Tag Archives: utility - Page 2

Utility Clearance: Enumerate Audio ‘MMDevice’s

Posted by on August 30, 2011 No comments

The utility and code does straightforward enumeration of MMDevices (Vista+, check MSDN for MMDevice API availability), which correspond to MMDevice API, WASAPI, Core Audio API. The code itself is straightforward, with a ready to use binary to quickly lookup data of interest:

The data is detailed well and in Excel-friendly format (via Copy/Paste):

The code also automatically looks up for named Windows SDK constants, such as PKEY_Device_FriendlyName:

    Identifier    {0.0.1.00000000}.{4c1a7642-3f91-43e5-8fcf-b4b1e803d3f9}
    State    DEVICE_STATE_DISABLED    0x02
    Properties:
        {B3F8FA53-0004-438E-9003-51A46E139BFC}, 15    16 bytes of BLOB, DA 07 03 00 02 00 09 00 0E 00 39 00 16 00 C5 02    65
        PKEY_Device_DeviceDesc    Stereo Mix    31
        {B3F8FA53-0004-438E-9003-51A46E139BFC}, 6    Realtek High Definition Audio    31
        {B3F8FA53-0004-438E-9003-51A46E139BFC}, 2    {1}.HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_80860034&REV_1002\4&37D44F2F&0&0201    31
        {83DA6326-97A6-4088-9453-A1923F573B29}, 3    oem29.inf:AzaliaManufacturerID.NTamd64.6.0:IntcAzAudModel:6.0.1.5964:hdaudio\func_01&ven_10ec&dev_0888    31
        PKEY_Device_BaseContainerId    {00000000-0000-0000-FFFF-FFFFFFFFFFFF}    72
        PKEY_Device_ContainerId    {00000000-0000-0000-FFFF-FFFFFFFFFFFF}    72
        PKEY_Device_EnumeratorName    HDAUDIO    31
        PKEY_AudioEndpoint_FormFactor    10    19
        PKEY_AudioEndpoint_JackSubType    {DFF21FE1-F70F-11D0-B917-00A0C9223196}    31
        PKEY_DeviceClass_IconPath    %windir%\system32\mmres.dll,-3018    31
        {840B8171-B0AD-410F-8581-CCCC0382CFEF}, 0    316 bytes of BLOB, 01 00 00 00 38 01 00 00 ... 00 00 00 00    65
        PKEY_AudioEndpoint_Association    {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}    31
        PKEY_AudioEndpoint_Supports_EventDriven_Mode    1    19
        {24DBB0FC-9311-4B3D-9CF0-18FF155639D4}, 3    0    11
        {24DBB0FC-9311-4B3D-9CF0-18FF155639D4}, 4    -1    11
        {9A82A7DB-3EBB-41B4-83BA-18B7311718FC}, 1    65536    19
        {233164C8-1B2C-4C7D-BC68-B671687A2567}, 1    {2}.\\?\hdaudio#func_01&ven_10ec&dev_0888&subsys_80860034&rev_1002#4&37d44f2f&0&0201#{6994ad04-93ef-11d0-a3cc-00a0c9223196}\rtstereomixwave    31
        {5A9125B7-F367-4924-ACE2-0803A4A3A471}, 0    1610612916    19
        {B3F8FA53-0004-438E-9003-51A46E139BFC}, 0    3    19
        PKEY_Device_FriendlyName    Stereo Mix (Realtek High Definition Audio)    31
        PKEY_DeviceInterface_FriendlyName    Realtek High Definition Audio    31
        PKEY_AudioEndpoint_GUID    {4C1A7642-3F91-43E5-8FCF-B4B1E803D3F9}    31

A binary [Win32, x64] and partial Visual C++ .NET 2010 source code are available from SVN.

See also:

Resource Tools: 64-bit build

Posted by on August 30, 2011 No comments

I rebuilt the Resource Tools utility in 64-bits to, supposedly, be able to be good with resources on 64-bit binaries (actually 32-bit code might be dealing with those fine also?). Anyway, the build is here and the tool available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

In particular, both 32-bit and 64-bit JavaScript scripts hosted by Windows Scripting Host (respectively, 32-bit from C:\Windows\syswow64 or 64-bit from C:\Windows\system32 – in 64-bit Windows) can leverage the tool in file manipulation.

This utility is specifically helpful in automating steps which involve resource updates, such as to apply OEM branding, or resource-based file operations. The code snippet below archives a copy of DLL and PDB files for published release into a .7z archive named using current file version of the DLL itself (that is, it created a ResourceTools.dll-1.0.6.296.7z archive file out of ResourceTools.dll and corresponding ResourceTools.pdb files):

image = new ActiveXObject("AlaxInfo.ResourceTools.Image");
image.Initialize(inputDirectory + fileName);
productVersion = image.VersionInfo.ProductVersionString;
fileVersion = image.VersionInfo.FileVersionString;
WScript.Echo(" Product Version: " + productVersion);
WScript.Echo(" File Version: " + fileVersion);
shell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell");
currentDirectory = shell.CurrentDirectory;
shell.CurrentDirectory = currentDirectory + "\\" + inputDirectory;
try {
    shellExec = shell.Exec(
        "\"" + toolDirectory + "7z" + "\" " +
        "a -t7z " +
        "\"" + currentDirectory + "\\" + outputDirectory + "ResourceTools.dll-" + fileVersion + ".7z" + "\" " +
        "ResourceTools.dll" + " " +
        "ResourceTools.pdb" + " " +
        "");
    while (shellExec.Status == 0)
        WScript.Sleep(100);
    if (shellExec.ExitCode != 0)
        throw new Error("7-Zip Exec failed, .ExitCode " + shellExec.ExitCode.toString());
    WScript.Echo(" Output File: " + "ResourceTools-" + fileVersion + ".7z");
}
finally {
    shell.CurrentDirectory = currentDirectory;
}

