Is there a way to automate Quote Loader without manually opening Moneydance?
I use Moneydance on a Windows 365 cloud PC (Windows 11). I'd like to keep my securities updated by automatically downloading Quote Loader quotes every day after the markets close. I see that Quote Loader has this functionality but I understand that Moneydance has to be open for this to run(?).
Has anyone figured out a way to automate the opening of Moneydance each day to allow Quote Loader to download and update prices?
Comments are currently closed for this discussion. You can start a new one.
Keyboard shortcuts
Generic
| ? | Show this help |
|---|---|
| ESC | Blurs the current field |
Comment Form
| r | Focus the comment reply box |
|---|---|
| ^ + ↩ | Submit the comment |
You can use Command ⌘ instead of Control ^ on Mac
1 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Jul 19, 2023 @ 09:21 PM
First the basics.
You can launch Moneydance from the command line using these parameters and get it to invoke extensions and then optionally quit....:
Mac:
/Applications/Moneydance.app/Contents/MacOS/Moneydance
Windows:
\Moneydance.exe
Parameters:
-d “Optional path to the .moneydance file/folder in quotes" -invoke=x or
-invoke_and_quit=x
The format of x is:
moneydance:fmodule:y:z
The format of y is:
securityquoteload
.. for Quote Loader
The format of z is:
The command that the extension can take.
For example, my latest extract_data is
-invoke=moneydance:fmodule:extract_data:autoextract:quit
If the filename is omitted then it will reopen your last dataset....
2 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Jul 19, 2023 @ 09:25 PM
Now, the above won’t help you. QL has no user invokable commands that do what you want. In addition, it runs on multi threads and there is no predefined way of knowing when it’s finished.
QL can be configured to auto price run when MD loads…. So…:
What we really need is for Mike Bray to add an invoke command which will:
a) start a price run if one is not already running, and
b) auto quit MD once the price runs finishes.
The command could be:
pricerunnow:quitafter
or
pricerunnow:noquitafter
I will ping him for comments.
3 Posted by Mike Bray (Quot... on Jul 20, 2023 @ 08:17 AM
I suppose it is doable, though it does go against the ethos of MD which
is an interactive application. Let me think about it, there are a few
tweaks stacking up that justify a new build.
On 19/07/2023 22:26, Stuart Beesley (Mr Toolbox) wrote:
4 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Sep 26, 2023 @ 09:19 AM
I've been speaking to Mike and he's now included this functionality into build 3203(03).. I've tested it and it seems OK. The method is to launch MD with the:
parameter. This launches MD normally (including the GUI), then QuoteLoader will execute a special run, and then after the run, it will shutdown MD..
So, on a Mac you run like this:
I'll let Mike comment as to when it will get released/signed...
5 Posted by robert.l.spauld... on Sep 26, 2023 @ 11:48 AM
All very interesting, and so close to what I had always wished of the extension. I have MD set to automatically download transactions, and it does so each time the app is launched, but the quote loader only runs the first time the app is launched.
Optimally in my opinion the quote loader would run each time the app is launched, or automatically after transaction download, even if it has already run several times earlier in the day. Thanks
6 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Sep 26, 2023 @ 11:51 AM
You can certainly make it run whenever MD is launched.
7 Posted by robert.l.spauld... on Sep 26, 2023 @ 02:30 PM
@ Stuart Yes, but it only happens one time per day. If app is launched more then that the quote loader does not automatically run. It will run manually, and must be if an updated net worth or quotes are needed.
8 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Sep 28, 2023 @ 03:48 PM
FYI. The developer has now added an option to the end of that -invoke command:
:quit or
:noquit
So you can launch MD, run QL and then either quit or stay running.
9 Posted by derekkent23 on Sep 28, 2023 @ 09:51 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi robert
When Quote Loader new build 3203 is released I will be releasing an updated version of my PDF. This will contain basic information on the new feature. Command lines for auto opening of Moneydance with selected Data Set, then run Quote Loader (as denoted by quotes appearing in the status line at the bottom of the Moneydance window). On completion optionally closing Moneydance. You can initiate this as many times per day as you want.
Hope this will help.
10 Posted by derekkent23 on Oct 15, 2023 @ 07:29 PM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi Robert
In case you are not aware Quote Loader Build 3203 was released a few days ago.
It contains the new feature outlined in my last post.
For information on this features see post 66 at https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/discussions/investments/7595-quote-loader-version-2#comment_60410782
Download the PDF’s attached to post 66 and have a read.
Hope this is what you were looking for.
11 Posted by robert.l.spauld... on Oct 15, 2023 @ 08:59 PM
Derek,
Thanks worked on the Mac, I miss windows. Was really hoping this ability was just built into the extension with a simple box that could be selected. It does work on the Mac but the terminal must be opened then the commands typed in. The terminal window remains open. Just as easy to run manually from the extension window from Moneydance and no extra terminal window involved. Love the extension, and I am very thankful for it. Consider this a compliment and suggestion. Thanks again. Nice work. Back to more serious issues with Plaid.
