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Radar Chart visualizing Cost of Living in select US Cities

sperlings-costofliving-us-cities-radar-chart

Source:Sperling’s

Categories: Charts, e-commerce, Media Tags: ,

How to automate removing MS-Office VBA project protection for multiple files

  1. Problem:
    1. Need VBE extensibility to implement some tools and practices of the modern SDLC.
    2. Software consists of not only 1000s of Word templates which are anything but DRY, but also highly protected even during what should be the SDLC
      1. Not solvable by VBA automaton for security reasons:
        1. VBE password protection (OK, there is Sendkeys, but that is considered harmful).
        2. digitally signed.
      2. Developer tab read-only protection: this one is not covered here, since it can be dealt with through regular VBA automation.
  2. Workaround: PowerShell for starters:
    1. Get Unlock-OfficeMacro.ps1  – including the addition in the comments.
    2. Wrap the downloaded script like so:
    3.    
      Get-ChildItem -Include *.do?m* -Exclude *_unlocked* -Path "G:\imf\word templates\Quarterly Releases_unprotected_ps"  -Recurse |`  
      
      foreach{ $_.IsReadOnly = $false   $output_filename =  $_.Directory.ToString() + "\" + $_.BaseName + '_unlocked' +  $_.Extension .\Unlock-OfficeMacro.ps1 $_.FullName  $output_filename 
      }
      Exit 
       
  3. NextProblem: The script removes the warning dialogues on opening the altered MS-Word files remain. This still hampers automation.
  4. Next workaround: this script automates the GUI:
    1. “OK”’ing the warning dialogue: “The project file ‘C:\Users\tplagwitz\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\documaker.dotm’ contains invalid key ‘DPx’.–Continue Loading Project?” 
      image
    2. making minor changes and saving the file (this also bypasses the "discard certificate" warning, if the file was also signed (as is my case).  image
    3. Prerequisites: none, other than putting your word files in a folder the script (which the script will prompt you for, and for an (optional) substring, to filter file names) .

    4. Limitations:
      1. I  used to have also have, per module in the VBA project, warnings: “Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Unexpected error (40230) ” and try to bypass these also, but since I cannot replicate the warnings, this remains untested.image
      2. A superior approach (enabling round tripping) would be to attempt to automate entering the password, but the traditional SendKeys approach is unreliable, and  newer approaches (using SendMessage from the the Win32 API or bypassing the intended negative effects of password protection, via an in-memory substitution).
    5. And here is the AutoIt script:
  
include <Array.au3>
#include <debug.au3>
#include <File.au3>
#include <log4a.au3>
Opt("WinTitleMatchMode", 2)
Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1)
Dim $file, $runpath, $iPID, $i, $folderpath, $pattern, $files, $filepath, $files, $ret, $oAppl, $oDoc, $sFilter
_log4a_SetEnable()
_log4a_SetOutput($LOG4A_OUTPUT_BOTH)
$pattern = InputBox("File Pattern?", "Enter file pattern,  beyond (before) *.do?m (= Files with macros), that files have to match.", "_unlocked")
$folderpath = InputBox("Where?", "Enter folder to find files in...")
$sFilter = "*" & $pattern & "*.do?m|~*,Backup*"
If Not (FileExists($folderpath) And StringInStr(FileGetAttrib($folderpath), "D")) Then
	MsgBox(1, "Error", " The path you entered does Not seem To exist Or is Not a folder. Exiting....")
	Exit
Else
	$files = _FileListToArrayRec($folderpath, $sFilter, $FLTAR_FILES, $FLTAR_RECUR, $FLTAR_SORT, $FLTAR_RELPATH)
	For $i = 1 To UBound($files) - 1
		$file = $files[$i]
		If (StringRight($folderpath, 1) <> "\") Then $folderpath = $folderpath & "\"
		$filepath = $folderpath & $file
		Local $iPID = Run('"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\WINWORD.EXE" /q /a /m "' & $filepath & '"', "", @SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED)
		$ret = WinActivate("- Word", "")
		$ret = WinWaitActive("- Word", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then
			_log4a_debug("cannot load: " & $filepath & @TAB & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			$ret = ProcessClose($iPID)
			ContinueLoop
		Else
			_log4a_debug("processing: " & $filepath & @TAB & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		Send("{SHIFTDOWN}{SHIFTUP}")
		Sleep(100)
		Send("!{f11}")
		$ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "invalid key")
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "invalid key", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then
			_log4a_debug("nothing to do with invalid key, will close word and continue next file: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			$ret = ProcessClose($iPID)
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			ContinueLoop
		EndIf
		If $ret <> 0 Then
			$ret = ControlClick($ret, "", "Button1")
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		Else
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		Sleep(1000)
		$ret = 0
		Sleep(5000)
		While (0 <> WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "Unexpected error (40230)"))
			$ret = ControlClick("[CLASS:#32770
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		WEnd
		Sleep(3000)
		$ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "")
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret = 0) Then WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "")
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = ControlSend("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "", "VbaWindow1", "'dummy" & @CRLF)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("!q")
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("!{f4}")
		Sleep(1000)

