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[Pete]

Code: (Select All)

IF _FILEEXISTS("D:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe") THEN
    SHELL "D:\" + CHR$(34) + "Program Files" + CHR$(34) + "\Notepad++\notepad++.exe tmp.three"
ELSE
    PRINT "Cannot find notepad++"
END IF

Thank's for the Tipps! It even works with "Program Files" now, thanks Pete. The IP number is displayed and Notepad opens with the specified file. There are two peculiarities:
1. The command line is also opened; is probably due to "Shell".
2. Without "_DontWait" the output window can/will not be closed until Notepad is closed.
It shows, however, that it is also possible with Basic, even with "Program Files". Upgradable! I will try if I can pack the call to external programs in a function.

Glad you got it working. SHELL is a bit fickle. As Steve pointed out, we have _HIDE and _DONTWAIT additions, whoich are pretty self-explanatory.

_DONTWAIT is always needed with apps like Notepad. Without it, as you discovered, the program flow will not continue until the SHELL is closed, which means closing Notepad, Notepad++, etc.

Now excluding _DONTWAIT is necessary if you need to suspend your program until action is taken in the app it opened.

_HIDE prevents the cmd.exe console from appearing on the screen. Now here is where I call "fickle" on SHELL...

I have had situations where adding _HIDE causes the SHELL to not function. I have had some other instances where I had to add "START" to make the SHELL function, too. So keep those in mind for future reference and fiddle with some different combinations and you might get your future SHELL statements to work if they initially fail. Oh, and if you are shelling to your own apps, try to avoid directories you make for them with spaces. Use dashes, instead. That cuts down on the work adding CHR$(34)'s in your SHELL calls.

Pete