Spyder debugging: Storing run-time variables in the workspace? - spyder

When I am running python code in Spyder using the debugger, is there a way to store run-time variables from a particular function call in the workspace so that they can be accessed from the console after the run is complete?

The answer is in this other question:
How to export a variable from PDB?
Note: I'm just leaving this as an answer not to claim that I solved the problem myself but just for future reference, i.e. in case someone else looks for this question but related to Spyder (and he/she doesn't know the technical terms: pdb, globals, etc).

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Using SendNotifyMessage in an installer

In an Inno install script, I am setting an environment variable by adding an entry to:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment.
I want my users to be able to run the newly installed app without having to reboot (which would normally be necessary for the above change to be seen in the environment.)
I plan to have the installer use a dll to call SendMessageTimeOut, as discussed here: Set environment variables from Delphi (Win32).
Delphi XE2 reports this API is deprecated.
And the above StackOverflow thread suggests using SendNotifyMessage to avoid long waits. I don't know how to construct that call.
Can anyone show me the syntax? Is it deprecated too?
Any suggestions on a better approach?
Tom
You might want to take a look at the ChangesEnvironment directive. From the docs:
When set to yes, at the end of the installation Setup will notify
other running applications (notably Windows Explorer) that they should
reload their environment variables from the registry.
Neither function is deprecated. Delphi says SendMessageTimeout is deprecated because that declaration is deprecated. The API function itself is fine. Since you'd be calling it from something that isn't Delphi, whatever Delphi says about its declaration is irrelevant to you.
Since you don't actually care about the return value of the message, SendNotifyMessage is the superior choice. It won't wait at all for a response, whereas SendMessageTimeout will wait a little while to get a response, which you're just going to ignore anyway.
But as Mirtheil's answer points out, the installer environment you're using already provides a way of notifying other programs that the environment changed, so you should use that instead of trying to do it manually.

Delphi XE2 host application from output directory

Is there a way to tell a Delphi project that builds a DLL to use as a host application an executable in the same directory as the output directory of the DLL being built?
something like this:
One thing is, I'm using option sets with Delphi XE2, so in the dproj for the DLL I'm building I don't even have a DCC_ExeOutput directory, not sure if that matters.
Allowing this would seriously decomplicate some issues we've ran into trying to migrate from VSS to SVN.
Also, what do you call the $(thing)'s?
The $(name) things are environment variables. I tried setting the host application to .\$(Platform)\$(Config)\Test.exe and received this error message:
Could not find program, '.\%Platform%\%Config%\Test.exe'.
Note how the $(...) was turned into environment variable syntax.
I also tried with $(systemdrive)\Test.exe and received this error message:
Could not find program, 'C:\Test.exe'.
So clearly environment variables will be substituted with their values, if they do exist. I think it is reasonable to conclude that the environment used to start a host application clearly does not define the special Delphi specific environment variables.
So I think the answer to your question is that you cannot use indirection like this for the host application setting.
On the other hand, environment variables are substituted so perhaps you could use that to make things easier. In other words you could define some environment variables of your own. I've no idea whether that may be of help to you since I don't know the precise details of your problem.

Why does my program say "folder does not exist" when run on Windows 2008?

We have a Delphi program whose task is like a service program. It watches a particular folder for a certain period, and it works great on Windows XP and 2003, but on Windows 2008r2 64bit, when it wants to create an automatic folder, it will show this message:
The ... folder does not exist. The file may have been moved or deleted.
This message causes the program to halt, which is not good; it should not be interrupted.
What can I do about this?
P.S.: I really don't have any idea whether to post my problem in Stack Overflow or Server Fault, so I've guessed it should be here.
It's likely the VirtualStore, if you're trying to store beneath Program Files (either one). See my writeup:
http://www.clipboardextender.com/off-topic/vista-program-files-hide-and-seek
You've left out the ... folder name. While that's understandable, it wouldn't happen to have anything to do with program files (which on x64 will be split in 2 directories) would it?
Windows Server 2008 is able to use 'virtual' file pathes. That means: 'what you see is not what you get'. The Windows Explorer just shows you the 'display' name. Check the file path with cmd.exe, if the path you are trying to use does realy exist.
The reason is of cause the File Virtualization (see for example http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756960.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2007.06.uac.aspx).
Because we on stackoverflow.com and not on serverfault.com I want add to all other answers that you can use Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection, Wow64RevertWow64FsRedirection and Wow64EnableWow64FsRedirection functions (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365743.aspx) to control the File Virtualization in your program. An example of the usage of this functions in C# you can find here http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/kernel32.wow64disablewow64fsredirection.
You'll need to tell us the exact path and how do you go about constructing it. It can be as simple as the app not using env variable expansion but assuming that user's folders are where they were before.
Path virtualization (there are 2 kids actually) that people mentioned will hit you only if your app is trying to mess with system folders.
More puzzling problem will hit you if you are not expanding env vars like APPDATA, LOCALAPPDATA etc. and not expecting that there's more of them on Win7 and 2k8. Not only that default paths of user's files changed but some of them can also be on network shares - for the same user. So if you were running based on expectation that all user's stuff will be at definite paths under say %USERPROFILE% you can get hit by several surprises. Also notice %ProgramData% .
Fastest way to find out - open cmd.exe, run set and if you see some paths that you are constructing in alternative ways, take notice that you need to start expanding env vars for them. Then open cmd.exe as a 32-bit app and check set again. You can also pick them up via Process Explorer from some running 32-bit or 64-bit app.
Switching your app to 64-bit build will resolve most of virtualization issues but not the env var expansion. Also if your app is touching system folders you need to request elevated run from the code or even better make the manifest and declare it there. Then OS will yell at user up front if his UAC is on and your app will avoid that 2nd virtualization. BTW, virtualization is controllable via group policies so it might be present on some boxes and missing on others.

