Can Macro Scheduler work on a Virtual Machine?

[rjw524]

Hi,

I am trying something rather ambitious, lol. But MacroScheduler does SO much that it's really hard to think of it as solely a Macro maker or keyboard mouse emulator, y'know?

We run a number of automated activities on my job. Macro Scheduler has handled them rather brilliantly.

Over the last couple years, and due to the great help of several members, I've managed to rework a number of the macros to not rely on mouse moves, clicks, etc, but instead access the files and data directly. So now, I'm getting ballsy...

We're moving to virtual machines at my job. (Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, etc.)

Can I do the following:

I have a series of applications on these virtual machines that each do some work with a set of data and when it finishes, I have to manually take that file and save it in a directory, open the next application to use that data and when it finishes, I have to pass it on to another application that does some more work with that file needs to be sent to another application and then it has to be sent.


Step 1) Application 1 is (an internal web-based tool we use is queried for information that comes out in a "raw form".

Step 2) I save the data manually as a file to a directory of some sort.

Step 3) MS parses that file fusing RegEx, and spits it out in a clean csv format

Step 4) When the CSV file in step 3 is finished, I then take it and save it to another directory

Step 5) Application 2 does more work with that CSV file and when it finished, I have to save it again and use a 3rd application.

Step 6) After the 3rd Application adds the final pieces to the data, it's saved as either an excel or csv file.


I'm wondering if there was a way Macro Scheduler could:

1) Manage the saving of the files to a particular directory
2) Open the file in the Application 2
3) Run Application 2
4) Handle saving that file and opening it on Application 3
5) Running Application 3
6) Email the resulting final csv file to the person who requested it?

Assuming there are no keystrokes, or clicks or apps to run can All this be done on a virtual machine that was minimized?

rjw

[Marcus Tettmar]

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking, it could be:

1. Can I install Macro Scheduler INSIDE the VM and run it there. If so, Yes, of course, a Windows VM is the same as any Windows PC, and you can install Macro Scheduler onto any windows PC.

2. Can I have Macro Scheduler installed on MY PC and have it automate something inside a VM running elsewhere? If so, well, yes, kind of, but you will only be able to work visually. You can send mouse and key events into the VM and you can use image recognition to "see" inside the VM. But that's about it. You won't have any concept of or access to window names, objects and so on ... all you have is a visual representation of the VM/Remote desktop coming one way and your keystrokes and mouse events going the other way. Therefore, no, I can't see how you could automate a minimized VM. Usually Windows VMs lock themselves when you minimize the session anyway.