[SOLVED] Help Writing A Service Menu

[Xplorer4x4]

I have written a service menu for KDE. It shows up in the menu, but has trouble reading the exec line at the end of the script. Here is the script: http://pastebin.com/2Uubw2vZ Maybe some one can point me in the right direction? I want to create a service menu for a few different apps, so a tutorial or just proper example using my script would hopefully point me in the right direction to create more menus.

EDIT: Here is the service menu I created as a result of the syntax provided by OneLine: http://pastebin.com/nUJdhx9x Ins tructions are on the top of the file and can be safely left in the service menu.

[Snowhog]

The only thing I see missing is the path, which in this case would be '.', so the line maybe should be written as:

Exec=konsole --workdir %f && find . -type f -name *.rar -exec unrar e {} \;

[Xplorer4x4]

Thanks for the quick reply snowhog, I tried that but it still can not process the exec field. I also tested the exec command from my pastebin directly in konsole, and it worked fine. It is only when trying to execute it from a .desktop that it fails to search a folder for .rar files.

[Snowhog]

Looked at the find command manual again. You are missing the single quotes around the braces, so the command needs to be written as:

Exec=konsole --workdir %f && find . -type f -name *.rar -exec unrar e '{}' \;

[Xplorer4x4]

Thanks but still not executing. I would imagine the error is logged in detail some where on my system, right? Which error log would it be in? Maybe that can produce a more specific error then it fails to execute the exec line.

[Xplorer4x4]

Obviously it is best to stick to the basics to solve this problem, but I was hopping to exapnd the command slightly to function like this(in php terms-note my php is a bit rusty ):

if find part01.rar{
unrar e somefile
}else if .rar{
unrar e somefile.rar
} 

[OneLine]

Service Menus

KDE Service Menus

http://techbase.kde.org/Development/..._Service_Menus

Error Messages

http://techbase.kde.org/Development/...Error_Messages

When you are debugging it is best to simply start a konsole and start the application (with this the command) from there.

Example

Original: Exec=konsole --workdir %f && find -type f -name *.rar -exec unrar e '{}' \;

If you want to launch a konsole (and keep it open after the execution) and execute the find&unar

Exec=konsole --hold --workdir %f  -e find -type f -name '*.rar' -exec unrar e {} \;

This will open a konsole to the workdir and execute the find&unrar there.

The -name '*.rar' : http://askubuntu.com/questions/30330...files-in-the-c


man kosole

--workdir <dir> Set the initial working directory of the new tab or window to 'dir'
--hold, --noclose Do not close the initial session automatically when it ends.
-e <cmd> Command to execute (the find&unrar)

If you want to execute the find&unrar without the output, you don't need the konsole.

Exec=find %f -type f -name '*.rar' -exec unrar e '{}' %f \;

This will search the directory %f and unrar to the %f.

[Xplorer4x4]

OneLine, thanks for all the info, butI tried your Exec lines in the script but it still fails to execute.

[Xplorer4x4]

It's not the ideal/proper way, but I found a working solution:

Exec=konsole --hold --workdir %f -e sh /home/xplorer4x4/searchforrars.sh

searchforrars.sh:

find -type f -name *.rar -exec unrar e {} \;

[OneLine]

Manuals &amp; Errors

Trying with the:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Service
X-KDE-ServiceTypes=KonqPopupMenu/Plugin,inode/directory
Actions=openTerminalHereToUnrar;

[Desktop Action openTerminalHereToUnrar]
Name=Search for RARs
Icon=utilities-file-archiver
Exec=konsole --hold --workdir %f -e find -type f -name '*.rar' -exec unrar e '{}' \;

An error:


http://techbase.kde.org/Development/...Error_Messages

The debug messages get redirected into the file ~/.xsession-errors or ~/.X.err in your home directory (that is with a leading dot '.' also watch the Capital).

The ~/.xsession-errors:

"KConfigIni: In file.../.kde/share/kde4/services/ServiceMenus/find_unrar.desktop, line 9: " "Invalid escape sequence "\;"."

The man find:

... The semicolon is similarly protected by the use of a backslash, though single quotes could have been used in that case also.

Changing the "\;" to the " ';' "

=>
Testing with the:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Service
X-KDE-ServiceTypes=KonqPopupMenu/Plugin,inode/directory
Actions=openTerminalHereToUnrar;

[Desktop Action openTerminalHereToUnrar]
Name=Search for RARs
Icon=utilities-file-archiver
Exec=konsole --hold --workdir %f -e find -type f -name '*.rar' -exec unrar e '{}' ';'

Working at here.