		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret = 0) Then $ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Word", "")
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret <> 0) Then
			Send("!s")
			Sleep(1000)
			$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "discarded", 5)
			If ($ret = 0) Then
				_log4a_debug("the certificate dialogue is not up yet", True)
				$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "", 5)
				If ($ret <> 0) Then
					_log4a_debug("failure with !s: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
					Send("{Enter}")
				EndIf
			EndIf
			Sleep(1000)
		Else
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "discarded", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Word", "discarded")
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "discarded", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret <> 0) Then
			$ret = ControlClick("Microsoft Word", "", "Button1")
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			If $ret = 0 Then Send("!d")
		Else
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("{BACKSPACE}")
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("^s")
		Sleep(3000)
		ProcessClose($iPID)
		Sleep(1000)
	Next
	Sleep(1000)
EndIf

How to define your own conditional content marker “Internal” for Doxygen

  1. Doxygen comes with a built-in conditional content marker \internal the outputting of which can be controlled with the switch INTERNAL_DOCS in Doxygen’s config file.
  2. However, I could not get this to work as advertised in Doxygen 1.8.8.
  3. In cases of similar feature breakage, users are commonly advised to fix the error in the Doxygen source. If you, like I did, lack the time for that, here is a simple workaround which uses another built-in feature that an be controlled via  Doxygen’s config file:
  4. Define as one of the:
    ALIASES = "myinternal=\if myinternal <HR><kbd><em>" \
              "endmyinternal= </em></kbd> \endif"
    # HTML is optional, intended to make internal information stand out clearly if outputted
  5. Switch this ALIAS on and off using ENABLED_SECTIONS       = # myinternal
  6. Example usage in a .dox file:
    -# A high-low-high-low beep sequence followed by a low-high beep
     sequence indicates successful pairing and connection to the remote
     device.
     @myinternal tested with barcode on lower-end of cradle: gives success
     beep sequence @endmyinternal
     -# A long low, long high beep sequence indicates unsuccessful pairing.

     

Doxygen config reformatted for Excel

  1. Apart from the almost 150 markup tags Doxygen 1.1. supports (not to mention HTML tags that are supported also),
  2. the Doxygen config file in version 1.8.8 has over 260 settings, many with complex interrelations.
  3. To facilitate working with so many options, especially when testing. I reformatted the default config file for import into Excel,
  4. where I can more easily sort, search and filter,
  5. and export columns L-R whenever I need to update the doxygen.config file: image

Below is a live, downloadable view:

Alter embed URL letter case to fix your broken MS-Office-file embeds in WordPress