Set Java Application's virtual machine max memory without access to VM parameters because of custom launcher?

I'm using a Java application which allows you to import custom files. On import, these files are loaded into memory.
The problem is that the files I want to import are very big, this causes an OutOfMemory exception. The crash log also informs me that the VM was started with the java parameter "-Xmx512m", I want to alter this to "-Xmx1024m" so that I got double the memory available.
The problem is that this application is using it's own JRE folder and that there's a launcher written in C which is calling the jvm.dll file. In any way, java.exe or javaw.exe are never called and thus I cannot set these parameters myself (if I delete these executables it doesn't matter, can still run the application - this is not the case with the dll).
So, my question is, can I set this VM parameter in an other way? I'm even willing to alter the JRE files if there is no other way.
Update: Found some extra info:
jvm_args: -Djava.system.class.loader=com.company.loader.NativeClassLoader -Xmx160m -Xms160m -Xincgc
java_command: unknown
Launcher Type: generic
You would probably be better off attempting to eliminate the launcher use a standard JVM. See if you can figure out what parameters Java is being launched with--it might help to dump the launcher and any associated configuration files.
Then you just call java yourself.
This may not work at all depending on what else the launcher is doing.
edit:
try:
java -Djava.system.class.loader=com.company.loader.NativeClassLoader -Xmx160m -Xms160m -Xincgc
from the command line against a real JVM. There is a good chance it will fail because of the NativeClassLoader or other stuff set up by the java loader.
Also you may be missing the actual java class it is trying to start (I don't know if that "NativeClassLoader" needs the actual main class or not).
Without knowing more about the C class loader, I don't know if anyone can help you much. Perhaps you could contact the vendor? You might dump the .exe file and see if there is any identifying text--if you could figure out where it came from, you might be able to find docs on it telling you how to forward parameters to the JVM

Updating UMDF drivers during development

I am having some trouble updating UMDF drivers using "devcon" during a
standard code-deploy-debug cycle. The problem is that "devcon update" isn't
really updating anything unless the version number or the date of the DLL
file and the INF file has changed from what is stored in the system's driver
cache folder. After a maddening series of experiments I've discovered that
one way to force the thing to use the latest files is by doing the
following:
Change the parameters passed to
"stampinf.exe" in "makefile.inc" by
explicitly setting a version with
the "-v" option.
Modify the
resource script file ("DRIVER_NAME.rc") to first define
VER_USE_OTHER_MAJOR_MINOR_VER
before including "ntverp.h" and then
explicitly define
VER_PRODUCTMAJORVERSION and
VER_PRODUCTMINORVERSION. You'll
note that this system does not allow
us to change the build and the
revision numbers. On Win7 this
seems to be fixed at 7600 and 16385
in "ntverp.h". Is this by design?
So, I first modify "makefile.inc" and set the "-v" option to something like
"1.1.7600.16385" manually incrementing the minor version for every single
build and then modify the RC file and update VER_PRODUCTMINORVERSION with
the same number.
Alternatively, if I run a command prompt under the SYSTEM account and go and
delete the driver cache folder in
"C:\windows\system32\DriverStore\FileRepository\DRIVER FOLDER" before
running "devcon" then that works too.
Now, I am thinking I am missing something fairly basic here as this seems to
be a rather painful way of doing it. Please help! Thanks!
Why can't you just unplug the device and replace the unloaded DLL? You shouldn't need to reinstall the driver, just replace the module. Note that you shouldn't do this during production or anything that has to do with customers, but if you're writing a driver, just slam in the new module with the same version number.
On Win7 this seems to be fixed at 7600 and 16385 in "ntverp.h". Is this by design?
Yep, at least until the next service pack
As Paul Betts has suggested above, the way to go seems to be to simply replace the UMDF DLL directly in the driver folder (for e.g. c:\windows\system32\drivers\umdf\) after disabling the device either in the device manager or using "devcon". I'd asked this question on Microsoft's device drivers newsgroup before posting here but hadn't got a satisfactory response - but some folks ended up responding there after I posted here! So I'll put up a link to that post as well:
http://bit.ly/6PDxKT

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