Hi!

I'm trying to find a manageable way to either executeActions() or scheduleActions(), and also put the remote to sleep for a while.

In pseudo code this is what I want to do in a pronto script:

if preprocessor is off
{
switch it on
sleep for 2 sec
}

..do the rest of the script.

The reason for the sleep is that my preprocessor uses 12V triggers to a couple of PS Audio Power Plant Premieres which powers the whole system, so to be sure that everything has entered standby I want the script/remote to sleep for 2 seconds.

However, if I try to use executeActions() it throws the famous error:
ProntoScript error: Busy playing actions
Offending activity script: (untagged)
Offending line #14: " CF.widget("POWER_ON", "DEVICE_PREPRO_TRANSPORT", "DEVICE_PREPRO").executeActions();"

And if I uses scheduleActions() instead it will do things in an incorrect order, i.e. it will schedule the power on for later, then go to sleep, then schedule all other power ons in the script and after this execute the whole batch.
The problem here is that it doesn't allow the 2 second grace period needed for everything to enter standby before they can accept commands like power on.

I guess I could wrap all this in a scheduleAfter() but it would mean a lot of duplicated code and make the script grow.

Are there any smarter ways to accomplish this?
If the preprocessor is already on then just move on in the script, if it is off it needs a power on and then everything should sleep for 2 sec before continuing.

This is the current snippet of the script, using scheduleActions():

// PreProcessor Power On
// If PreProcessor is off, everything else is also off
// Power on the PreProcessor and then wait for 2 sec for everything to enter standby
if (System.getGlobal("powerStatus.PREPRO") != "ON")
{
System.print("Powering On PreProcessor");
System.setGlobal("powerStatus.PREPRO", "ON");
CF.widget("POWER_ON", "DEVICE_PREPRO_TRANSPORT", "DEVICE_PREPRO").scheduleActions();
System.delay(2000); // Sleep for 2 sec
}

The same issue applies when shutting down the system.
If the HTPC or projector is on I want to send power off to them, then sleep for an appropriate amount of time and lastly send power off to the preprocessor.

No suggestions here yet? :)

Why not put the delay into the actionlist itself?

I would suggest the same. Simply use ProntoScript to conditionally run one of two actionlists, one actionlist which includes the delay action and another which doesn't.

I'm not sure I understand, should I put the delay on the buttons for power on/off respectively and not when entering an activity or shutting down?

Create a New Hidden Button ("SPECIAL_OFF") that is only accessible through Prontoscript. Hide It Under a graphic or on a hidden page.

Add a Power Off action. (projector)
Add a 2 second Delay Action. (sleep)
Add a Power Off action. (preprocessor)

CF.widget("SPECIAL_OFF", "DEVICE_PREPRO_TRANSPORT", "DEVICE_PREPRO").scheduleActions();

Wouldn't this behave in the same way as my original problem?

It all depends on exactly what your problem is.  You can put delays into either actionlists (as per the examples above) or into scripts (via simple loops that compare times).  You can invoke actionlists in either blocking (i.e. via executeActions()) or non-blocking (i.e. scheduleActions()) manners.  All this means that you have complete flexibility, I think.

From my reading of your original post, you want the script to only resume X seconds after the first actionlist is invoked.  Putting a delay at the end of the first actionalist and invoking it using executeActions() will achieve this.

Based on your description above the easiest way to accomplish what you want is to only use ProntoScript to conditionally determine which actionlist you want to execute. The actionlist itself would contain all actions you want executed from start to finish, including any delay actions along the way. In the below example I have you tracking the power state of your preprocessor using a System Global. The button you'd press to power on your system would contain the below ProntoScript only.

if(System.getGlobal ("Preprocessor")=="On")
{CF.widget("SystemOn","Page (PS Name)","Activity (PS Name)").executeActions();}
else
{System.setGlobal ("Preprocessor","On"); CF.widget("SystemOn (Ext)","Page (PS Name)","Activity (PS Name)").executeActions();}

This is a simple if/else statement which states, if the preprocessor is already powered on execute the actionlist contained on the button with the ProntoScript name, "SystemOn". If the preprocessor is not already powered on first update the SystemGlobal as you are about to power on the preprocessor, then execute the actionlist contained on the button with the ProntoScript name, "SystemOn (Ext)".

The actionlist on the button with the ProntoScript name, "SystemOn" would contain all actions you want executed to power on your system from start to finish, minus the delay action as it is not needed if the preprocessor is already powered on. The actionlist on the button with the ProntoScript name, "SystemOn (Ext)" would contain the same exact actionlist items, but would also include a delay action for 2 seconds after sending the power on command to the preprocessor.

All that being said, there is actually an even simplier approach. All we are talking about here is 2 seconds. As such, who cares if the preprocessor is powered on already. Include the 2 second delay action each and every time. It would act as a fail-safe. It's just 2 seconds after all. In this case we're just talking about a button with an actionlist. No ProntoScript required. Now if you do need to execute ProntoScript prior to the actionlist running such as for updating System Globals and so forth you certainly can. Just make the last line of ProntoScript your executeActions statement invoking the particular actionlist to be run which could be contained on the same button if you want.

Great!
I'll try this approach as soon as I can but it sounds promising :)
Thanks a lot to everyone who posted in the thread.

I agree that 2 seconds isn't a lot but when powering off it might be significantly higher, probably 60-90 seconds if the projector was on and needs a cooldown.
Of course I could always wait this amount of time before powering off the system but my inner nerd wanted everything nice and pretty :)

No need to wait the 60-90 seconds before powering off your system. For the actionlist that powers off your system just ensure 90 seconds has past after powering off the projector, but before the actionlist actually ends by inserting the needed delay action. While the actionlist is running you could even have an informational page displayed on the remote stating to please wait while the system is being powered off.

Yea I was planning something along the lines of a timer that starts counting down in the background when the projector powers down and then I will wait for the remaining amount of time before power off the prepro, thus making it dynamic between 0-90 seconds.
Haven't studied up on the specifics of such a timer yet thou but I assume that it would be possible.

Everything can be done with a simple actionlist. Simply add delay actions where needed along the way. The actionlist would first power off the projector, then everything else except the preprocessor. You would then have a 90 second delay action to account for the time the projector needs to cool down. The last item in the actionlist would be the command to power off the preprocessor.