12 Posted by dwg on Oct 15, 2023 @ 09:28 PM
It was never going to be "a simple box that could be selected" since then QL would have to have an infrastructure outside of Moneydance to drive it.
That is up to you, whether you create an icon to drive it or perhaps a cron type job to run a script at a scheduled time. The addition to QL just provides the ability to do it.
13 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Oct 15, 2023 @ 09:30 PM
You can very easily bundle it into an apple script that does the work then quits the terminal too. Load as an icon into the dock for one click operation.
14 Posted by robert.l.spauld... on Oct 15, 2023 @ 09:35 PM
I wish I was smart enough to accomplish this. I could do it from memory in windows, but I'm still quite new to Mac and struggling with all the automation. Thanks for the motivating me to continue my education.
15 Posted by derekkent23 on Oct 16, 2023 @ 08:17 AM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi Robert
I am a Windows user and have never created scripts etc containing command lines.
So I decided to ask the new Windows Copilot(preview) if it could help.
I click on the Copilot icon in the task bar and asked the question how do I run a command line at a given time. It gave me a number of alternative but the simplest looked like Task Schedular. So I asked it how to run the following command line in Task schedular
Files\Moneydance\Moneydance.exe" -invoke=moneydance:fmodule:securityquoteload:runstandalone
and Windows Copilot AI came back with this detailed reply.
To set up Task Scheduler to run the following command line:
Files\Moneydance\Moneydance.exe" -invoke=moneydance:fmodule:securityquoteload:runstandalone
You can follow these steps:
• Open Task Scheduler by typing Task Scheduler in the search box on the taskbar and clicking on the app.
• Click on Create Basic Task on the right pane of the Task Scheduler window.
• Enter a name and a description for your task and click Next.
• Choose when you want the task to start (for example, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) and click Next.
• Specify the date and time for the task to run and click Next.
• Choose Start a program as the action and click Next.
• In the Program/script box, browse to the location of the Moneydance executable file (for example, C:\Program Files\Moneydance\Moneydance.exe) and select it.
• In the Add arguments (optional) box, enter the following argument:
-invoke=moneydance:fmodule:securityquoteload:runstandalone
• Click Next and then Finish to create your task.
You can also modify or delete your task by clicking on Task Scheduler Library on the left pane of the Task Scheduler window and selecting your task from the list.
I followed the instructions and it worked.
Does Mac have a similar inbuild AI to Windows Copilot to help you get what you want?
Hope this helps
16 Posted by derekkent23 on Oct 16, 2023 @ 08:37 AM
I am not support staff, just a user.
Hi Robert
I asked Windows Copilot how do i run the following command line on a Mac at a given time
"/Applications/Moneydance.app/Contents/MacOS/Moneydance" -invoke=moneydance:fmodule:securityquoteload:runstandalone
Windows Copilot came back with a detailed set of instructions but not being a Mac user I cant test.
17 Posted by robert.l.spauld... on Oct 16, 2023 @ 09:39 AM
No such tool on MacOS, they think their stuff does not stink and that everything should be obvious. Everything other than basic operation takes hours online searching and tinkering and ultimately ending in frustration. Again if it's not built in then Apple figures you don't need it. Now I'll get tons of comments defending Apple. That's just the way it is. Thanks
18 Posted by dwg on Oct 16, 2023 @ 10:17 AM
In the early days of macOS, that would be on the PowerPC platform I recall you could not even get a command line, I was sitting in front of a Mac at the time, that put me off using a Mac to start with.
When they moved to use an Intel platform they used the MACH kernel from Nextstep and the rest largely has a Unix base, think BSD.
So with having a Unix base there are now a variety of scripting Languages you can use, as Stuart said AppleScript is one. Certainly a Unix Shell script can be used, MacOS used to use the BASH shell like Linux does but I understand they have moved to ZSH now.
Apple have generally taken the view that you do not need to move outside of the GUI. Windows started by being an application on top of DOS, they have now largely been merged, starting with Windows NT. In Linux the GUI is on top of the Operating system, not part of it.
19 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Oct 16, 2023 @ 04:42 PM
OK, here you go.. AppleScript version..
Put this .app file attached in your /Applications folder (you can rename it to anything you like).
If you want to look at what it's doing, then run /Applications/Utilities/Script Editor.app and then File/Open this .app file..
Then, using Finder, you can drag the .app file and drop it onto the bottom dock/launch bar.. Now with one-click, you can launch MD, run QL, and quit.
Make sure that MD is not already open....
Let me know if / how it works for you..?
20 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Oct 16, 2023 @ 04:44 PM
(Oh, it looks like the Helpdesk system has zipped the .app file when uploaded.. You might have to unzip it first)..
21 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on Oct 16, 2023 @ 04:45 PM
(You can also predefine in the .app file which dataset you want to open and also set passwords to open if necessary; just shout if you do?)
22 Posted by robert.l.spauld... on Oct 16, 2023 @ 08:29 PM
Everyone is so helpful. Thanks Stuart for the example. Sometimes the simplest nudge can get one pointed in the correct direction. Works for me.
System closed this discussion on Jan 15, 2024 @ 08:30 PM.