Command line automation can be initiated in two basic ways (see here for COM automation):

1. via a batch file
2. via a Desktop or Start Menu shortcut (create a TextPipe shortcut, then change the Target property under the Short Cut tab)

Either way, you need to be careful to quote any long filenames e.g.

"c:\program files\TextPipe\TextPipe.exe" /f=filter_file.fll "c:\my documents\*.*" /g /q

You can use the command line automation helper to give you a variety of examples of automating the current filter.

This simple line starts TextPipe, opens the filter called filter_file.fll, then runs it across all files in c:\my documents\*.*. The /g option tells TextPipe to "start now", and the /q option tells TextPipe to "quit when done". Omitting either of these options or putting them in the wrong order will prevent automation from working.

A set of filtering options can also be specified using the command line (rather than using a filter file). Not all filtering options can be specified on the command line. This limitation can be avoided completely by saving a filter (.fll file) with the appropriate filtering options, and then using the /F=<filter file> option to open it from the command line.

MS-DOS Prompt START command

You can use the MS-DOS Prompt's START command to force the command shell to wait for TextPipe to finish before it continues with the next command. This can be very useful if you run a series of two or more TextPipe filters in sequence (also referred to as 'chaining' filters together). The full command line options for the Start command are:

C:\>start /?
Runs a Windows program or an MS-DOS program.

START [options] program [arg...]
START [options] document.ext

/m[inimized] Run the new program minimized (in the background).
/max[imized] Run the new program maximized (in the foreground).
/r[estored] Run the new program restored (in the foreground). [default]
/w[ait] Does not return until the other program exits.

So to run multiple TextPipe filters in a row, use a sequence like the following:

start /w "c:\program files\TextPipe\TextPipe.exe" /f=filter1.fll "c:\my documents\*.*" /g /q
start /w "c:\program files\TextPipe\TextPipe.exe" /f=filter2.fll "c:\my documents\*.*" /g /q
...

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