Launch Program from Excel, Shell? 1

[Pudsters]

Can someone tell a novice with no programming skills how to open a non-microsoft program from a Macro Button in Excel?

So I click on a button and it runs the program...

C:\Program Files\Any Program.exe

Internet search mentions Shell, but that means nothing to me.

Thanks

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

Have you checked VBA HELP?

Skip,

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[Pudsters]

VBA Help isn't installed on my computer right now.

 

[SkipVought]

http://www.microsoft.com

also has help

Skip,

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[SkipVought]

From VBA Help

Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\CALC.EXE", 1)    ' Run Calculator.

[tt]
Runs an executable program and returns a Variant (Double) representing the program's task ID if successful, otherwise it returns zero.

Syntax

Shell(pathname[,windowstyle])

The Shell function syntax has these named arguments:

Part Description
pathname Required; Variant (String). Name of the program to execute and any required arguments or command-line switches; may include directory or folder and drive. On the Macintosh, you can use the MacID function to specify an application's signature instead of its name. The following example uses the signature for Microsoft Word:
Shell MacID("MSWD")
windowstyle Optional. Variant (Integer) corresponding to the style of the window in which the program is to be run. If windowstyle is omitted, the program is started minimized with focus. On the Macintosh (System 7.0 or later), windowstyle only determines whether or not the application gets the focus when it is run.



The windowstyle named argument has these values:

Constant Value Description
vbHide 0 Window is hidden and focus is passed to the hidden window. The vbHide constant is not applicable on Macintosh platforms.
vbNormalFocus 1 Window has focus and is restored to its original size and position.
vbMinimizedFocus 2 Window is displayed as an icon with focus.
vbMaximizedFocus 3 Window is maximized with focus.
vbNormalNoFocus 4 Window is restored to its most recent size and position. The currently active window remains active.
vbMinimizedNoFocus 6 Window is displayed as an icon. The currently active window remains active.



Remarks

If the Shell function successfully executes the named file, it returns the task ID of the started program. The task ID is a unique number that identifies the running program. If the Shell function can't start the named program, an error occurs.

On the Macintosh, vbNormalFocus, vbMinimizedFocus, and vbMaximizedFocus all place the application in the foreground; vbHide, vbNoFocus, vbMinimizeFocus all place the application in the background.

Note By default, the Shell function runs other programs asynchronously. This means that a program started with Shell might not finish executing before the statements following the Shell function are executed.

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Skip,

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[firefytr]

Also look at the FollowHyperlink method.

Regards,
Zack Barresse

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. What is a MS MVP? PODA
- Leonardo da Vinci

 

[Pudsters]

Thanks for all of that info, that will give me plenty to play with tomorrow. Appreciate it.