Time Trigger Example (C++)
This C++ example shows how to create a task that is scheduled to execute Notepad at a specified time. The task contains a time-based trigger that specifies a start boundary and an end boundary for the task. The task also contains an action that specifies the task to execute Notepad. The task is registered using an interactive logon type, which means the task runs under the security context of the user who runs the application. The task also contains idle settings, which specifies how Task Scheduler performs tasks when the computer is in an idle condition.
The following procedure describes how to schedule a task to start an executable at a certain time.
To schedule Notepad to start at a specific time
Initialize COM and set general COM security.
Create the ITaskService object.
This object allows you to create tasks in a specified folder.
Get a task folder to create a task in.
Use the ITaskService::GetFolder method to get the folder, and the ITaskService::NewTask method to create the ITaskDefinition object.
Define information about the task using the ITaskDefinition object, such as the registration information for the task.
Use the RegistrationInfo property of ITaskDefinition and other properties of the ITaskDefinition interface to define the task information.
Create a time-based trigger using the Triggers property of ITaskDefinition to access the ITriggerCollection for the task.
Use the ITriggerCollection::Create method (specifying the type of trigger you want to create) to create a time-based trigger. This allows you to set the start boundary and the end boundary for the trigger so that the task's actions will be scheduled to execute at a specified time.
Create an action for the task to execute by using the Actions property of ITaskDefinition to access the IActionCollection interface for the task.
Use the IActionCollection::Create method to specify the type of action that you want to create. This example uses an IExecAction object, which represents an action that executes a command-line operation.
Register the task using the ITaskFolder::RegisterTaskDefinition method.
The following C++ example shows how to schedule a task to execute Notepad one minute after the task is registered.
/********************************************************************
This sample schedules a task to start notepad.exe 1 minute from the
time the task is registered.
********************************************************************/
#define _WIN32_DCOM
#include <windows.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <comdef.h>
#include <wincred.h>
// Include the task header file.
#include <taskschd.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "taskschd.lib")
#pragma comment(lib, "comsupp.lib")
#pragma comment(lib, "credui.lib")
using namespace std;
int __cdecl wmain()
{
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Initialize COM.
HRESULT hr = CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCoInitializeEx failed: %x", hr );
return 1;
}
// Set general COM security levels.
hr = CoInitializeSecurity(
NULL,
-1,
NULL,
NULL,
RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_PRIVACY,
RPC_C_IMP_LEVEL_IMPERSONATE,
NULL,
0,
NULL);
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCoInitializeSecurity failed: %x", hr );
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Create a name for the task.
LPCWSTR wszTaskName = L"Time Trigger Test Task";
// Get the windows directory and set the path to notepad.exe.
wstring wstrExecutablePath = _wgetenv( L"WINDIR");
wstrExecutablePath += L"\\SYSTEM32\\NOTEPAD.EXE";
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Create an instance of the Task Service.
ITaskService *pService = NULL;
hr = CoCreateInstance( CLSID_TaskScheduler,
NULL,
CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER,
IID_ITaskService,
(void**)&pService );
if (FAILED(hr))
{
printf("Failed to create an instance of ITaskService: %x", hr);
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// Connect to the task service.
hr = pService->Connect(_variant_t(), _variant_t(),
_variant_t(), _variant_t());
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("ITaskService::Connect failed: %x", hr );
pService->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Get the pointer to the root task folder. This folder will hold the
// new task that is registered.
ITaskFolder *pRootFolder = NULL;
hr = pService->GetFolder( _bstr_t( L"\\") , &pRootFolder );
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("Cannot get Root folder pointer: %x", hr );
pService->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// If the same task exists, remove it.
pRootFolder->DeleteTask( _bstr_t( wszTaskName), 0 );
// Create the task definition object to create the task.
ITaskDefinition *pTask = NULL;
hr = pService->NewTask( 0, &pTask );
pService->Release(); // COM clean up. Pointer is no longer used.
if (FAILED(hr))
{
printf("Failed to CoCreate an instance of the TaskService class: %x", hr);
pRootFolder->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Get the registration info for setting the identification.
