Hi all. I have next loop (it's a part of script):

$word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
$word.Visible = $false
$number = 0 
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
    $saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

    # м 
    $doc = $word.Documents.Open($file.FullName)
    
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $doc.Name
    
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
    
    # м
    $doc.saveas([ref]"$pdf_file", [ref]$saveFormat);        
    
    # м 
    $doc.Close()
}

It converts .doc (.docx) files to .html using Word. Sometimes the file is not converted and script hangs. How can I add maybe timeout to this loop if step does not end for 30 seconds -> close file and begin next step(file). Or maybe own version. Thank you very much for help.

Hi

Perhaps can you try to do the job in a powershell JOB, wait a few second and abort it if it didn't complete.

You'll find an example base on Start-Job and Remove-Job here :

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21176487/adding-a-timeout-to-batch-powershell

hope it helps

• Proposed as answer by Sébastien PARZY 19 hours 32 minutes ago

Hi

Perhaps can you try to do the job in a powershell JOB, wait a few second and abort it if it didn't complete.

You'll find an example base on Start-Job and Remove-Job here :

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21176487/adding-a-timeout-to-batch-powershell

hope it helps

• Proposed as answer by Sébastien PARZY 19 hours 23 minutes ago

Look at WorkFlow activity timeout here: help about_ActivityCommonParameters

$word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
$word.Visible = $false
$number = 0 
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
$job = Start-Job -ScriptBlock  {
Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
    $saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

    # м 
    $doc = $word.Documents.Open($file.FullName)
    
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $doc.Name
    
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
    
    # м
     $doc.saveas([ref]"$pdf_file", [ref]$saveFormat);
    
    
    # м 
    $doc.Close() 
    }
    
Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
   
    Wait-Job $job -Timeout $timeout
   Stop-Job $job
    Remove-Job $job
}

In this case Job is completed but the souce code in $job does not perform! First and second Write-Verbose I don't see, only last.. Why? Where am I wrong?

I suggest that your job is this single line :

$doc.saveas([ref]"$pdf_file", [ref]$saveFormat);

because it seems to be the operation that can hang...

Another thing : I can't see the value you give to $timeout. Did you forget it or did you define it outside the code extract you shawn here ?

Sbastien

Hi Sbastien. Yes, I forgot this $timeout. Well I reconfigure Job only with $doc.saveas([ref]"$pdf_file", [ref]$saveFormat); but situation the same - no files were saved.  Also I enclosed the screenshot. As you can see first I had only one Verbose message but it source 2.. Verbose goes fisrt and then Job completed message. But in code Job set before second Verbose message.. Cannot understand( Thank for help, Alex.

• Edited by gconnect1 17 hours 18 minutes ago

Hi Sbastien. Yes, I forgot this $timeout. Well I reconfigure Job only with $doc.saveas([ref]"$pdf_file", [ref]$saveFormat); but situation the same - no files were saved.  Also I enclosed the screenshot. As you can see first I had only one Verbose message but it source 2.. Verbose goes fisrt and then Job completed message. But in code Job set before second Verbose message.. Cannot understand( Thank for help, Alex.

• Edited by gconnect1 17 hours 9 minutes ago

Sorry, last message was my. )

Okay, I think I see where the problem is.

first of all, don't worry about console messages order : while you're running jobs that write concurrently with your main script, messages can be interleaved (due to the exclusive access to screen output, they have to wait until it's free)

secondly, I suggest you don't close the word document before the save operation is over (or timed out). You can rewrite the end like that :

$job = Start-Job {...}

Wait-Job $job -timeout 30
$doc.Close()
Stop-Job $job
...

Doing so, you'll give it a chance to do the convertion during the 30 seconds, before closing the doc.

Hope it helps

Sbastien

Sorry, It didn't help :(

Sorry to hear that, Alex.

The $doc.save method probably failed in the job. As you jobs have the property HasMoreData set to True, could you get and post the results here please ?

you can get it by receive-job (but you have to do it before remove-job)

Sbastien

Hi

Perhaps can you try to do the job in a powershell JOB, wait a few second and abort it if it didn't complete.

You'll find an example base on Start-Job and Remove-Job here :

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21176487/adding-a-timeout-to-batch-powershell

hope it helps

• Proposed as answer by Sébastien PARZY Tuesday, March 31, 2015 11:36 AM

Hi

Perhaps can you try to do the job in a powershell JOB, wait a few second and abort it if it didn't complete.

You'll find an example base on Start-Job and Remove-Job here :

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21176487/adding-a-timeout-to-batch-powershell

hope it helps

• Proposed as answer by Sébastien PARZY Tuesday, March 31, 2015 11:36 AM

Hi Sbastien. Yes, I forgot this $timeout. Well I reconfigure Job only with $doc.saveas([ref]"$pdf_file", [ref]$saveFormat); but situation the same - no files were saved.  Also I enclosed the screenshot. As you can see first I had only one Verbose message but it source 2.. Verbose goes fisrt and then Job completed message. But in code Job set before second Verbose message.. Cannot understand( Thank for help, Alex.

