Thread: Primo external programs?

How do you get external programs to work in primo? I assume there must be a setting to point to a folder or a default folder? Any pointers for useful exes? I was thinking of an editor to make changes to system.ini.

(second part deleted, was meant to be separate post as is separate question).

There must be a driver presented also ...
Then again, it doesn't necessarily mean that the device supports those functions.

I've got this to work so I'll answer my own question. I believe that when you click scan for programs this should find programs and make the list for you. On my unit is just hangs (for hours). I suspect it might be looking for a windows program which is missing. The manual way of doing this is:

In PRIMO\save\userlists create user_program_list.txt and manually add the files you want to execute. This will be copied to PRIMO\save\profile\01\userlists and that will be the files edited from then on (or which ever profile your using). I assume the first is the master if you reset data. I guess you could go straight in with the file in the profile. That is the one you need to edit in the future as changes to save\userlists\user_program_list.txt have no effect after the first time.

The format in user_program_list.txt like this

Backlight;\\ResidentFlash\\apps\\BacklightCTL.exe;PARAMETER;0

where PARAMETER is any parameter to give to the program or blank, the usual case, i.e.

Backlight;\\ResidentFlash\\apps\\BacklightCTL.exe;;0

You can edit the program name (e.g. Backlight) and the parameter inside of Primo but I couldn't see a way to edit the path. I assume it expects that to come from a scan (if scan worked).

And in user_program_list.txt this also worked

BacklightCTL;\\Windows\\BacklightCTL.exe;;0

BTW I found that by switching usb mode to ms-activesync I could see the windows directory and files in there. In USB storage mode I couldn't see the files in \Windows only in \Resisdentflash.

This started from trying to get the backlight control working in Primo on my (wince) sat nav. I now don't think that is possible because I've got into control panel in wince and there is no backlight control there. I assume Primo will try to call a windows backlight control so I'm unlikely to get backlight to work in Primo if it doesn't work in windows.

My sat nav has a BacklightCTL.exe in \windows which pops up a control for the backlight. This goes from 0 to 19. My first step was how to get this to work from inside Primo.

The skin I use, dimka (tomsoft), has the option to run external programs. I think this is meant to work by running scan and then deleting the programs you don't want. Scan didn't work for me, I think because my wince is cut down to the bone. Instead I had to build the list file manually. The file that controls the external programs is user_program_list.txt and this can be in PRIMO\save\userlists for the default version or PRIMO\save\profiles\01\userlists (or profile 02, 03, etc.) for the version in use. My user_program_list.txt is:

-------------------user_program_list.txt--------------------
Backlight Day;\\ResidentFlash\\mortscript\\BacklightD.exe;;0
Backlight Night;\\ResidentFlash\\mortscript\\BacklightN.exe;;0
Backlight;\\Windows\\BacklightCTL.exe;;0
Control Panel;\\Windows\\control.exe;;0
Reg Edit;\\Windows\\RegEdit.exe;;0
Task Manager;\\Windows\\TASKMGR.exe;;0
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The format is NAME;PROGRAM;PARAMETER;0 . You need \\ for a \ . I'll get on to mortscript in a bit. The rest should be obvious. With the Backlight control I can manually change the backlight from within Primo but that's a pain so I've also installed Mortscript to automate the process as much as possible. Mortscript is old and does not seem to be on the author's home page anymore but you can find it here

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

This says it is MortScript 4.3b11 but in fact the zip has 4.2 and 4.3b11. I went for 4.2 rather than the beta. To install just copy bin\pna to a folder. I went for \ResidentFlash\mortscript. You write a script as text file and name it .mscr, i.e. MyScript.mscr. Then you copy autorun.exe and rename that as MyScript.exe. You run MyScript.exe to run the script. All files should be the same folder. These are my backlight scripts:

-------------------BacklightD.mscr--------------------
#Set Backlight to Day value (max)
Run ("\Windows\BacklightCTL.exe")
WaitForActive("Backlight Control 0.2", 30 )
if ( WndExists("Backlight Control 0.2") )
#Wind up to max
For i = 0 to 20
SendRight( "Backlight Control 0.2" )
Next

#Then back off as needed
#For i = 0 to 15
# SendLeft( "Backlight Control 0.2" )
# Next

Close( "Backlight Control 0.2" )
EndIf

#close external programs windows in Primo
if ( WndExists("NAVI") )
SendEsc( "NAVI" )
EndIf
-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------BacklightN.mscr---------------------
#Set Backlight to Night value (5)
Run ("\Windows\BacklightCTL.exe")
WaitForActive("Backlight Control 0.2", 30 )
if ( WndExists("Backlight Control 0.2") )
#Wind down to zero
For i = 0 to 20
SendLeft( "Backlight Control 0.2" )
Next

#Then wind up as needed
For i = 0 to 4
SendRight( "Backlight Control 0.2" )
Next

Close( "Backlight Control 0.2" )
EndIf

#close external programs windows in Primo
if ( WndExists("NAVI") )
SendEsc( "NAVI" )
EndIf
-------------------------------------------------------------

As should be obvious the backlight scripts run the backlight control, then send it arrow keys to ensure it is hard at one stop or the otherr before sending more arrow keys to set the required value. "NAVI" is the window name for PRIMO and SendEsc closes the external program window to save pressing the back button.