commandline_or_gui_windows 0.0.2

Allows your app to run as either commandline or gui. Windows only.

Commandline or GUI Windows

This plugin allows you to run a flutter windows app in gui mode, or commandline mode, and redirect stdout & stderr to the shell.

Notes:

• Windows Only
• Only tested on Windows 10 21H1
  • 16/03/2022
• If in commandline mode, commandline output is supposed to be sent to the stdout/stderr of the shell that ran the app.
• A GUI window opens when in commandline mode while the app is running
  • this does not effect where the output goes when running in commandline mode
  • program closes on completion, and so does the gui
  • cannot remove GUI for now, because the plugin requires flutter to be run
    • flutter requires the GUI, and there isn't currently an easy way (I know of) of closing the window, and making use of dart/flutter
  • by default a centered CircularProgressIndicator is displayed while the GUI us open
    • you can set a widget to display using the placeHolderAfterLoadedRunning parameter in the CommandlineOrGuiWindows.runAppCommandlineOrGUI function

Please Post Questions on StackOverflow, and tag @CatTrain (user:16200950)

https://stackoverflow.com/

Importing:

YAML:

dependencies:
    commandline_or_gui_windows: ^0.0.1
    

Dart:

import 'package:commandline_or_gui_windows/commandline_or_gui_windows.dart';

Example - Commandline Only:

Note that commandline is true, if false app attempts to run in GUI mode. The app will exit once afterLoaded is done running, unless closeOnCompleteCommandlineOptionOnly is passed as false (default true). If the below code is run in Android Studio by clicking the run (debug) button you will see a window open and close. To run this example follow the below steps:

• Open PowerShell
  • navigate to C:\my_project_path\
  • run:
    • flutter build windows --debug
  • navigate to C:\my_project_path\build\windows\runner
  • run:
    • .\myApp.exe

import 'package:commandline_or_gui_windows/commandline_or_gui_windows.dart';

void main() async {
  await CommandlineOrGuiWindows.runAppCommandlineOrGUI(
    afterLoaded: () async {
      await CommandlineOrGuiWindows.stdout("Hello World!");
      await CommandlineOrGuiWindows.stderr("I am broken, oh no!");
    },
  );
}

Example - GUI Only:

Note that commandline is false, if true the app attempts to run in commandline mode

import 'package:commandline_or_gui_windows/commandline_or_gui_windows.dart';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

void main() async {
  await CommandlineOrGuiWindows.runAppCommandlineOrGUI(
    commandline: false,

    // gui of the app
    gui: const MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        body: Center(
          child: Text("This is the gui of the app"),
        ),
      ),
    ),
  );
}

Example - GUI or Commandline:

This example uses args.dart package. If the below code is run in Android Studio by clicking the run (debug) button you will see only the GUI. To run this example follow the below steps:

• Open PowerShell
  • navigate to C:\my_project_path\
  • run:
    • flutter build windows --debug
  • navigate to C:\my_project_path\build\windows\runner
  • run:
    • for GUI
      • .\myApp.exe
    • for commandline
      • .\myApp.exe -a

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:commandline_or_gui_windows/commandline_or_gui_windows.dart';

// not part of plugin, added to add commandline input
import 'package:args/args.dart';

void main(List<String> args) async {
  /*
   not part of plugin, added to add commandline input
   ref:
   https://pub.dev/packages/args
   if run from shell:
   .\commandline_or_gui_windows_example.exe -a
   it will run in commandline mode
   if run from shell:
   .\commandline_or_gui_windows_example.exe
   it will run in gui mode
  */
  ArgParser parser = ArgParser();
  parser.addFlag(
    "automation",
    abbr: "a",
  );
  ArgResults results = parser.parse(args);

  // part of plugin, main entry. This runciton runs runApp
  await CommandlineOrGuiWindows.runAppCommandlineOrGUI(
    // if you want to run in gui or commandline mode
    commandline: results["automation"], // parsed option from above

    // code you want to run if in commandline mode
    afterLoaded: () async {
      await CommandlineOrGuiWindows.stdout("Hello World");
      await CommandlineOrGuiWindows.stderr("I am broken, oh no!");
    },

    // gui of the app
    gui: const MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        body: Center(
          child: Text("This is the gui of the app"),
        ),
      ),
    ),
  );
}

Functions:

static Future<void> runAppCommandlineOrGUI({
  Widget? gui,
  Future<void> Function()? afterLoaded,
  bool commandline = true,
  bool closeOnCompleteCommandlineOptionOnly = true,
  Widget placeHolderAfterLoadedRunning = const MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(body: Center(child: CircularProgressIndicator()))),
}) async

• runs runApp, is a replacment for runApp. Allows running of the app in commandline or GUI mode.
• Parameters:
  • Widget? gui
    • The gui that will be displayed, only required if commandline == false
  • Future<void> Function()? afterLoaded
    • Function that must be passed if commandline == true
    • This is the code that is run when in commandline mode
  • bool commandline = true,
    • if true run in commandline mode
      • afterLoaded must be passed
    • if false
      • gui must be passed
  • bool closeOnCompleteCommandlineOptionOnly = true
    • closes the app when afterLoaded is done being run
    • Only relevant if in commandline mode
  • Widget placeHolderAfterLoadedRunning = const MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(body: Center(child: CircularProgressIndicator())))
    • widget displayed while afterLoaded is running

static Future<void> terminalAsOut() async

• calls both terminalAsStdout & terminalAsStderr

static Future<void> terminalAsStdout() async

• Allocates a terminal, and sets the terminal as stdout
  • Makes use of the terminal that launched the application, or open a new terminal if the app was not launched from a terminal
  • if called more that one time, only one terminal will be allocated

static Future<void> terminalAsStderr() async

• Allocates a terminal, and sets the terminal as stderr
  • Makes use of the terminal that launched the application, or open a new terminal if the app was not launched from a terminal
  • if called more that one time, only one terminal will be allocated

static Future<void> stdout(String out) async

• sends passed string to stdout
  • uses c++ function
    • std::cout
• must ensure terminalAsStdout is run before calling the function, otherwise an error will be thrown

static Future<void> stderr(String out) async

• sends passed string to stderr
  • uses c++ function
    • std::cerr
• must ensure terminalAsStderr is run before calling the function, otherwise an error will be thrown

Ref:

https://api.flutter.dev/flutter/material/CircularProgressIndicator-class.html
https://pub.dev/packages/args