  1. Problem: I just notice that a lot of my WordPress OneDrive embeds are broken (not sure since when).
  2. Root cause:
    1. Upon comparing the embed URLS in WordPress posts with what embed URLS sharing with OneDrive results in, it appears that the letter case in the embed URLs has been changed to all uppercase, pointing to resources that do not exist (doh!).
    2. Not sure who is to blame for altering the case:
      1. WordPress,
      2. OneDrive (note there is also the transition from “skydrive” to “onedrive”),
      3. Windows Live Writer? The latter hardly, since I did not touch these posts.
  3. Solution:
    1. Given that, while “cid=” seems all uppercase, “resid=” all lowercase, but “authkey=” is mixed case , there is not easy case change operation you could do locally to restore the original try.
    2. So you have to find the original files you embedded (not trivial from the URL which does not contain even a hint of the file name or extension) and re-embed it through sharing with OneDrive.

How to unstick the ALT key in KRDC RDP sessions

  1. Problem: Periodically, when switching back to my KRDC Windows-session, it turns out that the ALT-key got stuck.
  2. Workaround: I have not found another workaround yet but, using the “Window with green arrows”icon in the top floating menu  image,   to switch to window mode and back to full screen.
Categories: e-infrastructure Tags: , , , ,

Getting Eclipse CDT to spell check non-source files

  1. Problem:
    1. Using Eclipse Luna CDT, with C/C++ spelling engine, to document C and C++ code in Doxygen (Eclox plugin), image
    2. Spell check works for inline Doxygen documentation. My API-level code comments in *.[ch](pp)* files gets spell-checked alright (Well…:
      1. I had  to download a decent dictionary to avoid recommendation like this one: image. I am using the aspell dictionaries from here and here.  This is before a restart/recheck:image
      2. I still do not know how to teach the C++ spell check engine that a newline does not start a new sentence: image
      3. The oft-referred to menu: Edit / Spell check does not show up for me: image
    3. However, spell check ignores my standalone *.dox files with high-level documentation.
  2. What I have tried:
    1. Telling Eclipse about the*.dox file type: image
    2. Associating *.dox files with the Doxyfile editor: image. Fail. This tool from the Eclox plugin seems to help only with the editing of the Doxygen config file. image
    3. Associating *.dox files with C/C++-editor: image Fail: has no effect.
  3. Workaround:
    1. Terrible, but since a similar question is still open on stackoverflow): If you can (*.dox requires all comments to be within c-style comments anyway), rename your *.dox files to *.dox.cpp. Terrible, but works: image
    2. A bit less terrible if you mange to store your standalone *.dox files as *.dox.cpp permanently do this if you get your Doxygen to handle these extensions.
    3. What is nice to see is that the spell-checker  recognizes Doxygen’s built-in reserved words (as opposed to my custom-defined Doxygen-commands). image
  4. Other things to try:
    1. I could not get Hunspell4Eclipse to work, despite going to considerable trouble getting the marketplace into my Eclipse installation
    2. I have not tried eSpell.

Bringing method documentation back into synch by using Textpad command line to jump to GrepWin matched line in file

  1. Objective: is checking, in one simple result window, multi-line matches of method signatures and their Doxygen comments from a multi-module, multi-directory C++ codebase, in order to spot  inconsistencies, i.e. where code and documentation  are out f synch: image
  2. image
  3. All this short of having to write a Parser or buying a tool like Atomineer Pro Documentation  (which does look like it is “right on the money”, but, as it turned out to my surprise, also far short of getting this to work in Eclipse or on a Bash command line with Grep and Perl, ack  (doesn’t do multi-line matches!), ag, or what-not.  grepWin is free, has an easy-to-use, versatile interface, and proves, once again, to be a powerful little tool.
  4. A a sample (in reality not cut off, of course), 2 methods with their comments showing here: image
  5. And I am only a click away from correcting errors I spot in my preferred editor that grepWin  can link in “Settings””C:\Program Files (x86)\TextPad 7\TextPad.exe” %path%(%line%,0)
  6. image
  7. Some grepWin quirk I do not understand:
    1. Why does the “Search” button do nothing when I select radio button “Regex” instead of “Text Search”, but does the expected regex match against file and directory name when I select the latter? image