recipes/576451-how-to-create-a-windows-service-in-python/