Simple batch file help needed

[Kevin Mullins]

I played around with some of this awhile back on another project, but since then that harddrive crashed. So my examples got lost. Trying to write up a simple .bat file that will launch just one particular game automatically when executed.

Something like:

@echo off
cls
cd C:\MAME128
start /min mame.exe -tm.zip

But I'm not familiar with the command lines and such that MAME uses.
So I'm not sure how to make it call a particular game.

Can someone enlighten me before I rack my brain on such a daff little thing?


 

[Congui]

Hi there.

This is as simple as it gets (no need to specify the zip extension):
@echo off
d:
cd mame
start mame.exe pacman

Hope it helps.
Cheers,
Congui

[daywane]

hope this helps
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=34776.0

[ChadTower]

He might want start /max to maximize the mame window.  /min would minimize it which sort of defeats the purpose.

[Kevin Mullins]

Bingo !!
I knew I was doing something wrong. (stupid really)
It was simply a matter of putting tm instead of -tm.zip after the .exe

@echo off
cls
cd C:\MAME128
start /min mame.exe tm

Chad ... I was trying to use the /min to minimize the DOS prompt window.
It only blinks for a second, but still a bit noticable.
Once the .exe and rom are called it maximizes the game itself just fine.

daywane ... I'll make note of that thread. I didn't find it inmy searches. 

[dys]

i experienced that if you call the batch file from inside a visual basic program, this minimize-window problem that we see in the screen will no longer appear. the command looks like this in vb6.


shell "sample.bat", vbhide


inside the sample.bat, you no longer need the command 'start /min'


assuming the start /min there was the DOS program and not part of the MAME program


so your bat file should look like this inside

@echo off
d:
cd mame
mame.exe pacman

[Kevin Mullins]

I will definitely give that a shot also because I may be using this setup for other projects.

And I did notice that although my batch files worked perfectly from the desktop, they seemed to cause issues when trying to run them from within a frontend.

[dys]

another term for frontend is emulator? like psexe for ps1?

[Franco B]

another term for frontend is emulator? like psexe for ps1?

No they are not the same.

A frontend (Mala, Hyperspin, MAMEwah, MAME32 etc) is software which is configured to run emulators (psexe, MAME, ZSNES etc) and dispays the games/games lists etc which then run the emulators depending on the chosen game/system.

[dys]

another term for frontend is emulator? like psexe for ps1?

No they are not the same.

A frontend (Mala, Hyperspin, MAMEwah, MAME32 etc) is software which is configured to run emulators (psexe, MAME, ZSNES etc) and dispays the games/games lists etc which then run the emulators depending on the chosen game/system.

so it is sort like a main menu for all your games, with different emus combined.

Back where I live, they called this software games handler, dashboard, and many other (depending on which shop you are in). And now frontend. Confusing 

Franco B, thanks for the link earlier.

[richyrich888]

i experienced that if you call the batch file from inside a visual basic program, this minimize-window problem that we see in the screen will no longer appear. the command looks like this in vb6.


shell "sample.bat", vbhide


inside the sample.bat, you no longer need the command 'start /min'


assuming the start /min there was the DOS program and not part of the MAME program


so your bat file should look like this inside

@echo off
d:
cd mame
mame.exe pacman

Hi just thought i'd add to this. have had the flashing black dos box  problem myself and one way around it is to create a windows shortcut to your .bat file (right click, drag, create shortcut) and set the short cut to open minimised ..right click on shortcut select properties and in the RUN drop down box select minimized  -done! just direct your frontend command to the shortcut.