ExeRun (Function)

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Standard functions

Windows management functions

Executable functions

ExeRun

Presentation

Example

Using a command line

Using the exeActive constant

Return value of a WINDEV executable

Starting an application in WEBDEV server code

Starting an application in Windows Vista (and later)

Miscellaneous

Application in the background: Specific case from Android 10

See also

ExeRun (Function)

In french: LanceAppli

Starts the execution of a program (an executable for example) from the current application.

This allows you to retrieve:

the return value of executable with the exeReturnValue constant.
the process identifier, also called PID with the exePID constant.

Remarks:

From Windows Vista, the applications may fail to start if the UAC mechanism is enabled. For more details, see remarks.
In 64-bit Windows, the access to a system directory from a 32-bit executable can be performed in a directory that differs from the expected one. For more details, see Native 64-bit and native 32-bit.

Example

// Start Notepad in default mode
ExeRun("NOTEPAD.EXE Readme.txt")

// Start a program with long name containing space characters
// For example: Word with "My documents" as working directory

// Solution 1: Using the syntax specific to the multiline strings
// (to avoid doubling or tripling the quotes)
IF ExeRun([
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE"
], ...
exeActive, exeDontWait, SysDir(srMyDocuments)) = False THEN
Error(ErrorInfo())
END

// Solution 2: Doubling the quotes
ExeRun("""C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE""", ...
exeActive, exeDontWait, SysDir(srMyDocuments))

// Start applications with a file in command line
// Name of application to start
sAppName is string = "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 6.0\Photoshp.exe"
// Name of the image to open
sImageName is string = "C:\Users\My Name\Pictures\Buildings\IMGP0993.JPG"

// Equivalent to "Start Run"
// We must get a character string containing "" such as:
// "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 6.0\Photoshp.exe"
// "C:\Users\My Name\Pictures\Buildings\IMGP0993.JPG"
IF ExeRun(StringBuild([
"%1" "%2"
], sAppName, sImageName)) = False THEN
Error(ErrorInfo())
END

// Start Google Maps
ExeRun("com.google.android.apps.maps")

Syntax

Running an executable (in locking or non-locking mode) Hide the details

<Result> = ExeRun(<Program name> [, <Mode> [, <Wait for end> [, <Working directory>]]])

<Result>: Boolean

True if the program was started,
False otherwise. ErrorInfo returns more details about the error.
This function returns no result.

<Program name>: Character string

Name of program to start with its path and/or the parameters that must be passed to the program (if necessary).
If no path is specified, the program is sought in the current directory, then in the Windows directory and in the directories accessible by PATH.
If the executable corresponds to a long name with space characters, the following syntax must be used:

<Program name> = " " " Long_name_with_spaces" " Command_line"

Full name of the application to be started (with the package name) with the parameters to be passed to the program, if necessary.
Example: to start the Google Maps application, <Program name> corresponds to: "com.google.android.apps.maps".
To specify parameters to be passed in command line, simply use the following notation:

<Program name> = <Package name> <Parameter name 1> = <Parameter value 1>

Starting with Android 11, the package name must be added in the application manifest. You can find an example at FAQ below: How to allow another application to be launched with ExeRun from an application in Android 11?

<Mode>: Optional integer constant

Program start mode (no action on DOS programs):
exeActive
(Default value) The program run is active, it "takes control" over the current program.
exeIconize The program run is inactive and it is minimized.
This constant is not available.
exeInactive The program run is inactive: it is run while the current program keeps focus.
This constant is not available.
exeMaximize The program run is active, it "takes control" over the current program (the execution window is maximized).
This constant is not available.
exeNoHandleInheritance Indicates that the executable should not inherit handles from the parent (applies to ALL handles, including files). The executable is independent of the application that launched it.
This constant can be combined with other application launch constants.
This constant is not available.
This parameter is not available.
The program run is always active: it is run by "taking control" over the current program.

<Wait for end>: Optional Boolean constant

Configures the timeout before resuming the execution of the current program:
exeDontWait
(Default value) The current program and the launched program run in parallel.
exeWait The current program resumes its execution when the program run is over.
The application can be started in non-locking mode only. A fatal error occurs if the exeWait constant is used.
This parameter is not available.

