Suppressing the OE splash screen for a single session

Write two functions to programmatically toggle the value of the nosplash string between yes and no in the following section:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PSC\PROGRESS\9.1C\Startup

The code in the following KB should help in doing this:

knowledgebase.progress.com/.../21529

Alternatively, use a .ini file with the nosplash=yes to start the session without the splash and another without the nosplash=yes in the startup section to start the sessions with the splash.

Is the .ini file something I can point to when the session is started?

Yes. Use:

-basekey INI -ininame <name of ini file>

In 11.4 you will be able to use the new -nosplash startup parameter to suppress the splash screen.

Ok, I'm taking the plunge - I've created a .ini file and added this to it:

  [Startup]

  nosplash=yes

and I'm still getting the "splash". I've also added this to a [WinChar Startup] section, and I still get the splash message.

This is for a command/DOS type session on Windows 7. Does this not work in this situation, or is it only for GUI sessions?

Is it case sensitive?

NoSplash=yes

Also, do you definitely reference the ini in your startup? You may have to fully path it. If the ini isn't there you don't get any errors it just loads without it.

It's running the .ini as there's a required propath setting in the file and that's working.

I tried changing the case in both sections - still no go.

Rich - I've got that already, although I've got "INI" in there instead of INI - does that make a difference for anything?

Quotes are fine and it's not case sensitive.

It sounds like you're using the character client. The character client doesn't display a splash screen at startup. Are you using _progres.exe or prowin32.exe? Only prowin32.exe will display the splash screen.

When you say that you created an ini file, did you start with a copy of progress.ini or did you create a file and add only the nosplash setting? You should start with progress.ini and modify it. If you make a copy with a new name you have to use the -ininame parameter to tell the client to load the ini file. By default it only tries to load a file named progress.ini.

You said earlier that you were going to be using batch mode (-b). The splash screen isn't displayed in batch mode.

This is all very confusing.

You can check whether it's picking up your ini file by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Shift-F1 after the client starts (not in a batch session, of course). A dialog appears which shows where the settings were found.

To clarify -

I'm running a program in batch mode, which means it's the char client.

The command I'm running is:

mpro -pf %DIRPATH%/pf/FileName.pf -basekey "INI" -ininame %DIRPATHE%/bin/IniName.ini -param %1

There is a "splash screen" (or text chars) which shows at the start of the session - that's what I'm trying to eliminate as I'm using the output of this batch file to transfer information to an unrelated program through stdout.

This is what I'm seeing when the program starts up, and I want gone:

<Progress ASCII Letters>

Progress Software Corporation

14 Oak Park
Bedford, Massachusetts 01730
781-280-4000

PROGRESS is a registered trademark of Progress Software Corporation
Copyright 1984-2013
by Progress Software Corporation
All Rights Reserved

OpenEdge Release 11.3.1 as of Thu Sep 19 19:02:23 EDT 2013

[quote user="Mike Fechner"]

[/quote]

Ok, call it what you will - I still want it gone. 

Your problem is the mpro.bat script. Take a look at it, it shows

if "%DISPBANNER%"=="no" goto NOBANNER

  type "%DLC%"\hello

So if you wish to continue using this script, set env var DISPBANNER=no. Alternatively, you could use the mbpro.bat or bpro.bat scripts.

We have a winner!

   DISPBANNER=no

did the trick.

Thx!

Hmmm... mbpro.bat and bpro.bat also display the banner. So the DISPBANNER env var is your solution if you wish to keep using these scripts.

Hello,

The mpro command is a batch file (mpro.bat).
There is an environment variable called DISPBANNER that you can set to no to suppress the banner.
You could also make your own batch file if you need to remove the display of the version information.
Alternatively, you could call _progres.

I hope this helps.
---

To clarify -

I'm running a program in batch mode, which means it's the char client.

The command I'm running is:

mpro -pf %DIRPATH%/pf/FileName.pf -basekey "INI" -ininame %DIRPATHE%/bin/IniName.ini -param %1

There is a "splash screen" (or text chars) which shows at the start of the session - that's what I'm trying to eliminate as I'm using the output of this batch file to transfer information to an unrelated program through stdout.

This is what I'm seeing when the program starts up, and I want gone:

       @@@@@@   @@@@@@   @@@@@@@   @@@@@   @@@@@@   @@@@@@@   @@@@@    @@@@@

      @     @  @     @  @     @  @     @  @     @  @        @     @  @     @

     @     @  @     @  @     @  @        @     @  @        @        @

    @@@@@@   @@@@@@   @     @  @  @@@@  @@@@@@   @@@@@     @@@@@    @@@@@

   @        @   @    @     @  @     @  @   @    @              @        @

  @        @    @   @     @  @     @  @    @   @        @     @  @     @

 @        @     @  @@@@@@@   @@@@@   @     @  @@@@@@@   @@@@@    @@@@@

                          Progress Software Corporation

                                   14 Oak Park

                           Bedford, Massachusetts 01730

                                   781-280-4000

      PROGRESS is a registered trademark of Progress Software Corporation

                             Copyright 1984-2013

                       by Progress Software Corporation

                             All Rights Reserved

OpenEdge Release 11.3.1 as of Thu Sep 19 19:02:23 EDT 2013

[/collapse]

[quote user="Brian K. Maher"]

As a final note - the big banner's gone, I'm still seeing this:

  OpenEdge Release 11.3.1 as of Thu Sep 19 19:02:23 EDT 2013

I'm presuming this is from the binary and there's no way to get rid of it.....

We're passionate about our splash screens :)  Either that or we're trying to get in extra Community points by the end of the month.  ; )

This comes from  type "%DLC%"\version in the .bat file. You'll have to edit that one out if you want it gone, or else write your own script.

Ok, I think I've learned everything I could ever want to know about Char "splash" screens. :)

Thx everyone!

Curiously, I think it would have been obvious, if this question were asked about a Unix system, that the first thing one would have done is to look at the shell script and then set environment variables, modify the script, or create a new script to call the binary in the preferred fashion.  With Windows, there is a tendency to think of it as magic, not realizing that some of the same mechanisms are there.

I made the mistake of assuming that Unix and Win* Progress worked the same when it came to the PROPATH environment variable.

Silly me.....Win* progress doesn't acknowledge the PROPATH env var, so it's got to be set in the .ini file or some other location.

That's why I didn't examine the batch files for the splash screen stuff...I was assuming the other issues would have similar answers.

Yes, that little detail with PROPATH is a mystery and certainly inclines one to think of it as magic.