Open Any File

[mdmilner]

Subject says it all.
Any suggestions on the most versatile way to open any file?

I'm rewriting a function for versatility and while I currently know precisely what file type I'm opening, I'd have thought there'd be a very simple way to open anything without needing to specify the exe that opens it.

I was thinking about Shell & URLs as two options.
or
Declare Function OpenFile Lib "Kernel" (ByVal lpFileName As String, lpReOpenBuff As OFSTRUCT, ByVal wStyle As Integer) As Integer

Mike

 

[anvil19]

Hi mdmilner

Here is the complete code I used to create a file opening application. It will open any file that has a file extention reference in the system. Just ignore all the stuff concerning controls etc. and you will see how the shellexecute API works.

Private 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

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    End
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()
    FindProg
    File1.Refresh
End Sub

Private Sub Dir1_Change()
    File1.Path = Dir1.Path
End Sub

Private Sub Drive1_Change()
    On Error GoTo Err_Handler
    Dir1.Path = Drive1.Drive
    
    
Err_Handler:
    If Err.Number = 68 Then
    MsgBox " There is no disk in the selected drive," & vbLf & " or the drive not available.", vbOKOnly + vbCritical, "Error Number : " & Err.Number
    End If
    Exit Sub
End Sub

Private Sub FindProg()
    Dim strFileName, strPath As String
    Dim vara, progName
    Dim inta As Integer
    
    strFileName = File1.FileName
    If File1.ListCount = 0 Or strFileName = "" Then
    MsgBox "There is no file selected", vbOKOnly + vbExclamation, "Amatole WIS"
    Else
    'strFileName = File1.FileName
    strPath = File1.Path
    inta = MsgBox("Do you wish to open the file named '" & strPath & "\" & strFileName & "'?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "GIS!")
    If inta = 6 Then
    vara = ShellExecute(0, vbNullString, strFileName, vbNullString, strPath, 1) ' vbNormalFocus)
     Else
    Exit Sub
    End If
    End If
    
    
End Sub

Private Sub File1_DblClick()
    FindProg
    File1.Refresh
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
       Me.File1.Pattern = Me.Text1.Text
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
        Exit Sub
End Sub

Private Sub Text1_Change()
    Me.File1.Pattern = Me.Text1.Text
End Sub

Hop this helps

anvil19

 

[mdmilner]

Thanks anvil!
That's exactly what I just found here:

http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0018.htm

Haven't compared them yet.
I figured it had to be a pretty common thing and I sorta recalled seeing it somewhere.

Mike