ID: Q119513
The information in this article applies to:
You can call the ShellExecute() Windows API function from a WordBasic macro to start another program under Microsoft Windows. Use ShellExecute() instead of Shell (a WordBasic statement) or WinExec() (a Windows API function) to work around the following limitation of the latter commands:
Below is a sample WordBasic macro that calls the ShellExecute() Windows API function. ShellExecute() determines whether Microsoft Excel is already running; if so, it loads BOOK1.XLS into the current Microsoft Excel session. If Microsoft Excel is not already running, ShellExecute() starts Microsoft Excel and loads BOOK1.XLS.
Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "Shell"(hWnd As Integer, lpszOp
As String, lpszFile As String, lpszParams As String, lpszDir As
String, fsShowCmd As Integer) As Integer
Declare Function FindWindow Lib "User"(lpClassName$, lpWindowName As
Long) As Integer
Sub MAIN
Rem The FindWindow API function returns the Window handle for Word.
hWnd = FindWindow("OPUSAPP", 0)
X = ShellExecute(hWnd, "Open", "c:\excel\book1.XLS", "", "", 1)
End Sub
The ShellExecute() function opens or prints the specified file. Below is information about ShellExecute() from pages 901-904 of the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) "Programmer's Reference, Volume 2: Functions."
Parameter Description
hwnd Identifies the parent window.
lpszOp A string specifying the operation to perform. This
string can be "open" or "print".
lpszFile Points to a string specifying the file to open.
lpszParams Points to a string specifying parameters passed to the
application when the lpszFile parameter specifies an
executable file. If lpszFile points to a string
specifying a document file, this parameter is NULL.
lpszDir Points to a string specifying the default directory.
fsShowCmd Specifies whether the application window is to be
shown when the application is opened. This parameter
can be one of the following values:
Value Meaning
0 Hides the window and passes activation to another window.
6 Minimizes the specified window and activates the top-level
window in the system's list.
9 Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized
or maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and
position (same as 1).
5 Activates a window and displays it in its current size and
position.
3 Activates a window and displays it as a maximized window.
2 Activates a window and displays it as an icon.
7 Displays a window as an icon. The window that is currently
active remains active.
8 Displays a window in its current state. The window that is
currently active remains active.
4 Displays a window in its most recent size and position. The
window that is currently active remains active.
1 Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized
or maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and
position (same as 9).
The return value is the instance handle of the application that was opened or printed, if the function is successful. (This handle could also be the handle of a DDE server application.) A return value less than or equal to 32 specifies an error.
The ShellExecute() function returns the value 31 if there is no association for the specified file type or if there is no association for the specified action within the file type. The other possible error values are as follows:
Value Meaning
0 System was out of memory, executable file was corrupt, or
relocations were invalid.
2 File was not found.
3 Path was not found.
5 Attempt was made to dynamically link to a task, or there was
a sharing or network-protection error.
6 Library required separate data segments for each task.
8 There was insufficient memory to start the application.
10 Windows version was incorrect.
11 Executable file was invalid. Either it was not a Windows
application or there was an error in the .EXE image.
12 Application was designed for a different operating system.
13 Application was designed for MS-DOS 4.0.
14 Type of executable file was unknown.
15 Attempt was made to load a real-mode application (developed
for an earlier version of Windows).
16 Attempt was made to load a second instance of an executable
file containing multiple data segments that were not marked
read-only.
19 Attempt was made to load a compressed executable file. The
file must be decompressed before it can be loaded.
20 Dynamic-link library (DLL) file was invalid. One of the DLLs
required to run this application was corrupt.
21 Application requires Microsoft Windows 32-bit extensions.
The file specified by the lpszFile parameter can be a document file or an executable file. If it is a document file, this function opens or prints it, depending on the value of the lpszOp parameter. If it is an executable file, this function opens it, even if the string "print" is pointed to by lpszOp.
Microsoft Windows SDK "Programmer's Reference, Volume 2: Functions," pages 901-904
Kbcategory: kbusage kbmacro kbhowto KBSubcategory: Additional reference words: winword2 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c 6.0 word6 6.0a 6.0c
operating system environment winapi winword
Version : 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c
Platform : WINDOWSLast Reviewed: August 5, 1997