What is Phantom?
Phantom for Windows is a task automator and scheduler for Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP. Inspired by the DOS Phantom product, Phantom for Windows provides features needed for automating repetitive tasks even when the applications needed to perform the tasks were designed without automated or unattended operation in mind.Typical uses for Phantom for Windows include unattended system backup,
automated network login and mail retrieval, automated software testing, and
creation of "macros" involving multiple applications (including DOS-based
applications).Record Scripts
You record your activities using Phantom for Windows by clicking on the Record
button. Your mouse movements, button clicks, and keystrokes are recorded in a
Phantom script file.You can choose to have every detail of mouse motion recorded for playback, or
just the end points and total time of each movement. If only the end points were
recorded, the movement is played back as a straight line between the start and
end point. Similarly, you can choose to have the timing for each individual
keystroke recorded, or just the timing for strings of keystrokes. In the latter case,
the time for the string is averaged across the keystrokes during playback.
Excluding the details of mouse movement and keystroke timing greatly decreases
the size of the recorded script.Play Scripts
You can play the script back as it was recorded or at high speed. Timing of
different events when played at high speed can be adjusted in the Phantom
Options Dialog.Playback can be started by clicking on the Play button, by pressing a hotkey
assigned to the script, entering a command at a DOS command prompt, or at a
scheduled time.During playback windows may initially be created in locations different from that in
which they were recorded. Phantom for Windows includes statements to relocate
and resize the windows involved in a playback to the positions and sizes they
occupied when they were recorded. These statements are automatically included
in Phantom for Windows recordings.Schedule Scripts
Scripts can be scheduled for playback on a hourly, daily, weekday, weekend,
weekly, monthly, yearly, or once-only basis. You can specify that the computer
must be idle for a period of time before scheduled execution begins. You can also
include a pop-up dialog that gives the user the option of skipping the scheduled
execution.Create Standalone Programs from Your Scripts
You can create executable files (.exe files) from your scripts with a single button
click. Then, you can execute the script without having to use Phantom for
Windows. If you are appropriately registered, you can execute the script
executables you produce on computers without Phantom for Windows.Edit Scripts
Phantom scripts are produced by the Phantom recorder in regular ASCII text and
require no compiling or translating before they can be played.
The Record-to-Clipboard feature of Phantom for Windows makes it easy to add error and exception handling to a base script that has been recorded for the success case.You can edit scripts to add features such as pop-up dialogs, timing changes, and
looping. The Phantom for Windows script language is quite powerful, including
statements for looping, branching, subroutines, file and directory access, dialog
boxes, screen capture, system shutdown, reboot, and more.Dialog boxes created with Phantom for Windows can contain the standard
Windows pushbuttons, radio buttons, checkboxes, combo boxes, list boxes, and
text edit controls. Bitmap images can also be included. Timeouts can be assigned
to the dialogs so that if no entry occurs, the dialog terminates and the script
continues automatically.Instant Macros
You can record actions that you wish to repeat and play them back within any
application using Phantom's Instant Macro hotkeys. Press the record hotkey to
start recording. Press it again to stop recording. Then press the playback hotkey
to replay the keystrokes and mouse actions.Image Capture
Phantom for Windows allows you to capture portions of the screen image at any
time. Captured images are saved in Windows bitmap suitable for use with virtually
all graphics tools and for inclusion in Phantom for Windows dialogs. The image
capture operation can be included in scripts as well. This allows automated
capture of screen images during playback, a useful feature for automated testing
and logging during unattended playback.
