CreateProcess

[medleyj]

I'm trying to use the CreateProcess API to launch an application (because I need to do more with it than just launch the application). The program I'm launching has command line parameters which I am also trying to pass. My problem is that I can't seem to get the API to work when I pass the command line switches. It works fine when I pass just the app name. I've tried a number of different things(comma separated, space separated, with the app name, without etc.) but have not been able to stumble upon the one that works.

I would really appreciate seeing a code sample of the CreateProcess API that uses command line parameters.

Thank you

[Iouri]

Here is an exampple how to use CreateProcess API

'This program needs a common dialog box, named CDBox
' (to add the Common Dialog Box to your tools menu, go to Project->Components (or press CTRL-T)
' and select Microsoft Common Dialog control)
Const INFINITE = &HFFFF
Const STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW = &H1
private Enum enSW
SW_HIDE = 0
SW_NORMAL = 1
SW_MAXIMIZE = 3
SW_MINIMIZE = 6
End Enum
private Type PROCESS_INFORMATION
hProcess as Long
hThread as Long
dwProcessId as Long
dwThreadId as Long
End Type
private Type STARTUPINFO
cb as Long
lpReserved as string
lpDesktop as string
lpTitle as string
dwX as Long
dwY as Long
dwXSize as Long
dwYSize as Long
dwXCountChars as Long
dwYCountChars as Long
dwFillAttribute as Long
dwFlags as Long
wShowWindow as Integer
cbReserved2 as Integer
lpReserved2 as Byte
hStdInput as Long
hStdOutput as Long
hStdError as Long
End Type
private Type SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
nLength as Long
lpSecurityDescriptor as Long
bInheritHandle as Long
End Type
private Enum enPriority_Class
NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H20
IDLE_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H40
HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H80
End Enum
private Declare Function CreateProcess Lib "kernel32" Alias "CreateProcessA" (byval lpApplicationName as string, byval lpCommandLine as string, lpProcessAttributes as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, lpThreadAttributes as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, byval bInheritHandles as Long, byval dwCreationFlags as Long, lpEnvironment as Any, byval lpCurrentDriectory as string, lpStartupInfo as STARTUPINFO, lpProcessInformation as PROCESS_INFORMATION) as Long
private Declare Function WaitForSingleObject Lib "kernel32" (byval hHandle as Long, byval dwMilliseconds as Long) as Long
private Function SuperShell(byval App as string, byval WorkDir as string, dwMilliseconds as Long, byval start_size as enSW, byval Priority_Class as enPriority_Class) as Boolean
Dim pclass as Long
Dim sinfo as STARTUPINFO
Dim pinfo as PROCESS_INFORMATION
'Not used, but needed
Dim sec1 as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
Dim sec2 as SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
'set the structure size
sec1.nLength = len(sec1)
sec2.nLength = len(sec2)
sinfo.cb = len(sinfo)
'set the flags
sinfo.dwFlags = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
'set the window's startup position
sinfo.wShowWindow = start_size
'set the priority class
pclass = Priority_Class
'Start the program
If CreateProcess(vbNullString, App, sec1, sec2, false, pclass, _
0&, WorkDir, sinfo, pinfo) then
'Wait
WaitForSingleObject pinfo.hProcess, dwMilliseconds
SuperShell = true
else
SuperShell = false
End If
End Function
private Sub Form_Load()
'KPD-Team 1998
'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
'E-Mail: [email protected]
'set the dialog's title
CDBox.DialogTitle = "Choose an EXEC-File ..."
'error when canceled
CDBox.CancelError = true
'set the dialog's filter
CDBox.Filter = "EXEC-Files (*.exe)|*.exe|All files (*.*)|*.*"
'Show the 'Open File'-dialog
CDBox.ShowOpen
'Execute the program
SuperShell CDBox.filename, Left$(CDBox.filename, len(CDBox.filename) - len(CDBox.FileTitle)), 0, SW_NORMAL, HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS
End
End Sub




Iouri Boutchkine
[email protected]

[medleyj]

Thank you for the example, but that's not quite what I'm looking for.

As I said before, when I just pass the app name, it works fine. It's when I try to pass an app name and command line parameters that I get stuck. For example if I pass something like "c:\program.exe" in the lpApplicatioName parameter and something like "param1 param2" in the lpCommandLine parameter, nothing happens. I've tried just about every variation that seams resonable given the API documentation. So far, nothing works.

[Ron at OGP]

VERY HELPFUL piece of code. This takes care one of the posts I had concerning the SetCurrentDirectory problem in Win NT. By using this function, you can set the working directory of the COM object.
Thanks for this submission. It works beautifully!


Ron D.
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[DeafBug]

This should help what you are looking for. I use it and works great.
http://support.microsoft.com/support...n_SRCH&SPR=VBB

[DeafBug]

Forgot to mention. Just add parameters where the line has C:\notepad.exe" Of course I pass a variable instead of hard coded string which is build up with parameters.

Otherwise is there something wrong with VB Shell function?