TaskSculpta - About

TaskSculpta is a tool I created some time ago to automate the release of my utilities to this website. I also use it for many other things. I've basically put the same user interface from my other recent new tool TaskFlexa.

TaskSculpta is kind of like a visual form of batch files that you can see the flow of the task actions. You don't need to learn and code just familiarize yourself with the Task Actions list.

This tool is perfect for technical and semi technical Windows users who want to automate processes, integration or just make regular tasks simpler. You do not need programming knowledge to use TaskSculpta but if you are a software, database or web developer you can use it in conjunction with Python or VBScripts. You can also use it to launch you're own console application and monitor the success of fail status of that application.

You can associate a related file or a URL to each task if you wish. The file or URL can then be opened from the selected task.

Multiple task scripts can be opened on separate tabs. The TaskSculpta files have a .TSA file extension.

To use TaskSculpta just create a local folder and put TaskSculpta into it. TaskSculpta is portable like my other tools so it does not require an installation and can therefore be put onto a memory stick to be use between machines.

What TaskSculpta can be used for

• Creating software release scripts.
• Running console applications with parameters and capturing the output.
• Reading and editing text based files.
• Copying and managing files.
• Executing Python scripts, receiving return value and capturing the output.
• Executing VBScripts, receiving return value and capturing output.
• Making FTP connections and file transfers.
• Connection to databases using ADO and performing database operations.
• Executing CMD prompt commands and capturing the output.
• User prompts and information capture.
• Performing checks and getting system information.
• Systems integration and database migration.

TaskSculpta - Job Action

• MessageBox- Shows a message box with text and or variable
• CreateVariable- Create a variable for use is most task action properties input and outputs
• CreateVarBatch- Create multiple variables in one action. It allows you to go back and add new variables easily
• CreateListVariable- Create an empty list that can be populated by actions
• DoesFileExist- Checks a specified file exists. Fails if it doesn't exist
• FileCopy- Copies a specified file to a specified folder
• CreateZipFile- Create a specified Zip file
• CreateFolder- Create a specified folder
• DoesFolderExist- Checks a specified folder exists. Fails if it does not exist.
• OpenFolder- Open specified folder in Windows Explorer
• CopyFolder- Copies a specified folder to a specified path.
• FTPConnect- Make basic FTP Server Connection
• FTPChangeDir- Change remote FTP folder. Requires FTPConnect.
• FTPUpload- Upload file to FTP server. Requires FTPConnect.
• FTPDownload- Download file from FTP server. Requires FTPConnect.
• FTPDisconnect- Disconnect FTP server connection. Requires FTPConnect.
• InputVariable- Input value to variable
• ExecuteProgram- Execute a specified program with parameters
• EditXMLFile- Edit a specified XML file branch
• OpenFileDialog- Open file dialog, returns filename to variable
• SelectFolderDialog- Select folder dialog, returns folder path to variable
• DeleteFile- Delete a specified file
• YesOrNoBox- Yes or No dialog box
• Comment- Non action comment. Useful for putting in notes on the script.
• OutputMessage- Send a string or variable to the Output tab
• ADOConnect- Make ADO database connection
• ADOTablesToList- ADO DB Table names to list variable. Requires ADOConnect.
• ADOSelectToList- ADO SQL Select result to list variable. Requires ADOConnect.
• ADOTableToCSV- ADO Table export to CSV File. Requires ADOConnect.
• AccessRepComp- Access database repair and compact
• ADOUpdateSQL- ADO Update/Insert/Alter/Delete SQL Statements. Requires ADOConnect.
• PythonScript- Execute a Python Script with parameters and get result
• VBScript- Execute a Visual Basic Script with parameters and get result
• Beep- Audio sound alert
• ClearOutput- Clear output window
• OpenURL- Open a URL in the default web browser
• OpenFile- Open a file with it's associated application
• CreateTextFile- Creates a new text file in a specified folder
• SetVariable- Set variable value
• PopulateList- Populate a specified list from a static list of strings
• OutputList- Output list contents to the output panel
• OutVariables- Output created variables
• GetDateTime- Get Date / Time using specified format
• GetWinVer- Get Windows Version info to a variable
• GetFileVer- Get file version number to a variable
• GetUsername- Get User name to a variable
• GetCompName- Get Computer name to a variable
• Inbetween- Get substring in between two string tags
• Section- Set a section header that you can jump to
• JumpEqual- Jump to specified section if variable equals given value
• Terminate- Terminate script at current location. This can be used to end a section after a jump
• CMDCommand- Run CMD Prompt commands such as mkdir, ipconfig, set etc
• SendUDPText- Send text to a UDP port and IP Address
• GetCPUCores- Gets the number of CPU Cores. This is needed as some software charge per core.
• INIGetValue- Get value from an item in a section of a specified INI File
• ListLoad- Load a text file into a list variable
• ListSave- Save list variable content to a specified text file
• ListLinesReplace- Search and replace text tokens within lines in a list variable
• Directory- Get list of files from a specified folder to a list variable
• INISetValue- Write a value to a section item in an INI file, Useful for persisting data outside of the scripts
• SetUserEnvVar- Create and write a value to a User system environment variable
• GetUserEnvVar- Read a value from a User system environment variable and assign it to a script variable
• XMLGetValue- Get value from a specified branch in a XML file

Feedback on TaskSculpta

This is the beta version of this new tool so expect bugs. If you do get an unexpected error message then contact me and I'll try and fix it as soon as possible. I also have lots of new features planned for this tool so if you would like to see a particular feature let me know so that I can prioritize it if it's already on my list.

As TaskSculpta is a new tool I would appreciate feedback. Let me know if you get any unexpected errors or a feature doesn't work correctly. I've got lots of new task actions in progress for TaskSculpta so it would be good to here what kind of things would be useful. Just send an email to alexnolannet@gmail.com