CronIco v0.9 - a WinCron add on

 Related Links
 WinCron  WinCron homepage  
 WinCron/LOG  manages your WinCron log files
(still beta ;)

Introduction
I was in need of a simple task scheduler for win95, so I searched the internet for schedulers - and found several ones. Then I found WinCron. I really liked the idea of the flat schedule text file (and of course the freeware concept ;). But I disliked the missing function of minimizing it to the system tray. And so i've started to program this add on - and put much more features in it than just minimizing to the system tray.


How to...?
Launch (each) WinCron with the /hide option then launch CronIco

 cronico [/interval=x] [/port=x] [/dateformat=x] [/tcpdelay=x] [/noflash] [/multiple]

  /interval=x      check for WinCron windows every x seconds (default=900)
  /port            enable CronIco/TCP and listen on port 7059
  /port=x          enable CronIco/TCP and listen on port x
  /tcpdelay=x      wait x seconds before allowing next tcp connect (default=60)
  /dateformat=x    use specified date format in tcp output (default=dd.mm.yyyy_hh:nn:ss)
  /noflash         do not show a flashing icon if no WinCron is found (default=show a flashing icon)
  /multiple        allow multiple instances of CronIco (default=allow only one instance of CronIco)
CronIco checks for "WinCron" titled windows every specified interval. If no WinCron is found then the program's icon turns red. Otherwise it shows a small hint if you move the mouse over the icon.
v0.2 New popup menu!
You can make all WinCrons visible or hide them, just press the right mouse button or double click over the CronIco icon in the system tray. Click on the WinCron status in the popup menu to bring that WinCron window to front or to hide it.
v0.3 CronIco/TCP
Check your WinCron status over the internet via TCP!
Enable CronIco/TCP with /port, the default port is 7059 (use /port=x to change the port number).
Use "telnet 127.0.0.1 7059" to connect to the local CronIco/TCP. For security/flooding reasons you have to wait 60 secs (or the /tcpdelay specified value) to reconnect to the CronIco/TCP-server.
v0.6 Flashing Icon
Now the icon does not only turn red but flashes now. You can disable this function with the /noflash option.
v0.7 New popup menu handling
Changed the popup menu handling. Double click on the icon to hide/show the WinCron window - if there is more than one WinCron running, then the popup menu will show up instead. Use right mouse button to show up the popup menu.
v0.8b
The "hide/show all" option now pops up only when there is more than one wincron running (really rare case).
v0.9 Change date format in TCP output
Use /dateformat=x to specify the date format in the tcp output.
Valid date/time identifiers: d,dd,m,mm,yy,yyy,h,hh,n,nn,ss
Use "_" instead of blank char!

example:
 /dateformat=m.dd.yyyy_hh:n:ss

 tcp output:
 ...
 201 3.08.2000 14:1:07
 ...


Launch CronIco within your schedule file
WinCron 1.91 now supports the @launch command, so you can start CronIco with this line at the top of your schedule/crontab file:
@launch C:\wincron\cronico.exe /port=9999 /noflash
... your normal schedule lines, e.g.:
30 04 * * * C:\wincron\task1.bat

CronIco/TCP interface
With the TCP interface enabled (use /port) you can now check your WinCron status via TCP/IP.
Use the telnet command to connect to CronIco/TCP:
  telnet 127.0.0.1 7059
You will receive the following output:
200 CronIco/TCP v0.9 (w)2000 by cydo@rype.de
201 22.03.2000 13:36:21
202 F0AE2A24F2DFE140
205 1 WinCron running
300 WinCron OK At 13:36:05
301  [ ] /ContinueOnError
301  [+] /Log
301  [ ] /NoUpdate
301  Log file length:  5kB
301  Using: C:\wincron\crontab.tx
500 Closing connection
The time format in '201' is dd.mm.yyyy hh:mm:ss (use /dateformat to change this) and '202' is a 8 Byte WindowsOLE2 time format (in hex format)


Registration
CronIco is inexpensive shareware. It costs only $100. You may register via credit card and... ah. hmm. ok. Hell no, CronIco is a quick and dirty addon so it's freeware as WinCron is (uhm, did i say that WinCron is a quick and dirty program, too? No! I didn't. Ok, so move on.)


Download
crico09.zip (120kb) CronIco v0.9


WinCron compliance
CronIco was developed and tested with WinCron 1.91
CronIco is year 2000 compliant


Contact & Disclaimer (partly copied from WinCron.txt ;)
I hope that this program is useful to you. I can make no claim as to this software's stability or value. It is being offered as is. Use at your own risk. If you find it useful, all I ask is that you please email me at cydo@rype.de and if you didnt already done email to the author of WinCron at graysteel@erols.com, too, just so I know that it's useful to someone. The Author reserves all copyrights. Permission is granted to any individual or institution to use, copy, or redistribute this executable so long as it is not modified and that it is not sold for profit. Also, feel free to email any suggestions for revisions to the program.


History
Version 0.9
  /port or /tcp activates CronIco/TCP (with default port 7059)
  added /dateformat for user formatted tcp date output
  added /multiple (allow multiple instances of CronIco)
Version 0.8b
  "hide/show all" only when more than 1 wincron running
Version 0.8a
  added 'exit' in the pop up menu
Version 0.8
  Heartbeat function added (but currently disabled: beta test mode)
  changed "ThunderRT" to "ThunderRT6" for VB6 wincron.exe 1.91
  changed TCP date format to "dd.mm.yyyy hh:mm:ss" (year 2000 compliant)
Version 0.7
  improved window/popupmenu handling
Version 0.6
  added flashing icon
  fixed wrong pop up window
  added all WinCron informations to CronIco/TCP output
  changed CronIco/TCP output (prepared for CronIco/Remote)
  CronIco/TCP port is now closed during tcp delay proc
  complete code rewrite
Version 0.5
  added hideOnMinimize (if you minimize an WinCron then it hides from the taskbar)
Version 0.4a
  better tcp delay proc performance
  found bug(WinNT): activating/hiding single cronwindows may not always work
  and may result in showing up the wrong cronwindow, so better use only the
  "show all"/"hide all" functions.
Version 0.4 
  improved parameter parser
Version 0.3
  added popup status
  added CronIco/TCP
Version 0.2
  added the "show all" and "hide all" popupmenu
Version 0.1
  added enumWindow & tray icon
  added tray hint
Last update 20.03.2000 http://www.rype.de/cydo/CronIco/