• Edited by gconnect1 Tuesday, March 31, 2015 1:50 PM

Hi Sbastien. Yes, I forgot this $timeout. Well I reconfigure Job only with $doc.saveas([ref]"$pdf_file", [ref]$saveFormat); but situation the same - no files were saved.  Also I enclosed the screenshot. As you can see first I had only one Verbose message but it source 2.. Verbose goes fisrt and then Job completed message. But in code Job set before second Verbose message.. Cannot understand( Thank for help, Alex.

• Edited by gconnect1 Tuesday, March 31, 2015 1:50 PM

Hi Sbastien. Thanks for help, here please the result receive-Job. Variable does not exist.. It's about $job??

OK, when I put  

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML"); 

to Start-Job{..} I got another error:

Unable to find type [Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat] make sure the assembly containing this type..

is  this Job not transparent?

• Edited by 23 hours 32 minutes ago

OK, when I put  

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML"); 

to Start-Job{..} I got another error:

Unable to find type [Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat] make sure the assembly containing this type..

is  this Job not transparent?

• Edited by 23 hours 24 minutes ago

Hi Alex,

I don't think it's about $job, but more probably about $saveFormat...

As you can see, the write-verbose you placed inside the scriptblock are now showing strings... without the variable values !
in fact, your job as its own scope, and can't see variables that exist in parent scope.

this change may resolve the problem :

$job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($d, $nam, $num, $ct, $path, $sf)
Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( n $num of $ct)" -Verbose
$d.saveas([ref]"$path", [ref]$sf);
} -ArgumentList $doc, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file, $saveFormat

please try it and let me know

Sbastien

Thanks for help. Well in this case I got no error but as early no converted files.. As you can see on screenshot I got Verbose on Russian (it goes after Remove-Job), but inside Start-Job this message is in English now. I have feeling source code inside Start-Job does not perform.. Maybe another way to set timeout? I am disappointed :(

• Edited by 23 hours 3 minutes ago

Thanks for help. Well in this case I got no error but as early no converted files.. As you can see on screenshot I got Verbose on Russian (it goes after Remove-Job), but inside Start-Job this message is in English now. I have feeling source code inside Start-Job does not perform.. Maybe another way to set timeout? I am disappointed :(

• Edited by 22 hours 55 minutes ago

I decided to try it by myself...

this works for me, please try and tell me if OK for you too :

$number = 0 
$count = $docs.Count
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
    $saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

       
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
   

$job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path, $sf)
	Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( n $num of $ct)" -Verbose
	$word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
	$word.Visible = $false
	$doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)
	$doc.SaveAs("$path", $sf);
	$doc.Close()
} -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file, $saveFormat
    

    Wait-Job $job -Timeout 30
    Receive-Job $job
    #$doc.close()
    remove-job $job
    Write-Verbose "end for $name ($number of $count)" -Verbose
}

OK, when I put  

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML"); 

to Start-Job{..} I got another error:

Unable to find type [Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat] make sure the assembly containing this type..

is  this Job not transparent?

• Edited by Wednesday, April 01, 2015 7:35 AM

OK, when I put  

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML"); 

to Start-Job{..} I got another error:

Unable to find type [Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat] make sure the assembly containing this type..

is  this Job not transparent?

• Edited by Wednesday, April 01, 2015 7:35 AM

Thanks for answer. I  have changed source as you wrote and in this time seems Job worked. I got error about Type Mismatch in SaveAs function and no converted files but the source in Start-Job{..} works. Thank you very much again.

Thanks for help. Well in this case I got no error but as early no converted files.. As you can see on screenshot I got Verbose on Russian (it goes after Remove-Job), but inside Start-Job this message is in English now. I have feeling source code inside Start-Job does not perform.. Maybe another way to set timeout? I am disappointed :(

• Edited by Wednesday, April 01, 2015 8:04 AM

Thanks for help. Well in this case I got no error but as early no converted files.. As you can see on screenshot I got Verbose on Russian (it goes after Remove-Job), but inside Start-Job this message is in English now. I have feeling source code inside Start-Job does not perform.. Maybe another way to set timeout? I am disappointed :(

• Edited by Wednesday, April 01, 2015 8:04 AM

I decided to try it by myself...

this works for me, please try and tell me if OK for you too :

$number = 0 
$count = $docs.Count
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
    $saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

       
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
   

$job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path, $sf)
	Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( n $num of $ct)" -Verbose
	$word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
	$word.Visible = $false
	$doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)
	$doc.SaveAs("$path", $sf);
	$doc.Close()
} -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file, $saveFormat
    

    Wait-Job $job -Timeout 30
    Receive-Job $job
    #$doc.close()
    remove-job $job
    Write-Verbose "end for $name ($number of $count)" -Verbose
}

• Marked as answer by 23 hours 44 minutes ago

I decided to try it by myself...

this works for me, please try and tell me if OK for you too :

$number = 0 
$count = $docs.Count
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
    $saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

       
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
   

$job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path, $sf)
	Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( n $num of $ct)" -Verbose
	$word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
	$word.Visible = $false
	$doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)
	$doc.SaveAs("$path", $sf);
	$doc.Close()
} -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file, $saveFormat
    

