Reading password in Unix shell


print -n "Enter Your password:"
stty_orig=`stty -g`
trap "stty ${stty_orig}; exit" 1 2 3 15
stty -echo >&- 2>&-
read PASS
stty ${stty_orig} >&- 2>&-
trap 1 2 3 15
print

trap :catches interruptions. I.e. if the user presses Ctrl+C, the normal stty mode is set before stopping the program
stty -echo :switches off the display echo
>&- 2>&- :helps to avoid “stty: Not a typewriter” message for non-interactive scripts.

Using the clipboard in WSH

How to get the text from the clipboard


set objIE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
objIE.Navigate("about:blank")
textFromClipboard = objIE.document.parentwindow.clipboardData.GetData("text")
objIE.Quit
WScript.Echo textFromClipboard

How to put the text into clipboard


textIntoClipboard = "Some text" & VbCrLf & "Some more text"

Set objIE = WScript.CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
objIE.Navigate "about:blank"
Do Until objIE.ReadyState = 4
WScript.Sleep 100
Loop

objIE.document.ParentWindow.ClipboardData.SetData "text", textIntoClipboard
objIE.Quit

The detailed explanation could be found here.

Unix shell: workaround for loop problem

It’s not possible to get the value of the loop variables in some versions of ksh.

Example:

#!/bin/ksh

num=0
cat $0 | while read line ; do
let num=num+1
done

echo "Number=$num"

This script will return “Number=0” as the result on some Linux machines.

Here is the workaround for the problem: You should change the redirection method for the input file.

#!/bin/ksh

l=0
while read line ; do
let l=l+1
done < $0 echo "Number=$l"

The last script will return the correct result: "Number=9"

Another possibility is to use the named pipe:

#!/bin/ksh

TMPPIPE=/tmp/thepipe.$$
mkfifo $TMPPIPE
cat $0 > $TMPPIPE &
num=0
while read line ; do
let num=num+1
done < $TMPPIPE echo "Number=$num"

JavaScript: Soundex implementation

There is a special algorithm for comparision strings, which sound similar (Soundex).

Here is JavaScript Soundex implementation:

function soundex ( s_src )
{
var s_rez = "0000" ;
var new_code, prev, idx

a_codes = { "bfpv": 1, "cgjkqsxz":2, "dt": 3, "l": 4, "mn": 5, "r": 6 };

s_src = s_src.toLowerCase().replace(/ /g,"")

if ( s_src.length < 1) { return(s_rez); } s_rez = s_src.substr(0,1); prev = "0"; for ( idx = 1 ; idx < s_src.length ; idx++) { new_code = "0"; cur_char = s_src.substr(idx,1) for (s_code in a_codes) if (s_code.indexOf(cur_char) >= 0)
{ new_code = a_codes[ s_code ] ; break ; }

if (new_code != prev && new_code != "0" ) {
s_rez += new_code;
}

prev = new_code;
}

s_rez = s_rez + "0000"

return s_rez.substr(0,4);
}

WMI: list of the methods and properties


strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")

For Each objclass in objWMIService.SubclassesOf()
intCounter=0
If Left(objClass.Path_.Class,5) = "Win32" Then
For Each Qualifier in objClass.Qualifiers_
If UCase(Trim(Qualifier.Name)) = "ASSOCIATION" Then
intCounter = 1
End If
Next
If x = 0 Then
strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject _
("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set strClass = objWMIService.Get(objClass.Path_.Class)
Wscript.Echo "PROPERTIES:"
For each strItem in strClass.properties_
Wscript.Echo objClass.Path_.Class & vbTab & strItem.name
Next
Wscript.Echo "METHODS:"
For Each strItem in strClass.methods_
Wscript.Echo objClass.Path_.Class & vbTab & strItem.name
Next
End If
End If
Next

Other scripts could be found here

WMI: get the information about the system


Option Explicit
On Error Resume Next

Dim strComputer, objWMIService
Dim colItems, objItem

strComputer = "."

Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _
strComputer & "\root\cimv2")

Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_OperatingSystem")

For Each objItem in colItems
WScript.Echo "Machine Name: " & objItem.CSName & VbCr & _
"===================================" & vbCr & _
"Description: " & objItem.Description & VbCr & _
"Manufacturer: " & objItem.Manufacturer & VbCr & _
"Operating System: " & objItem.Caption & VbCr & _
"Version: " & objItem.Version & VbCr & _
"Service Pack: " & objItem.CSDVersion & VbCr & _
"CodeSet: " & objItem.CodeSet & VbCr & _
"CountryCode: " & objItem.CountryCode & VbCr & _
"OS Language: " & objItem.OSLanguage & VbCr & _
"CurrentTimeZone: " & objItem.CurrentTimeZone & VbCr & _
"Locale: " & objItem.Locale & VbCr & _
"SerialNumber: " & objItem.SerialNumber & VbCr & _
"SystemDrive: " & objItem.SystemDrive & VbCr & _
"WindowsDirectory: " & objItem.WindowsDirectory & VbCr & _
""
Next

WMI+VBS: how to get the domain name


Option Explicit
On Error Resume Next

Dim strComputer, objNetwork, objWMIService
Dim colItems, objItem

Set objNetwork = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Network")
strComputer = objNetwork.ComputerName
WScript.Echo "Computer = " & strComputer

Set objWMIService=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\"&strComputer&"\root\cimv2")

Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem")
For Each objItem in colItems
Wscript.Echo "Domain = " & objItem.domain
Next

There is also WMI FAQ on Microsoft site.