Can I run an external program?
 

I'd like to be able have a routine that launches a PDF file. The
closest thing I can find it the ActivateMicrosoftApp Method which, of
course doesn't work with the Adobe product files.

Any ideas?

Can I run an external program?
 

Hi
have a look at the Shell method

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany

schrieb im Newsbeitrag
ups.com...
I'd like to be able have a routine that launches a PDF file. The
closest thing I can find it the ActivateMicrosoftApp Method which, of
course doesn't work with the Adobe product files.

Any ideas?

Can I run an external program?
 

You will have to shell the AcroRd32.exe file, so you will need to get the
full path for that file.

--

HTH

RP
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)


"Frank Kabel" wrote in message
...
Hi
have a look at the Shell method

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany

schrieb im Newsbeitrag
ups.com...
I'd like to be able have a routine that launches a PDF file. The
closest thing I can find it the ActivateMicrosoftApp Method which, of
course doesn't work with the Adobe product files.

Any ideas?

Can I run an external program?
 

I tried the following:

Sub RunHelpFile()
' Specifying 1 as the second argument opens the application in
' normal size and gives it the focus.
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\Coax Designer
II.pdf", 1) ' Run program.
End Sub

I get an "Invalid procedure call or argument (Error 5)" error message
however.

Can I run an external program?
 

I tried the following:

Sub RunHelpFile()
' Specifying 1 as the second argument opens the application in
' normal size and gives it the focus.
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\Coax Designer
II.pdf", 1) ' Run program.
End Sub

I get an "Invalid procedure call or argument (Error 5)" error message
however.

Can I run an external program?
 

Simon

Consider using the FollowHyperlink method. It will open the file according
to your Windows associations. See

http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/2...nt-file-types/

--
Dick Kusleika
Excel MVP
Daily Dose of Excel
www.dicks-blog.com


wrote:
I'd like to be able have a routine that launches a PDF file. The
closest thing I can find it the ActivateMicrosoftApp Method which, of
course doesn't work with the Adobe product files.

Any ideas?

Can I run an external program?
 

Thanks, Dick. I tried the following:

Sub RunHelpFile()
Dim sPath As String
sPath = "C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\"
ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink sPath & "CoaxDesignerII.pdf"
End Sub

but I get a Variable not defined error with the "CoaxDesignerII" (of
the filename) highlighted.

Can I run an external program?
 

Hi Dick,

Dick Kusleika wrote:
I'd like to be able have a routine that launches a PDF file. The
closest thing I can find it the ActivateMicrosoftApp Method which, of
course doesn't work with the Adobe product files.

Consider using the FollowHyperlink method. It will open the file
according to your Windows associations. See

http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/2...nt-file-types/

Personally, I don't like using the FollowHyperlink method for anything but
URLs. On my machine (Win XP SP2), I get a warning telling me that links may
harm my computer.

Here's a way to do it with the API, which is cleaner and gives you more
options on how you want to display the document and what to do if it's not
found:

Public Const SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 3
Public Const ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND = 2&

Public Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" _
Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, _
ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, _
ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

Public Function gbOpenDocument(rsFullPath As String, _
rsErrMsg As String) As Boolean
Dim lResponse As Long

lResponse = ShellExecute(Application.hwnd, _
"open" & vbNullChar, rsFullPath & vbNullChar, _
vbNull, vbNull, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED)

If lResponse = ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND Then rsErrMsg _
= "File not found."
gbOpenDocument = (lResponse 32)
End Function

Sub test()
Dim sErr As String

Debug.Print gbOpenDocument("c:\test234.pdf", sErr)
If Len(sErr) Then Debug.Print sErr
End Sub

--
Regards,

Jake Marx
MS MVP - Excel
www.longhead.com

[please keep replies in the newsgroup - email address unmonitored]

Can I run an external program?
 

You need to specify the program as I said

RetVal = Shell("C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe Coax
Designer II.pdf", 1)

--

HTH

RP
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)


wrote in message
ups.com...
I tried the following:

Sub RunHelpFile()
' Specifying 1 as the second argument opens the application in
' normal size and gives it the focus.
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\Coax Designer
II.pdf", 1) ' Run program.
End Sub

I get an "Invalid procedure call or argument (Error 5)" error message
however.

