Can't get this code run under WinNT

[Sven Blumenstein]

Hi all,
I've written a little PowerBASIC (I'm using PB5) Program for an Autostart Function on a CD with a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation. Because of "relative Links" in this Presentation, I must start the PowerPoint Viewer with the full path in the command line.
My code works fine under Win9x/ME but I can't get it work under WinNT ?!?
Where's my mistake? (the Visual Basic Code works fine under NT, but not erveryone hast VB Runtime Files)

Regards,
Sven

$compile exe "start.exe"

FUNCTION WinMain (BYVAL hInstance AS LONG, BYVAL hPrevInstance AS LONG, lpCmdLine AS ASCIIZ PTR, BYVAL iCmdShow AS LONG) AS LONG
if len(curdir$) = 3 then
path$ = curdir$ 
else
path$ = curdir$ + "\"
end if
x& = shell(path$ & "ppview32.exe " & Chr$(34) & path$ & "salestag 2000.ppt" & Chr$(34))
END FUNCTION

'This is the Visual BASIC Code:
'------------------------------
'Attribute VB_Name = "Module1"
'Sub Main()
'Dim apppath As String
'If Len(App.Path) = 3 Then
'apppath = App.Path
'Else
'apppath = App.Path & "\"
'End If
'Dim x As Long
'x = Shell(apppath & "ppview32.exe " & Chr(34) & apppath & "salestag 2000.ppt" & Chr(34))
'End Sub

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[This message has been edited by Sven Blumenstein (edited November 30, 2000).]

[Lance Edmonds]

Since you did not say what happens when you run this under NT, are you sure that the default (current) directory is where PPVIEW32.EXE the file exists?

ie, you may want to add a DIR$() test to confirm the path.

Add the following lines before the SHELL call, and see what is happening:

MSGBOX path$
MSGBOX DIR$(path$ & "salestag 2000.ppt")

If this does not help, be sure to tell us *exactly* what fails.

One last point (and it is a long shot), but Windows itself provides a file called START.EXE so you *may* encounter a conflict caused by your AUTORUN.INF file launching the wrong START.EXE file...?!

------------------
Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Sven Blumenstein]

Lance,
the Problem is that this Prog doesn't start the ppview32.exe. It runs until the shell statment and then -> ERROR. But without any error message. If I implemt an "on error goto errhand" then this catches the error.
And yes, the ppview32.exe and the ppt file are in the same directory. And, as I already sayed, with the Visual Basic Version it runs fine?!?




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[Sven Blumenstein]

Hi again,
I've found a solution :-)

Here's my new code:

$compile exe "start.exe"
$include "win32api.inc"
FUNCTION WinMain (BYVAL hInstance AS LONG, BYVAL hPrevInstance AS LONG, lpCmdLine AS ASCIIZ PTR, BYVAL iCmdShow AS LONG) AS LONG
if len(curdir$) = 3 then
path$ = curdir$ 
else
path$ = curdir$ + "\"
end if 
'old:
'x& = shell(chr$(34) + path$ + "ppview32.exe" + Chr$(34) + " " + chr$(34) + path$ + "salestag 2000.ppt" + Chr$(34))
'--------
'new:
retval& = ShellExecute(%null, "open", path$ + "ppview32.exe ", chr$(34) + path$ + "salestag 2000.ppt" + Chr$(34), "c:\", %SW_MAXIMIZE)
END FUNCTION

The old code couldn't run under WinNT, 'cause the "SHELL" statement calls a DOS Function (I think) and this doesn't work under WinNT/2k.
With the ShellExecute API you can solve this Problem

Regards,
Sven

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[Lance Edmonds]

It cannot call a DOS function, since there is no DOS subsystem underneath a Win32 application.

Internally, SHELL uses ShellExecute()!

So, what was the actual error code you received? (You can test ERR after the SHELL statement, or use an ON ERROR GOTO trap)

The difference I see is that your call to ShellExecute() changes the path to a writable drive (default directory parameter is C:\ in your code), whereas your plain SHELL() code leaves the app running from in the CDROM directory. I don't know if this is contributary or not, but may be worth investigating. I don't have NT4 here to test with, sorry.




------------------
Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Sven Blumenstein]

I tested both codes on a local folder (c:\temp\autostart\) on a NT Computer. So you can't say, it depends on the "c:\".
I did some tests and find out, that the Shell() statement doesn't work on NT at all :-(
You must always use ShellExecute "manually".



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[Scott Turchin]

I recall seeing that a long time ago too, hence I went to ShellExecute to do most of my shelling out...

I have two functions for doing shell, one waits until completion of the shell the other does shell execute:

Function WaitShell(ByVal CmdLine$, ByVal ShowWind&, ByVal TimeLimit&) Export As Long
    Local Si As STARTUPINFO
    Local Pi As PROCESS_INFORMATION

    Si.cb = SizeOf(Si)
    Si.dwFlags = %STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
    Si.wShowWindow = ShowWind&

    If CreateProcess("", _
                     ByVal StrPtr(CmdLine$), _
                     ByVal %NULL, _
                     ByVal %NULL, _
                     0, _
                     %NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS, _
                     ByVal %NULL, _
                     ByVal %NULL, _
                     Si, _
                     Pi) Then


       Call WaitForInputIdle(pi.hProcess, %INFINITE)
       If TimeLimit& Then
          Call WaitForSingleObject(pi.hProcess, TimeLimit&)
          Call CloseHandle(pi.hProcess)
          Call CloseHandle(pi.hThread)
       End If

    End If
Function = 1
End Function

'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Function NoWaitShell(FileSpec As String,wWindowStyle As Long) Export As Long
'%SW_SHOWNORMAL
Function = ShellExecute(ByVal %NULL, "open", FileSpec + Chr$(0), ByVal %NULL, ByVal %NULL,wWindowStyle)
End Function

------------------
Scott
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Tom Hanlin]

SHELL works fine in tests under Windows 98, 2000, and NT4 SP6a, here,
with the obsolete PB/DLL 5.0 compiler as well as current versions.
If you can find a case where SHELL fails, please send a brief source
code example to [email protected]


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Tom Hanlin
PowerBASIC Staff