Chapter
1: Introduction to KiXtart
This first chapter provides a little history on
KiXtart and reasons why you might want to choose KiXtart as
your scripting language. It tells you where to download the
latest version of KiXtart and the available KiXtart editors,
and it discusses installing and upgrading KiXtart. This
chapter closes with some methods for executing your scripts
and steps to take for configuring logon scripts for Windows
NT, 2000, and 2003 Server with user profiles or Group Policy.
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Chapter
2: KiXtart Scripting Basics
This second chapter focuses on the basics of
scripting with KiXtart. It discusses script structure, basic
syntax, and the SetOption function, as well as the many
supported variable types. Operators, arrays, variable
declaration, environment variables, and program flow round out
this chapter.
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Chapter
3: Macro Variables
Chapter Three provides information and real-world
examples of all KiXtart macro variables. The macros in this
chapter have been broken up into the following categories:
user, system, path variables, date/time, and others.
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Chapter
4: String and Value Control
This chapter covers the various functions provided
for the conversion and manipulation of numbers and strings
within KiXtart. Typically, when reading data from a file or
even the registry, you often end up with extraneous, unneeded
characters or spaces. The functions discussed here provide the
ability to get the data you want.
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Chapter
5: DOS Commands
Chapter Five discusses many KiXtart commands that
are familiar to those who have spent time working with DOS
batch files. When discussing commands such as Copy, RD, and
Use, we also cover alternate means of performing these
tasks-above and beyond the native capabilities of KiXtart.
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Chapter
6: Scripts In, Script Out
This chapter documents methods for specifying
console display properties as well as commands that let you
display and position output in the console display. Here, we
discuss functions provided for collecting input and presenting
output to users. The use of external text and .INI files is
also discussed in detail.
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Chapter
7: System Management
In Chapter Seven, we discuss printer management
with KiXtart functions and through other command line methods.
We also cover program group management and shortcut creation,
including built-in KiXtart functions and other available
options. Functions for working with the Windows Event Log are
explained with real-world examples. Finally, we discuss
KiXtart functions and other methods for logging off, locking,
shutting down, and placing systems in standby for all 32-bit
Windows environments.
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Chapter
8: Registry Functions
This chapter starts with an overview of the Windows
registry and then covers KiXtart's functions for reading and
modifying the registry. Here, we look at each of the registry
commands, with helpful examples. Several other command line
tools available for working with the registry are also
discussed. Finally, this chapter provides information and
tools relating to registry security.
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Chapter
9: COM Automation
Chapter Nine covers KiXtart COM automation support,
as well as several common objects used in scripts. The
CreateObject and GetObject functions and their uses are
explained along with several examples. This chapter also
discusses Windows Management Interface (WMI), Active Directory
Services Interface (ADSI), ActiveX Data Objects (ADO),
Internet Explorer, the File System Object, and other objects,
with real-world examples and links to additional resources.
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Chapter
10: Other Functions
In this chapter, we cover the functions that did
not fit into the categories that organized the earlier
chapters. These remaining functions include file checking,
user identification, and system checks. The InGroup function
is discussed in this chapter, including an explanation of the
group token cache.
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Chapter
11: Troubleshooting
This last chapter covers error handling, creating
your own log file, and using KiXtart's log file. It explains
KiXtart's debugging capabilities and identifies other tools
for debugging KiXtart scripts. This chapter lists common
problems with suggestions for avoiding them. It discusses the
limitations imposed by Windows security, along with third
party tools available to help deal with security issues you
may encounter. Finally, it identifies a handful of documented
problems.
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Appendix
A: KiXtart Quick Reference
This appendix provides a more traditional list of
macros, commands, and functions in alphabetical order. A quick
description and syntax are provided for each, as well as where
to find more information throughout this book.
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Appendix
B: KiXtart Language Codes
The @SYSLANG and @USERLANG macro variables identify
the currently selected language by its local ID (LCID) and
English name. This appendix provides a reference for the many
values that may be returned by KiXtart for these macros.
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Appendix
C: KiXtart Version Reference
This appendix provides a chart illustrating the
macros, commands, and functions provided by KiXtart and
indicates with which versions of KiXtart they are available.
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Appendix
D: ASCII and Hex Value Reference
An ASCII and Hexadecimal chart, as displayed by
included KiXtart scripts, are provided for reference in this
appendix.
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Appendix
E: Environment Variable Reference
This appendix provides a list of the default
Windows environment variables with a short description of
each. It also provides a chart to show where each environment
variable exists across all versions of Windows.
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Appendix
F: Error Code Reference
When a non-KiXtart error code is returned, it does
so in the form of a standard Win32 error code. A Win32 Error
code reference is provided along with the script used to
generate this appendix.
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