Command line switches /L /E

[Ivo Bily]

None of this switches is generating required log file
/L=<output file> or /E=<output file>
when used in command file (.cmd) in a form:
HELPMAN.EXE "<Path>\project.hmxp" /TSK=<task:action> /E=...

I read in manual about TSK switch: "For better clarity use on its own command line within a batch file not combined with other switches."
but I am curious why such useful switch could not be used. Or maybe I am overlooking some setting?
http://www.helpandmanual.com/help/hm_ad ... syntax.htm

It is working when command line form is
HELPMAN.EXE "<Path>\project.hmxp" /<format> /<other switches - excluding of course TSK>
but in that case I have other problem with variables setting which I leave to possible future topic as I prefer TSK version of command file.

Thanks
Ivo

[Tim Green]

Hi Ivo,

The problem here is that the relatively new /TSK switch cannot be combined with log file output. If you use a publishing task in the command line the log output is disabled. This will be changed in a future version, but at the moment that is a hard restriction. Sorry about that...

[Ivo Bily]

Thanks Tim for verifying this, I was afraid I was missing some settings.
Trying to redirect batch file screen text to file was unsuccessful as well.
Could you consider in future version to have possibility to create log file as a topic - will be useful as snippet.

Otherwise /TSK switch is great improvement, for us mainly for option to set separate variables for different builds. Using /V switch is not working correctly for our set of nested variables.

Best regards
Ivo

[Tim Green]

Hi Ivo,

Using /V switch is not working correctly for our set of nested variables.

If you redefine all the variables it should work OK. Are you trying to output more than one output format in a single line? That may be the problem if you are. There is no need to do that -- just create a batch file with multiple command lines on multiple lines in the file, with just one output format in each line, and a different /V file for each format.

[Ivo Bily]

Hi Tim,
this is different story, which I was planning to write about, after checking current version state. Still did not have time for it. I even do not remember now, in witch version I experienced it.
Shortly: starting in H&M version 4 we had one file defining all variables, which was periodically updated and imported to project. Then there are 3 other files with variables working as a "switches" for different builds.
Command file was created for each build in separate line with /V setting reading main variables file for basic build, then varying it by loading only other files one for each build afterwards. Problem was in TOC where few items are as "Weblink address" with variable in it. This part is not compiled correctly - it will remember previous variable content.
I prepared sample file then, but somehow did not have time to complain

Since then and with new H&M versions we developed /TSK approach witch is working fine and set of project is weekly updated from database and HTML and PDF output generated with command files. Some variable content was replaced by snippets generated as well from database. Time to time I have to update variables in projects manually and check for possible errors by publishing "manually"- thus combining /TSK switch in future versions with /V, /L and /E will be great improvement.

Thanks again.
Ivo