Programming Forums > Application Development > Visual Basic

irish · Mar 24th, 2006, 3:48 PM

I'm having a go at VB and i'm trying to make a small program that will have buttons that link to applications (fast, easy access). But i can't actually get the buttons to link to anything. How would i go about making the buttons link to a program on my computer?

Polyphemus_ · Mar 24th, 2006, 3:55 PM

Dunno which version you're using, but assuming you're using < VB6, you can use the AppActivate function.

irish · Mar 24th, 2006, 3:58 PM

How do i do that? lol sorry.

Polyphemus_ · Mar 24th, 2006, 4:06 PM

I suggest reading a number of tutorials on Visual Basic, as you don't even know how to use a function.

irish · Mar 24th, 2006, 6:28 PM

Ok, i had a look up for functions etc on google. But the AppActivate function only activates a program that is already running(as i discovered when building), i am trying to start a process. I'll have a look for another function or i'll try to find a way to work around it. Thanks for the help

Ooble · Mar 24th, 2006, 6:48 PM

Check out the Shell function.

irish · Mar 24th, 2006, 9:00 PM

After a bit more searching, i found this:

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("Path")

It works fine, i just need to link it to the buttons now.

Ooble · Mar 25th, 2006, 8:39 AM

Ah... you're using Visual Basic .NET or Visual Basic 2005 (which uses the .NET framework, but they dropped the ".NET" name for the language), not Visual Basic. Please post in the correct forum next time.

brownhead · Mar 25th, 2006, 1:38 PM

AppActivate wouldn't work for what your doing. Shell could work but would be tricky. I reccomend the ShellExecute API. Place this in a module.

(Toggle Plain Text)

Public Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long
Public Sub Execute(ByVal FormHWND As Long, ByVal Path As String)
ShellExecute FormHWND, "Open", Path, 0&, 0&, 1
End Sub

NOw anything that you pass through the execute function will be executed just as if you typed it in to the "Run" tool accessible throught the windows start-bar. Heres an example of using this:

(Toggle Plain Text)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Execute Me.hWND, "Notepad"
End Sub

That would open up notepad. YOu can also use paths:

(Toggle Plain Text)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Execute Me.hWND, "C:\Documents and Settings\Computer\Test.txt"
End Sub

And it'll open the text document with your default plain-text editor. This is a very dynamic function, you can even search websites and it'll use your default web-browser.

(Toggle Plain Text)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Execute Me.hWND, "www.google.com"
End Sub

Anyways. If ya need help using htis, my AIM sn is brownhead622 and my msn is brownhead622@hotmail.com. Gday all

ReubenK · Mar 26th, 2006, 4:34 PM

Ah,I remember doing one of them when I started..
This is what I used

(Toggle Plain Text)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Shell "notepad.exe"
End Sub

(Toggle Plain Text)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Shell "C:\WINNT\System32\calc.exe"
End Sub

Two examples of the way you can do it.
Hope this helps,
Reuben Keeney

Mar 24th, 2006, 3:48 PM	#1
irish Programmer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Belfast Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	Button links to applications I'm having a go at VB and i'm trying to make a small program that will have buttons that link to applications (fast, easy access). But i can't actually get the buttons to link to anything. How would i go about making the buttons link to a program on my computer?

Mar 24th, 2006, 6:48 PM	#6
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 9	Check out the Shell function. __________________ Me :: You :: Them

Mar 25th, 2006, 8:39 AM	#8
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 9	Ah... you're using Visual Basic .NET or Visual Basic 2005 (which uses the .NET framework, but they dropped the ".NET" name for the language), not Visual Basic. Please post in the correct forum next time. __________________ Me :: You :: Them

Mar 25th, 2006, 1:38 PM	#9
brownhead Programmer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: California Posts: 37 Rep Power: 0	AppActivate wouldn't work for what your doing. Shell could work but would be tricky. I reccomend the ShellExecute API. Place this in a module. (Toggle Plain Text) Public Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long Public Sub Execute(ByVal FormHWND As Long, ByVal Path As String) ShellExecute FormHWND, "Open", Path, 0&, 0&, 1 End Sub Public Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long Public Sub Execute(ByVal FormHWND As Long, ByVal Path As String) ShellExecute FormHWND, "Open", Path, 0&, 0&, 1 End Sub NOw anything that you pass through the execute function will be executed just as if you typed it in to the "Run" tool accessible throught the windows start-bar. Heres an example of using this: (Toggle Plain Text) Private Sub Command1_Click() Execute Me.hWND, "Notepad" End Sub Private Sub Command1_Click() Execute Me.hWND, "Notepad" End Sub That would open up notepad. YOu can also use paths: (Toggle Plain Text) Private Sub Command1_Click() Execute Me.hWND, "C:\Documents and Settings\Computer\Test.txt" End Sub Private Sub Command1_Click() Execute Me.hWND, "C:\Documents and Settings\Computer\Test.txt" End Sub And it'll open the text document with your default plain-text editor. This is a very dynamic function, you can even search websites and it'll use your default web-browser. (Toggle Plain Text) Private Sub Command1_Click() Execute Me.hWND, "www.google.com" End Sub Private Sub Command1_Click() Execute Me.hWND, "www.google.com" End Sub Anyways. If ya need help using htis, my AIM sn is brownhead622 and my msn is brownhead622@hotmail.com. Gday all

Mar 26th, 2006, 4:34 PM	#10
ReubenK Programmer Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 36 Rep Power: 0	Ah,I remember doing one of them when I started.. This is what I used (Toggle Plain Text) Private Sub Command1_Click() Shell "notepad.exe" End Sub Private Sub Command1_Click() Shell "notepad.exe" End Sub (Toggle Plain Text) Private Sub Command1_Click() Shell "C:\WINNT\System32\calc.exe" End Sub Private Sub Command1_Click() Shell "C:\WINNT\System32\calc.exe" End Sub Two examples of the way you can do it. Hope this helps, Reuben Keeney

Mar 24th, 2006, 3:55 PM	#2
Polyphemus_ Expert Programmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands Posts: 942 Rep Power: 4	Dunno which version you're using, but assuming you're using < VB6, you can use the AppActivate function.

Mar 24th, 2006, 3:58 PM	#3
irish Programmer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Belfast Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	How do i do that? lol sorry.

Mar 24th, 2006, 4:06 PM	#4
Polyphemus_ Expert Programmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands Posts: 942 Rep Power: 4	I suggest reading a number of tutorials on Visual Basic, as you don't even know how to use a function.

Mar 24th, 2006, 6:28 PM	#5
irish Programmer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Belfast Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	Ok, i had a look up for functions etc on google. But the AppActivate function only activates a program that is already running(as i discovered when building), i am trying to start a process. I'll have a look for another function or i'll try to find a way to work around it. Thanks for the help

Mar 24th, 2006, 9:00 PM	#7
irish Programmer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Belfast Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	After a bit more searching, i found this: System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("Path") It works fine, i just need to link it to the buttons now.

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Programming Forums > Application Development > Visual Basic

Button links to applications