Title: Alax.Info Resource Tools
Version: 1.0.6
Download Links: ResourceToolsSetup.msi (Win32, 32-bit) and ResourceToolsSetup-x64.msi (x64, 64-bit)

Utility Clearance: Generate PCM .WAV File

Posted by on August 25, 2011 1 comment

GeneratePcmWavFile tool is generating PCM .WAV files with requested parameters, silent or with a sine wave data. The utility uses WavDest SDK Sample as a multiplexer, so it is expected to be available.

It is possible to define the following audio data parameters:

  • sampling frequency, number of samples per second, such as 44100 or 48000
  • number of channels; the utility does not constrain this to be stereo or 5.1, it will be able to create 64 or 128 channel audio data as well
  • 8 or 16 bit audio samples
    • 16-bit PCM only: sine wave signal parameters, frequency in Hz and amplitude/loudness relative to full scale, that is 0 dB is maximal loudness, and an argument of 23 will result in -23 dB loud audio (such as -23 dbFS, also see EBU R128 Specification, the signal depending on frequency may be used a reference source for normalized -23 LUFS audio)
  • file duration in seconds
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\>GeneratePcmWavFile.exe
Syntax: GeneratePcmWavFile <options> <output-path>
  /s:N: Sampling Rate N, Hz
  /c:N: Channel Count N
  /b:N: Sample Bit Count N, 8 or 16
  /t:N: Length N, seconds
  /f:N: Sine Signal Frequency N, Hz
  /l:N: Sine Signal Loudness N, dB below full scale
  /n:N: Noise Signal Loudness N, dB below full scale

A binary [Win32] and partial Visual C++ .NET 2010 source code are available from SVN.

UPDATE: An extra /n parameter lets the application add random noise within provided loudness parameter.

Utility Clearance: Artificial CPU Load

Posted by on August 25, 2011 No comments

The LoadCpu tool creates one or more threads to waste CPU cycles and emulate slower environment, such as for testing and troubleshooting. There has been a great deal of similar tools out there, and this one in particular is convenient/special as it takes process affinity mask as a parameter.

That is, /a:NN defines affinity mask, e.g. 5 for 1st and 3rd CPU (two threads), and /r:MM defines [roughly] CPU load time in percent.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\>loadcpu /a:5 /r:25
System Affinity Mask: 0xff
Process Affinity Mask: 0x05
Rate: 25%

A binary [Win32] and partial Visual C++ .NET 2010 source code are available from SVN.

LogProcessExceptions: Minidumps on User Request

Posted by on July 19, 2011 No comments

An updated version of LogProcessExceptions utility is given an additional option to create minidump .DMP files for debugged process on user request. This is in particular useful in conjunction with flag choices (on the previous page of the wizard).

Download links:

LogProcessExceptions: Automatically Create Minidump Files on C++ Exception in Monitored Process

Posted by on May 18, 2011 No comments

LogProcessExceptions utility implements a very basic debugger which attaches (see DebugActiveProcess on MSDN) to a running process and monitors its exceptions. Once exception takes place the utility creates a minidump file for the process (see MiniDumpWriteDump on MSDN) so that exception condition could be investigated off-site using debugger.

If you throw C++ exceptions in your C++ code in exceptional cases which indicate necessity to log the condition and possibly check it later, the utility will get the vital information for the application running at production location in environment without fully featured debugger (note that the utility is a simple download-and-run “wizard” style application, with no installation required), or will simply track the error letting the application continue execution without pretty much of an interruption.

The tool will prompt for debuggee process, and follow with minidump type choices and the debugging operation.

Read more »

Utility Clearance: Automatic Snapshots

Posted by on May 13, 2011 No comments

Automatic Snapshots runs as a background application monitors clipboard. Should a new image be copied there, the utility automatically writes the image into a file. The process does not require any user interaction and is completely automatic so that – per Mike Westen‘s request – user could quickly and easily create snapshots of a multitude of windows (Alt+Print Screen) or full screen images (Print Screen) using standard hotkeys.

Features:

  • Automatic PNG compression (can be disabled via registry and enable BMP mode)
  • Reduction of color depth to create smaller PNG files
  • Asynchronous processing, the compression and file writes are on background thread to not slow foreground application
  • Application window flashes on application bar while busy and indicates the status via window caption
  • Application appends current foreground window caption to the image file name

A binary [Win32, x64] and Visual C++ .NET 2010 source code are available from SVN.