-save option not saving, no error

[jcollum]

I'm using this command line to save to a file:

  minicap -save "c:\temp\screenshots\capture_$nicename$_$Y$m$d_$H$M" -sleep 2 -capturescreen -closeapp -exit

Seems straightforward. But when I look in C:\temp\screenshots there is no file with the name "capture...". What's wrong with the command line? I've tried running the cmd window in Admin and normal mode.

[mouser]

try this, add -prompsave to your commandline and see if it pops up a dialog box showing you the suggest save location and filename, that might give you a clue.

it may be that $nicename$ has some illegal characters in it that are not being escaped as they should be.

[worstje]

I don't use SC... but I have to ask because my curiousity is killing me . Is it -prompsave or -promptsave? One of them is rather misspelled..

[jcollum]

Yeah it's -promptsave. That did help, but it's still not working the way I want. Here's the more correct version:

    minicap -save "c:\temp\screenshots\capture_$customdate$_$appname$" -customdate "$Y$m$d_$H$M$S" -sleep 2 -capturescreen -closeapp -exit

Two issues:

First, it's not saving files. If I use -promptsave then it asks me where to save and I just hit OK on that dialog and it works fine. But without the promptsave it won't do anything.
Second, there is a dot after the $customdate$ token, so it does "capture_20110815_092802_cmd..gif".

I'd expect the app to return an error if the filename isn't a valid filename, instead it just fails silently. Silent failures are bad usability.

[mouser]

Silent failures are bad usability

i agree, i will look at the save code.  but you say that it works if you use -promptsave but not if you don't.  that's odd.

[mouser]

ok so i think the reason its failing is because you are not specifying an image file extension.

so you should have for example:
minicap -save "c:\temp\screenshots\capture_$customdate$_$appname$.png" -customdate "$Y$m$d_$H$M$S" -sleep 2 -capturescreen -closeapp -exit

i am adding error reporting now to report failure to save.

[jcollum]

That fixed it! Thanks for the assist.