IRegistrationInfo *pRegInfo= NULL;
hr = pTask->get_RegistrationInfo( &pRegInfo );
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot get identification pointer: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
hr = pRegInfo->put_Author( L"Author Name" );
pRegInfo->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot put identification info: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Create the principal for the task - these credentials
// are overwritten with the credentials passed to RegisterTaskDefinition
IPrincipal *pPrincipal = NULL;
hr = pTask->get_Principal( &pPrincipal );
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot get principal pointer: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// Set up principal logon type to interactive logon
hr = pPrincipal->put_LogonType( TASK_LOGON_INTERACTIVE_TOKEN );
pPrincipal->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot put principal info: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Create the settings for the task
ITaskSettings *pSettings = NULL;
hr = pTask->get_Settings( &pSettings );
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot get settings pointer: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// Set setting values for the task.
hr = pSettings->put_StartWhenAvailable(VARIANT_TRUE);
pSettings->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot put setting information: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// Set the idle settings for the task.
IIdleSettings *pIdleSettings = NULL;
hr = pSettings->get_IdleSettings( &pIdleSettings );
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot get idle setting information: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
hr = pIdleSettings->put_WaitTimeout(L"PT5M");
pIdleSettings->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot put idle setting information: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Get the trigger collection to insert the time trigger.
ITriggerCollection *pTriggerCollection = NULL;
hr = pTask->get_Triggers( &pTriggerCollection );
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot get trigger collection: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// Add the time trigger to the task.
ITrigger *pTrigger = NULL;
hr = pTriggerCollection->Create( TASK_TRIGGER_TIME, &pTrigger );
pTriggerCollection->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot create trigger: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
ITimeTrigger *pTimeTrigger = NULL;
hr = pTrigger->QueryInterface(
IID_ITimeTrigger, (void**) &pTimeTrigger );
pTrigger->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nQueryInterface call failed for ITimeTrigger: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
hr = pTimeTrigger->put_Id( _bstr_t( L"Trigger1" ) );
if( FAILED(hr) )
printf("\nCannot put trigger ID: %x", hr);
hr = pTimeTrigger->put_EndBoundary( _bstr_t(L"2015-05-02T08:00:00") );
if( FAILED(hr) )
printf("\nCannot put end boundary on trigger: %x", hr);
// Set the task to start at a certain time. The time
// format should be YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS(+-)(timezone).
// For example, the start boundary below
// is January 1st 2005 at 12:05
hr = pTimeTrigger->put_StartBoundary( _bstr_t(L"2005-01-01T12:05:00") );
pTimeTrigger->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot add start boundary to trigger: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Add an action to the task. This task will execute notepad.exe.
IActionCollection *pActionCollection = NULL;
// Get the task action collection pointer.
hr = pTask->get_Actions( &pActionCollection );
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot get Task collection pointer: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// Create the action, specifying that it is an executable action.
IAction *pAction = NULL;
hr = pActionCollection->Create( TASK_ACTION_EXEC, &pAction );
pActionCollection->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot create the action: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
IExecAction *pExecAction = NULL;
// QI for the executable task pointer.
hr = pAction->QueryInterface(
IID_IExecAction, (void**) &pExecAction );
pAction->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nQueryInterface call failed for IExecAction: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// Set the path of the executable to notepad.exe.
hr = pExecAction->put_Path( _bstr_t( wstrExecutablePath.c_str() ) );
pExecAction->Release();
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nCannot put action path: %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------
// Save the task in the root folder.
IRegisteredTask *pRegisteredTask = NULL;
hr = pRootFolder->RegisterTaskDefinition(
_bstr_t( wszTaskName ),
pTask,
TASK_CREATE_OR_UPDATE,
_variant_t(),
_variant_t(),
TASK_LOGON_INTERACTIVE_TOKEN,
_variant_t(L""),
&pRegisteredTask);
if( FAILED(hr) )
{
printf("\nError saving the Task : %x", hr );
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 1;
}
printf("\n Success! Task successfully registered. " );
// Clean up.
pRootFolder->Release();
pTask->Release();
pRegisteredTask->Release();
CoUninitialize();
return 0;
}
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