launch a program if option button

[BigDawg]

I am new to the VB program. I have had a couple of classes in it and know just enough to be frightened. I am currently in college, Heald college, and am preparing to graduate. My grad project is a VB program that I must write. I have laid my form,and revised it a couple of times. What I am trying to do is with the use of an option button take information from a label field on the click of a button and open/launch another application, powerpoint to be exact. Problem is I can't figure out the code to do this. Can somebody please point me in the right direction.

[JeffB]

You can use SHELL() vb functin, or SHELLEXECUTE() API. Both of them will work. ShellExecute will open, for example, a powerpoint file. To open Powerpoint, you must know the EXE path:

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



Private Sub Command1_Click()
    ShellExecute Me.hwnd, "open", "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\POWERPNT.EXE", "", "", 0
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()
    Shell "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\POWERPNT.EXE", vbNormalFocus
End Sub

If you want to open a powerpoint file, use the ShellExecute and change the file EXE for the file you want to open. Windows will open the file with the associate program, if .xls with Excel, powerpoint type with powerpoint

Shell only open EXE, but with most of them, you can past the filename to open in parameters. You can search the forum for more info

JeffB

[sabhhrt]

Use the Excel.Aplication Object

All the applications as such are exposed outside as OLE objects.

Open up the Projects\refrences and check on Microsoft Excel object Library

On the button click event..

Dim obj as Excel. Application
set obj = new Excel.Applcation

and using obj you can do many things. and from there even you can raise any of the office products.

have fun..
sam

[sabhhrt]

May be this code will help. you can do a lot of things with this excel object and the similar way you can also raise any of the application.

Ex:
Here is a form with two buttons and i do raise and close the excel application with this.

Option Explicit
Dim obj As Excel.Application

Private Sub Command1_Click()
obj.Quit
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()
obj.Visible = True
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
Set obj = New Excel.Application
End Sub

The best thing about this is you can use the same to open up any of the .xls files.

but the earlier shell code is also good to do that but its very limited.

have fun
Sam

[BigDawg]

The code worked so that I am able to launch the PowerPoint application. Now I am trying to get it to launch specific presentations based on user selection of a option button and a command button. I have tried several ideas but no luck so far.

[JeffB]

If the powerpoint presentation are saved with the powerpoint extension (.pwp?), then use ShellExecute directly on these files, powerpoint will be open since it is associated with these files.

ShellExecute Me.hwnd, "open", "C:\TestPresentation.pwp", "", "", 0

Also, you can open the EXE and pass it the filename you with to open.

ShellExecute Me.hwnd, "open", "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\POWERPNT.EXE C:\TestPresentation.pwp", "", "", 0

That last line might not work, I'm not sure it's the proper synthax

Since you seem focused on PowerPoint, you can use PowerPoint objects, take a look at this:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    'Add a reference to Microsoft PowerPoint object library
    Dim objPowerPoint As New PowerPoint.Application
    
    objPowerPoint.Visible = True
    
    Set objPowerPoint = Nothing
End Sub

You may want to use the Object browser to find the good way to open a document, this last will only open a NEW instance of powerpoint

JeffB

[BigDawg]

The whole thing is confusing

my syntax is:
Private Sub cmdOpen_Click()
If optDate(0).Value = True Then
Dim obj As PowerPoint.Application
Set obj = New PowerPoint.Application
obj.Visible = msoTrue
ShellExecute Me.hwnd, "open", "c:\program files\microsoft office\office\powerpnt.exe D:\school\oldsongs\ & strDate1 & .ppt", "", 0

I launch my form and select my option button, I have the strDate1 variable hard coded for now, then I click on my command button and the program blows up.
I get an Illegal Operation message and VB gets shutdown. It opens the powerpoint application but doesn't open the specific file. I am trying to use the variable, strDate1, as the file name that follows my current naming conventions for the ppt files. When I leave out the ShellExecute string I get the application to launch but not the file. I am close on this just need a little more to get it right.

BD

[JeffB]

Those are 2 separate method ShellExecute and Micorosoft PowerPoint object. Here is an example of using BOTH of them:

 
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


Private Sub Command1_Click()

    'This is the first method, using MICROSOFT OBJECT
    
    'This create a new instance of PowerPoint and SHOW it
    Dim objPowerPoint As New PowerPoint.Application
    objPowerPoint.Visible = True
    
    'This open a powerpoint file in our new PowerPoint
    'instance, we keep the reference to the opened object
    Dim objPresentation As PowerPoint.Presentation
    Set objPresentation = objPowerPoint.Presentations.Open("C:\TEST.ppt")
    
    'This is an example of changing a property of the
    'opened document, with these object, you can
    'do what you want with the document (If you know
    'the good method)
    'This is change the layout direction
    objPresentation.LayoutDirection = ppDirectionLeftToRight
    
    'Save the document
    objPresentation.Save
    
    'Destroy the reference
    Set objPresentation = Nothing
    Set objPowerPoint = Nothing
    
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()
    'Another method, if you want to open
    'the file with powerpoint but DON'T CARE at all about
    'what the user do with it
    
    'This let the document be opened with powepoint
    ShellExecute Me.hwnd, "open", "c:\test.ppt", "", "", 1

End Sub

Both of them are VALID way to open a powerpoint document, the difference reside in what do you want to do with the document. Read the comments in the code, you'll see that the Microsoft Objects allow you to interact with PowerPoint, the ShellExecute method do not.

I suggest you read a book or find some articles on the NET about Microsoft Office Family objects (POWERPOINT, EXCEL, WORD), they all works the same. SHELLEXECUTE is an API that open just any file using the system file association. Both of them can be used depending of what is your need, but do not mix them together

If it is not clear, don't bother to reply

JeffB

[BigDawg]

JeffB,

Thank you that was the information I needed. I don't appreciate the don't bother thing since my understanding of this forum is that it is a place to be able to ask questions. I realize that my lack of knowledge is not helpful, but I am trying and once pointed in the right direction can move on. I had already tried the MSDN but found that it wasn't addressing this problem clearly enough. Regardless I was able to get the code to work and now the rest is polishing. Thanks for you assistance.

BD

[JeffB]

I'm sorry, I think I did not well express myself. What I mean by "don't bother" is that it would make me a pleasure to help you if my answer is not clear.

I'm sincerely sorry for the confusion, if you have any other problem, be at ease to ask it here.

Have a nice day

JeffB