Add elm327-emulator.exe in the Release folder

.github/workflows/build.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+name: Build Workflow for elm327-emulator.exe/zip
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ master ]
+  pull_request:
+    # The branches below must be a subset of the branches above
+    branches: [ master ]
+
+jobs:
+  build-windows:
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Git Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.11'
+          architecture: 'x64'
+
+      - name: Install Python Requirements
+        run: |
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          #pip install git+https://github.com/pyinstaller/pyinstaller@develop
+          pip install pyinstaller
+          pip install .
+
+      - name: Create wrapper
+        run: |
+          echo "import sys
+          from elm import main
+          sys.exit(main())" > elm327-emulator.py
+        shell: pwsh
+
+      - name: Run PyInstaller to produce the exe file
+        run: |
+          python -m PyInstaller --onefile elm327-emulator.py --name elm327-emulator --collect-all elm
+
+      - name: Zip the elm327-emulator.exe asset to elm327-emulator.zip
+        run: |
+          Compress-Archive dist/elm327-emulator.exe dist/elm327-emulator.zip
+        shell: pwsh
+
+      - name: Generate Changelog
+        run: >
+          echo "The *elm327-emulator.exe* executable file in the
+          *elm327-emulator.zip* archive within the assets below is
+          auto-generated by a [GitHub Action](.github/workflows/build.yml)."
+          > ${{ github.workspace }}-CHANGELOG.txt
+
+      - name: Create Release, uploading the elm327-emulator.zip asset
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+        with:
+          body_path: ${{ github.workspace }}-CHANGELOG.txt
+          files: dist/elm327-emulator.zip
+          append_body: true
+          generate_release_notes: true

.github/workflows/python-syntax-checker.yml

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         # version range and latest minor release (possibly 3.9.1)
-        python-version: [3.6, 3.7, 3.8, '3.x']
+        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, '3.x']
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2

README.md

@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ python3 -m elm -n 35000
 
 All subsequent information is not needed for basic usage of the tool and allows mastering *ELM327-emulator*, exploiting it to test specific features including the simulation of communication exceptions, which are not always easy to be reproduced with a real link.
 
+# Running the pre-built executable program
+
+The *elm327-emulator.zip* archive in the [Releases](https://github.com/Ircama/elm327-emulator/releases/latest) folder incudes the *elm327-emulator.exe* executable asset; the ZIP archive is auto-generated by a [GitHub Action](.github/workflows/build.yml). *elm327-emulator.exe* is a Windows application that can be directly executed.
+
 # Compatibility
 
 *ELM327-emulator* has been tested with Python 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9. Previous Python versions are not supported.

elm/interpreter.py

@@ -227,9 +227,11 @@ def print_topics(self, header, cmds, cmdlen, maxcol):
         if self.args.batch_mode:
             return
         self.stdout.write(
+
         "Available commands include the following list (type help <topic>"
         "\nfor more information on each command). Besides, any Python"
         "\ncommand is accepted. Autocompletion is fully allowed."
+        "\nVisit https://github.com/Ircama/ELM327-emulator for additional info."
         "\n=============================================================="
         "==\n")
         self.columnize(cmds, maxcol-1)