# \[IGN-3831\]Currently Running Scripts Description **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** ignition80\ **Created:** [May 21, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959 "2020-05-21T23:09:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DavidWisely](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/davidwisely/32/10482_2.png) [@DavidWisely](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/DavidWisely)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/1 "2020-05-21T23:09:22Z")
Is there a way to add a description to a thread so the description appears on the Currently Running Scripts page? I've noticed a new section on the Gateway under Status-\>Diagnostics-\>Running Scripts which I'm finding really useful for some of my long running scripts. I start my long running scripts using system.util.invokeAsynchronous() and can then identify the thread ID using this code: ```auto import threading ThreadId = threading.currentThread().ident ``` I'm then able to identify my scrip on the gateway page. It would be really useful to also be able to add a description to these threads in my code so they're even easier to identify! ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/2X/2/2cd1170fc9a22a72b7a91401811263f6d6dff167.png) ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/2 "2020-05-22T01:51:04Z")
You can do this with java’s Thread class constructors. With your background task suitably wrapped. (In lieu of system.util.invokeAsynchronous.) ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/3 "2020-05-22T16:33:08Z")
Hmm, we should add an overload to invokeAsynchronous to do this - that’s a good idea. As it is now, `invokeAsync` tries to copy your description from the outer scope. You can manually provide one (that will render on the status page) by calling `com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.script.ScriptContext#setDescription` from _inside_ your async thread: ```auto from com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.script import ScriptContext ScriptContext.setDescription("some description") ``` ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/4 "2020-07-07T16:19:57Z")
This feature made it into 8.0.15 - there’s a `description` parameter on `system.util.invokeAsynchronous` in all scopes. There’s also `args` and `kwargs` parameters - pass a sequence/map, respectively, so you don’t need to mess with `partial` anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Chase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kyle\_Chase](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kyle_Chase)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/5 "2021-08-05T21:29:07Z")
How would you add a description to a transform script? If they take a while or hang up, there is no description in the viewer. ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2021, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/6 "2021-08-05T21:39:25Z")
> [@paul-griffith](#): > > ```auto > from com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.script import ScriptContext > ScriptContext.setDescription("some description") > > ``` Theoretically, by manually using the threadlocal ScriptContext. As soon as execution of a transform starts, it should be 'locked' to a particular thread ID and therefore safe to lock in a ThreadLocal. ---
**Author:** ![Kyle\_Chase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kyle\_Chase](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kyle_Chase)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/7 "2021-08-05T21:51:00Z")
I tried the attached script originally, and it did not add the description to the viewer. Do I need to do more? ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/8 "2021-08-05T22:12:42Z")
Oh, I see. The way transforms are managed, the code you execute has already had its description set before it’s actually called. We’d probably have to add a UI element to set the description before firing the script; I don’t think setting it manually will be possible within the scope of a transform. I filed a ticket to see if we could add the ability to specify a context; no promises, but I think that’s as much as I can offer for now. ---
**Author:** ![321liftoff](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/321liftoff/32/27544_2.png) [@321liftoff](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/321liftoff)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/9 "2021-08-25T18:44:32Z")
Has there been any improvement here for transform scripts? ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/10 "2021-08-25T18:54:02Z")
In the last three weeks since I filed that ticket? No. _If_ we decide to implement anything, it’ll be several releases out. ---
**Author:** ![Trenton\_Klocke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@Trenton\_Klocke](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Trenton_Klocke)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/11 "2022-12-05T15:24:15Z")
Did your team end up deciding to implement this? If so, has this already been rolled out in a release? ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/12 "2022-12-05T18:14:32Z")
Yes, we _decided_ to implement it. No, we haven't yet implemented it. ---
**Author:** ![Trenton\_Klocke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@Trenton\_Klocke](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Trenton_Klocke)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/13 "2022-12-05T19:41:21Z")
Sounds good, glad to hear. Is it a planned activity or still in the backlog? ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/14 "2022-12-05T19:45:00Z")
Awaiting final thoughts about exactly how to implement it (e.g., where to put the options for description, whether the text can be dynamic). I can't really give a timeline on that, nor implementation after that. ---
**Author:** ![joshdunstan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/joshdunstan/32/43306_2.png) [@joshdunstan](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/joshdunstan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 9:49pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/15 "2023-12-20T21:49:37Z")
Hey Paul, happy anniversary of your last post ;), has this made it in yet? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/16 "2023-12-20T22:00:27Z")
No. At this point in time, active feature development for 8.1 is drawing to a close as 8.3 ramps up, so I wouldn't expect this before some 8.3.x version (probably _not_ 8.3.0). ---
**Author:** ![tebright1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/tebright1/32/87405_2.png) [@tebright1](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tebright1)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 2:29am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/17 "2024-06-06T02:29:05Z")
Did this get implemented? Running a project with a lot of scripts and could use a descriptor. ---
**Author:** ![kgamble](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kgamble/32/8019_2.png) [@kgamble](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/kgamble)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-3831-currently-running-scripts-description/34959/18 "2025-08-20T14:10:02Z")
+1 for this feature, would be very nice to easily kill long running scripts as a support person! (And know what you are killing)