Running outside program in MediaLab

[sjd220]

I want to use an outside program to run a test, embedded between questionnaires presented by MediaLab. Perhaps you've heard of the outside program, PEBL (Psychology Experiment Building Language). I'm not sure if I should be using a custom item or an executable to run it though. Any suggestions?

[jarvis24]

Is it a stand alone program, e.g., do you run it by executing a .exe file? i.e., How would you normally launch it if you were running it on its own?

[sjd220]

It normally launches via a .exe file.

I think that I may be running into problems because the launcher opens an interface where I still have to select a script (a .pbl file) for the program to run.

[jarvis24]

That would normally be an exe item then. I know what you mean about the intro part. Check with the authors of the PEBL program (or its documentation) and see if it allows for command line arguments or parameters. If so, then you can have MediaLab send those values automatically when it launches the exe. I would be happy to help if you can find out any info on that.

[sjd220]

It does allow command line arguments and parameters.
They look like this:

define Start (parameter)
{
##command line arguments here##
}

[jarvis24]

So let me ask it another way. Is there a way for you to include the parameters to run the appropriate script from the Run command on the Windows Start menu? Many programs will allow you to enter the program name as well as parameters on the Run command so that you will not need to be prompted after the program starts.

Actually, now that I look again, what kind of file is that you have drawn the code from in your previous post? i.e., what is the 3-letter extension of the file?

[sjd220]

It allows you to include parameters and run it from the Start Menu->Run

The extension is .pbl

[jarvis24]

So what exactly would you type on the Run command so you would not have to be prompted for a script?

[sjd220]

Sorry for delay in replying. I was able to find out how to get the other program to run as an exe item type. It doesn't run entirely by itself, but this means that we have the opportunity to be sure that our participants understand the task before they begin it. It's now running in a way that I am very happy with.

Thanks for you help on this issue.

[jarvis24]

Thanks for the update. Was there anything special you had to do to make it work as an exe item?

[sjd220]

I think it was a matter of having all of the files for both programs on the same drive (e.g. C:\) and having a .init file in the same folder as the .exp file. Every once in a while the outside program crashes when it starts anyways.

Thanks again!

[jarvis24]

Thanks for the update!