Problem launching Paintbrush from code using SHELL

[Essendon]

I have a database with images stored externally (with only the paths stored in the database). I want to create a button that would open a picture with the user's default picture viewer (eg. Ms Photo Editor, Ms Paint, Photoshop etc.).

Is there anyway that I can simulate the double click of a jpg file in windows from within my program (so that it would open it with the default viewer). If not, I would just like to make it open with mspaint.

I have tried fiddling around with the shell command to get it to open with paintbrush:

Call Shell(("C:\WINDOWS\System32\mspaint.exe C:\database\images\a picture.jpg"), vbMaximizedFocus)

for some reason, as soon as you have a space in the path (like "a picture", or "C:\documents and settings" etc) Paintbrush returns an error becuase it doesn't like the space. If I change the code to open photoshop instead it works fine with the space. The trouble is that I have to get it working with paintbrush if nothing else. Any ideas?

Thanks very much,

Peter

[Benny Wong]

Hi Essendon


Try this code on the on-click event of the button.

Private Sub Command0_Click()
On Error GoTo Err_Command0_Click
Call Shell("C:\Program Files\Accessories\MSPAINT.EXE", 1)

Exit_Command0_Click:
Exit Sub

Err_Command0_Click:
MsgBox Err.Description
Resume Exit_Command0_Click

End Sub

Hope this helps you.

[Essendon]

I am using windows xp. I don't have a c:\program files\accessories\ directory. I have no problems opening paint. I just cannot open any file that has a space in its path.

[Tim K.]

Try this out.

Dim strAppName As String
strAppName = "C:\WINDOWS\System32\mspaint.exe " & Chr(34) & "C:\database\images\a picture.jpg" & Chr(34)
Call Shell(strAppName, vbMaximizedFocus)

[Fornatian]

You could also use :

Application.FollowHyperlink "MyFilePath"

This should start up the default picture browser. Note that it may not always be editable because you can choose IE as the default viewer.

[Essendon]

Works perfectly - thanks very much.

Whats the easiest way of finding out what char(34) is and what all the other char(x)'s are? I assume that char(34) is ".

Thanks again.

[Fornatian]

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atri...sciitutor.html