<Working directory>: Optional character string

Working directory of application to start.
This parameter is not available.

Starting a program and retrieving a value Hide the details

<Result> = ExeRun(<Program name> [, <Mode> [, <Element to return> [, <Working directory>]]])

<Result>: Integer

Sought value:
Return value of the executable if <Element to return> corresponds to the exeReturnValue constant.
PID of the executable if <Element to return> corresponds to the exePID constant.
ErrorInfo is used to find out whether an error occurred.

<Program name>: Character string

Name of program to start with its path and/or the parameters that must be passed to the program (if necessary).
If no path is specified, the program is sought in the current directory, then in the Windows directory and in the directories accessible by PATH.
If the executable corresponds to a long name with space characters, the following syntax must be used:
<Program name> = " " " Long_name_with_spaces" " Command_line"

<Mode>: Optional integer constant

Program start mode (no action on DOS programs).
exeActive
(Default value) The program run is active, it "takes control" over the current program
exeIconize The program run is inactive and it is minimized
exeInactive The program run is inactive: it is run while the current program keeps focus
exeMaximize The program run is active, it "takes control" over the current program (the execution window is maximized)
This parameter is ignored. The program run is active, it "takes control" over the current program.

<Element to return>: Optional constant

Configures the function result:
exePID The current program and the launched program run in parallel. <Result> corresponds to the identifier of created process (also called PID) if the executable was successfully run, 0 if an error occurred.
This identifier can be used in some APIs for example.
This constant is not available.
exeReturnValue The current program resumes its execution when the program run is over. <Result> is the return value of the executable.

<Working directory>: Optional character string

Working directory of the application to be started.

Remarks

Using a command line

To pass parameters in command line to the executable run, you must specify the name and full path of the executable to run.

If the program run was developed with WINDEV or WINDEV Mobile, you can get the command line using CommandLine.

Using the exeActive constant

If the process where the application is run (with the exeActive constant) runs a code allowing the calling program to regain focus, the called program loses control.

In order for the called program to keep focus, you must avoid:

call another window or dialog box after the call to ExeRun,
calling SetFocusAndReturnToUserInput after ExeRun.

In addition, the Button control (if there is one) whose associated "Click" event contains a call to ExeRun must not be "Tab Stop" ("Accessible by TAB" in the "UI" tab of the control description).

Return value of a WINDEV executable

A WINDEV executable can return a value. Simply:

Create an Integer variable global to the project.
Initialize this variable with the value to return.
Return this variable with the RETURN keyword in the project closing code.

Starting an application in WEBDEV server code

ExeRun is run on the server, therefore the started application is run on the server.

By default, the application is only visible in the task manager because it is started from a service that does not interact with the Windows desktop.

In order for the program run to be visible on the server, the option "Allow the service to interact with the desktop" must be checked in the properties of the WEBDEV service.

Starting an application in Windows Vista (and later)

If UAC (User Account Control) is enabled, the application that uses ExeRun to start another application must have higher permissions than the application that is started.

For example, a first application started with the administrator rights can start a second application that requires no specific rights.

If the second application requires greater rights than the application that starts it, the second application may fail to start. Windows proposes to enable the management of compatibility with Windows Vista. If the management of compatibility is enabled, the second application will be run during its next startup. You can also use ShellExecute.

Miscellaneous

ExeRun does not modify the current directory. The current directory before running ExeRun is identical to the current directory after running ExeRun.
If the program run ignores the specified runtime mode, the program is run in exeActive mode.

Application in the background: Specific case from Android 10

From Android 10, it is no longer possible to open a window when the application is in the background.

ExeRun can open a window. If this function is used while the application is in the background, a fatal error will occur.

Tips:

It is possible to determine if the application is in the background using InBackgroundMode.
If an application needs to interact with the user while it is in the background, the solution is to display a notification (via the Notification type). The application will be brought back to the foreground when the notification is clicked, if the ActivateApplication property is set to True. You can also open a window from the procedure passed to the ActionClick property.

For more details, see Android 10: Behavior of applications in the background.

Component: wd270std.dll