    Wait-Job $job -Timeout 30
    Receive-Job $job
    #$doc.close()
    remove-job $job
    Write-Verbose "end for $name ($number of $count)" -Verbose
}

• Marked as answer by Thursday, April 02, 2015 7:23 AM

I decided to try it by myself...

this works for me, please try and tell me if OK for you too :

$number = 0 
$count = $docs.Count
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    Write-Verbose "$name `t`t ( $number  $count)" -Verbose
    $saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

       
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
   

$job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path, $sf)
	Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( n $num of $ct)" -Verbose
	$word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
	$word.Visible = $false
	$doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)
	$doc.SaveAs("$path", $sf);
	$doc.Close()
} -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file, $saveFormat
    

    Wait-Job $job -Timeout 30
    Receive-Job $job
    #$doc.close()
    remove-job $job
    Write-Verbose "end for $name ($number of $count)" -Verbose
}

• Marked as answer by Thursday, April 02, 2015 7:23 AM

Alex,

quite surprising, it works for me... your call to SaveAs is quite different of mine, I don't use [ref]... could you try  with $doc.SaveAs("$path", $sf);

regards,

Sbastien

Hi Sbastien. Yes I tried to call as you and got error smth like "Use [ref]  blablabla". Then I remove

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

 

and $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]$sf); change to $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]10); 

Success, It works. I don't know where was my fault, I don't have a lot experience in PowerShell.. But now script looks like this and it works for me.

$number = 0 
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    
    #$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");
    # м 
   
    
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
    
    # м
   $job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path)
        
    Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( $path, $input)" -Verbose
   $word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
    $word.Visible = $false
     $doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)    
     $doc.saveas([ref]$path, [ref]10);
    $doc.Close() 
    $word.Quit() 
    } -InputObject $saveformat -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file

     

Thank you for help.

Hi Alex,

Glad to hear that it works for you now. Perhaps can you mark your question as answered.

Have a nice day.

Sbastien

Hi Sbastien. Yes I tried to call as you and got error smth like "Use [ref]  blablabla". Then I remove

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

 

and $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]$sf); change to $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]10); 

Success, It works. I don't know where was my fault, I don't have a lot experience in PowerShell.. But now script looks like this and it works for me.

$number = 0 
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    
    #$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");
    # м 
   
    
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
    
    # м
   $job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path)
        
    Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( $path, $input)" -Verbose
   $word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
    $word.Visible = $false
     $doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)    
     $doc.saveas([ref]$path, [ref]10);
    $doc.Close() 
    $word.Quit() 
    } -InputObject $saveformat -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file

     

Thank you for help.

• Marked as answer by 23 hours 44 minutes ago

Hi Sbastien. Yes I tried to call as you and got error smth like "Use [ref]  blablabla". Then I remove

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

 

and $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]$sf); change to $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]10); 

Success, It works. I don't know where was my fault, I don't have a lot experience in PowerShell.. But now script looks like this and it works for me.

$number = 0 
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    
    #$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");
    # м 
   
    
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
    
    # м
   $job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path)
        
    Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( $path, $input)" -Verbose
   $word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
    $word.Visible = $false
     $doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)    
     $doc.saveas([ref]$path, [ref]10);
    $doc.Close() 
    $word.Quit() 
    } -InputObject $saveformat -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file

     

Thank you for help.

• Marked as answer by Thursday, April 02, 2015 7:23 AM

Hi Sbastien. Yes I tried to call as you and got error smth like "Use [ref]  blablabla". Then I remove

$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");

 

and $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]$sf); change to $doc.saveas([ref]$path,[ref]10); 

Success, It works. I don't know where was my fault, I don't have a lot experience in PowerShell.. But now script looks like this and it works for me.

$number = 0 
foreach ($file in $docs)
{
    # м  м м 
    $name = $file.Name
    ++$number
    
    #$saveFormat = [Enum]::Parse([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat], "wdFormatFilteredHTML");
    # м 
   
    
    # м м    html 
    $pdf_file = $path_html + "\" + $name
    # м  (  pdf-  м doc)
    $pdf_file = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($pdf_file, '.htm')
    
    # м
   $job= Start-Job -ScriptBlock { param($f, $nam, $num, $ct, $path)
        
    Write-Verbose "$nam `t`t ( $path, $input)" -Verbose
   $word = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application
    $word.Visible = $false
     $doc = $word.Documents.Open($f.FullName)    
     $doc.saveas([ref]$path, [ref]10);
    $doc.Close() 
    $word.Quit() 
    } -InputObject $saveformat -ArgumentList $file, $name, $number, $count, $pdf_file

     

Thank you for help.

• Marked as answer by Thursday, April 02, 2015 7:23 AM

FYI - thisis the correct way to get the enum:

$saveFormat=[Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat]'wdFormatFilteredHTML'

OR

$saveFormat=[Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat]::wdFormatFilteredHTML

You can use tab expansion to list all enums.

You can also list5 all names defined in an enum like this:

[enum]::GetNames([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat])

Example with other object:

[enum]::GetNames([stringsplitoptions])