EXE and parameters ?

EXE and parameters ?

• Ned Rise

   

  Here is an easy way: This little program recieves info on the command line (if info is being passed to your app) and puts it in a messagebox. It also has a button which launches test.exe and passes it "VariableToBePassed"

  Hope this helps!

  Imports System.Diagnostics

  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load

  Dim cmd As String = Microsoft.VisualBasic.Command

  If cmd IsNot String.Empty Then

  MessageBox.Show(cmd)

  Me.Close()

  End If 

  End Sub

  Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

  Process.Start("C:\Program Files\Applications\test.exe", "VariableToBePassed")

  Me.Close()

  End Sub

   

  
  
  

• Mitesh Shah923

  I have a related question at

  http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx PostID=600652&SiteID=1

  how do you make an application the only instance that can be running and when you double click a file that's assiciated with the application it opens in the already running instance

  Windows Media Player does this with songs, you can only have one instance of media player running but when you click a song it strikes something in the already running instance and it plays

  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

  Dim cmd As String = Microsoft.VisualBasic.Command

  TextBox2.Text = cmd 'puts the first parameter used to start the single instance program, but when i double click again the cmd is the same.

  End Sub

  I tried Microsoft.VisualBasic.Command in Me.Load, it works the first time but after you make the program a single instance application by clicking on myproject in solution explorer it doesn't change the command line argument the second time you click the shortcut like testprogram.exe parameter. Anybody know how to clear it or something It's still only seeing the first parameter i put in, the doesnt change when i run the single instance application for the second time.

  Thanks

  
  

• HellsChicken

  Hi John,

  To make your application a single instance application simply right click on your project in Solution Explorer and click the checkbox "Make Single Instance Application".

  Now to addresss your second question. In order to send command-line arguments to an already open application, that, you will have to use the Win32 API.

  If you send me your code or email me, I can help you with this.

  John

  the_grove_man@yahoo.com

  
  
  

• DuncanP

  NM found the answer to this first part of my problem.
  For those interested heres what I cam up with:
  
  Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
  
  and in the load event use: Dim strTestlink As String = Command()
  
  Thanks
  
  

• WRuschhaupt

  Once you use the 2005 framework, passing the parameter is easy. In your ApplicationEvents, add a handler for the StartupNextInstance event. The below code takes the CommanLineArgs from the next instance, wraps them up in the same format as the original args and passes it on to the main form for processing.

  Private Sub MyApplication_StartupNextInstance(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Microsoft.VisualBasic.ApplicationServices.StartupNextInstanceEventArgs) Handles Me.StartupNextInstance

  If TypeOf Me.MainForm Is Form1 Then

  Dim Args(e.CommandLine.Count) As String

  e.CommandLine.CopyTo(Args, 0)

  DirectCast(Me.MainForm, Form1).showArgs(Args)

  End If

  End Sub

  There is a working demo and write-up at http://devauthority.com/blogs/jwooley/archive/2005/07/28/318.aspx

  I hope this helps.

  Jim Wooley
  http://devauthority.com/blogs/jwooley

  
  
  

• jsedlak

  Hi,
  
  If you are using VB 2005, there is a very easy way to pass in command line arguments to the .EXE.  Here is some code that lives in the MyProject code behind file for the Card Game Starter Kit (this sample ships in VB 2005!):
  
  

  Class MyApplication #If _MyType = "WindowsForms" Then         Private Sub MyApplication_Startup(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As ApplicationServices.StartupEventArgs) Handles Me.Startup             If e.CommandLine.Count > 0 Then                 ' Get the 2 character command line argument                 Dim arg As String = e.CommandLine(0).ToLower(System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture).Trim().Substring(0, 2)                 Select Case arg                     Case "/c"                         ' Show the options dialog                         Me.MainForm = My.Forms.OptionsForm                     Case "/p"                         ' Don't do anything for preview                     Case "/s"                         Me.MainForm = My.Forms.ScreenSaverForm                     Case Else                         MessageBox.Show("Invalid command line argument :" + arg, "Invalid Command Line Argument", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error)                 End Select             Else                 ' If no arguments were passed in, show the screensaver                 Me.MainForm = My.Forms.ScreenSaverForm             End If         End Sub

  
  
  If you are using VB 2002 or 2003, you will write similar code in a custom Sub Main.  Define a Sub Main in a Startup.VB module, and choose this Sub main as your startup object in the project properties.
  
  Here is a code sample from vb-helper.com http://www.vb-helper.com/howto_net_list_command_line_arguments.html>:
  
  

  Module StartupModule     Public Function Main(ByVal CmdArgs() As String) As _         Integer         Dim frm As New Form1()         Dim i As Integer         frm.Text = UBound(CmdArgs) + 1 & " arguments"         For i = 0 To UBound(CmdArgs)             frm.lstCommands.Items.Add(CmdArgs(i))         Next i         frm.ShowDialog()         Return 0     End Function End Module

  
  
  
  Hope this helps. 
  
  Best,
  
  Paul Yuknewicz
  Visual Basic

  
  
• EXE and parameters ?