Can I run an external program?
 

I don't know what would cause that error. It worked okay for me. Make sure
you have everything spelled right and you have double quotes around the
strings.

--
Dick Kusleika
Excel MVP
Daily Dose of Excel
www.dicks-blog.com

wrote:
Thanks, Dick. I tried the following:

Sub RunHelpFile()
Dim sPath As String
sPath = "C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\"
ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink sPath & "CoaxDesignerII.pdf"
End Sub

but I get a Variable not defined error with the "CoaxDesignerII" (of
the filename) highlighted.

Can I run an external program?
 

Jake

I don't get that message, but I'm not sure which SP I'm on. I like the API
method, though. Sounds like a blog post in the making.

--
Dick Kusleika
Excel MVP
Daily Dose of Excel
www.dicks-blog.com


Jake Marx wrote:
Hi Dick,

Dick Kusleika wrote:
I'd like to be able have a routine that launches a PDF file. The
closest thing I can find it the ActivateMicrosoftApp Method which,
of course doesn't work with the Adobe product files.

Consider using the FollowHyperlink method. It will open the file
according to your Windows associations. See

http://www.dicks-blog.com/archives/2...nt-file-types/

Personally, I don't like using the FollowHyperlink method for
anything but URLs. On my machine (Win XP SP2), I get a warning
telling me that links may harm my computer.

Here's a way to do it with the API, which is cleaner and gives you
more options on how you want to display the document and what to do
if it's not found:

Public Const SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 3
Public Const ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND = 2&

Public Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" _
Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, _
ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, _
ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

Public Function gbOpenDocument(rsFullPath As String, _
rsErrMsg As String) As Boolean
Dim lResponse As Long

lResponse = ShellExecute(Application.hwnd, _
"open" & vbNullChar, rsFullPath & vbNullChar, _
vbNull, vbNull, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED)

If lResponse = ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND Then rsErrMsg _
= "File not found."
gbOpenDocument = (lResponse 32)
End Function

Sub test()
Dim sErr As String

Debug.Print gbOpenDocument("c:\test234.pdf", sErr)
If Len(sErr) Then Debug.Print sErr
End Sub

Can I run an external program?
 

Instead of writing the code like this:
Sub RunHelpFile()
Dim sPath As String
sPath = "C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\"
ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink sPath & "CoaxDesignerII.pdf"
End Sub

It should have been written like this:
Sub RunHelpFile()
Dim sPath As String
sPath = "C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\CoaxDesignerII.pdf"
ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink sPath
End Sub

Swisse

Can I run an external program?
 

Why should it have been written like that?

Bob

"swisse" wrote in message
...
Instead of writing the code like this:
Sub RunHelpFile()
Dim sPath As String
sPath = "C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\"
ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink sPath & "CoaxDesignerII.pdf"
End Sub

It should have been written like this:
Sub RunHelpFile()
Dim sPath As String
sPath = "C:\Program Files\Coax Designer II\CoaxDesignerII.pdf"
ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink sPath
End Sub

Swisse

Can I run an external program?
 

Because the second one worked for me. I tested it before I posted here, and I
tested it again.

Swisse

Can I run an external program?
 

My point is that the first works as well, so there is no '... should be ...'

--

HTH

RP
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)


"swisse" wrote in message
...
Because the second one worked for me. I tested it before I posted here,
and I
tested it again.

Swisse

Can I run an external program?
 

Actually, this version works best for me as I don't have to call the
host app (Acrobat Reader). The reason I'd rather not call this is that
I can't be sure of the version someone is running, nor the actual path
to it. This way, the file runs regardless.

Thanks,

Can I run an external program?
 

The first one did not work for me - the reason for the should be. Try the
first one and report back.

Swisse

Can I run an external program?
 

This version works best for me as it runs the file itself, so I don't
have to worry about the user having a different version of Acrobat
Reader.