[Snowhog]

Nice work. I had no doubt that you would come up with solution.

[Xplorer4x4]

Thanks I will look at that when I get home but is is possible to include a check in there to try to find part01.rar and .rar but exclude part0*.rar and part 1*.rar and part 2* and so on?

[Xplorer4x4]

Little bump here, I tried to google this but no luck..is it possible to make comments in these menus?

EDIT: I figured out it can be done using #

[Xplorer4x4]

Some more questions:
1. I also have some more service menu questions, is the Exec line simply bash commands like you would enter in Konsole?
2. Is it possible to execute commands from the exec line in a progressive matter? For example you select 4 folders with split RAR archives. I assume I would need to use ark directly rather then unrar? Would I need to resort to executing a shell script instead?
3.Where is the "move to trash" context menu entry located? I can't seem to find it.

Snowhog if you have any more links for more in-depth reading on the service menus and other context menu functions I would greatly appreciate the reading material.

[OneLine]

Specifications etc...

1. I also have some more service menu questions, is the Exec line simply bash commands like you would enter in Konsole?

The Exec or the "The Exec key" is
http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/
--> http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications
----> http://standards.freedesktop.org/des...y-spec/latest/

The Exec key must contain a command line. A command line consists of an executable program optionally followed by one or more arguments. The executable program can either be specified with its full path or with the name of the executable only. If no full path is provided the executable is looked up in the $PATH environment variable used by the desktop environment. The name or path of the executable program may not contain the equal sign ("="). Arguments are separated by a space.

Arguments may be quoted in whole. If an argument contains a reserved character the argument must be quoted. The rules for quoting of arguments is also applicable to the executable name or path of the executable program as provided.

Quoting must be done by enclosing...

++ lot of stuf. The KDE (and the Gnome) are more or less using the freedesktop specifications (Specifications - These are not really standards ).

2. Is it possible to execute commands from the exec line in a progressive matter?

Hmm ??

With a service menu you could:

- execute a command or program.
- multiple commands - an opinion: It is easier to put the commands to the external script file. The debugging is easier - you can execute the script file from the konsole and get the error messages immediately.

3.Where is the "move to trash" context menu entry located? I can't seem to find it.

If you mean the Dolphin's "move to trash". It is not a service menu. The Dolphin is using the KDE KIO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIO

ktrash --help:

Usage: ktrash [Qt-options] [KDE-options] [options] [ignored]

Helper program to handle the KDE trash can
Note: to move files to the trash, do not use ktrash, but "kioclient move 'url' trash:/"

Generic options:
--help Show help about options
--help-qt Show Qt specific options
--help-kde Show KDE specific options
--help-all Show all options
--author Show author information
-v, --version Show version information
--license Show license information
-- End of options

Options:
--empty Empty the contents of the trash
--restore <file> Restore a trashed file to its original location

Arguments:
ignored Ignored

Earlier; Kubuntuforums: http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthr...ash-bin-access


Note ! You could launch the "move to trash" through the Dolphin with the D-BUs call: http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/dbus



KDE TechBase: http://techbase.kde.org/Development/...s/Introduction

qdbus

qdbus is a command line tool which can be used to list the services, objects and interfaces on a given bus as well as send messages to a given address on the bus. It can be used to explore both the system and the default session bus. If the --system switch is passed, qdbus will connect to the system bus, otherwise it uses the session bus.

qdbus uses the rest of the supplied arguments on the command as an address and, if any, parameters to pass to a given object. If a full address is not supplied, then it lists all the objects available from that point on the bus. For instance, if no addresses are provided a list of available services is listed. If a service name is provided, object paths will be provided. If a path is also provided all methods in all interfaces will be listed. In this way one can quite easily explore and interact with objects on the bus, making qdbus very useful for testing, scripting and even idle exploration.
qdbusviewer

qdbusviewer is a Qt application that provides a graphical interface to essentially the same set of features that qdbus provides on the command line, thus providing a more user friendly mechanism to interact with the bus. qdbusviewer ships with Qt4 itself and is easy for anyone who is familiar with the basic D-Bus concepts, such as object addresses, to use.

More

KDE (Dolphin) Service Menu examples:

Kubuntu forums:http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthr...s-with-Dolphin
KDE-Look: http://kde-look.org/index.php?xcontentmode=287