Question about the OpenLocation function

[Littlebro]

Is is possible to make the OpenLocation function accept a string variable as an argument? I tried, and I can't make it work. I am using VB6.

[Phil Weber]

What is the OpenLocation function? I am not familiar with it.

[Littlebro]

It's a function used for opening a file with its default program (or just opening a program) and it takes a string containing the path to the file/program as an argument. Here is the code for it:

Private 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 OpenLocation(ByVal WhichFilePath As String, Optional sParams As String = "", Optional sStartIn As String = vbNullString, Optional lngOpenMode As Long = 1) As Long
    OpenLocation = ShellExecute(0, "Open", WhichFilePath, sParams, sStartIn, lngOpenMode)
End Function

[Phil Weber]

OK, the first argument (WhichFilePath) accepts a string. You should be able to pass a string variable. How are you calling the function?

[Littlebro]

I call it like this:
OpenLocation ("C:\WINDOWS\system32\sol.exe") if I want to open a file or program in a specific location. I am using this function in conjunction with another function which gets a file path from a .ini file, and stores the path in a string variable. I know that this function works, but when I try to use the string variable as an argument for the OpenLocation function, it just opens the folder the program is in.

[Phil Weber]

Sounds like the variable you're passing only contains a path, not the name of the actual program. Check the value of the variable you're passing to the function.

[jamesbandido]

I call it like this:
OpenLocation ("C:\WINDOWS\system32\sol.exe") if I want to open a file or program in a specific location. I am using this function in conjunction with another function which gets a file path from a .ini file, and stores the path in a string variable. I know that this function works, but when I try to use the string variable as an argument for the OpenLocation function, it just opens the folder the program is in.

isnt that the way its supposed to be ? to open the folder where the file (executable or not) is in, afterall thats why its called OpenLocation, right ?

cheers and seasons greetings to all !!!

[Littlebro]

The path obtained from the .ini file contains the name of the program I want to open. It doesn't open.
EDIT: I might have misphrased something above. The program doing the calling opens the folder it's in when I call OpenLocation using a string variable (with a value obtained from a .ini file) as an argument.

[Hack]

If you hard code the path and file name does it work?

(i.e., OpenLocation ("C:\WINDOWS\system32\sol.exe") )

[Phil Weber]

What prints in the debug window if you set a breakpoint on the call to OpenLocation and Debug.Print VariableName (replacing VariableName with the name of your string variable)?

[Littlebro]

I don't really know how to do what you are asking, but I have found a workaround. I set the caption of a label to the string, used the label caption as an argument, and it worked.

[Hack]

He is referring to using the debug window (or "immediate window") as a debugging tool to see what is actually in the variable.

This sort of thing is invaluable when working with code (and it doesn't even have to be troublesome code)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...ffice.10).aspx

[Littlebro]

Nothing is printed in the debug window. The cursor just goes to the next line in the debug window.
EDIT: I feel like an idiot. The reason it wasn't working was that I declared the string variable in a private subroutine. Thanks for your help anyway.

[Hack]

EDIT: I feel like an idiot. The reason it wasn't working was that I declared the string variable in a private subroutine. Thanks for your help anyway.

Don't feel like an idiot. Everyone has done the same thing, and I would venture to say, everyone has done the same thing more than once.