Spaces In Run Command

[spiderblues]

Hi,

I have a problem with spaces in the Run() command.

The tips I found in the forum didn't help...

What I'm trying is this:

Run ($pgm_path & " " & $file, $work_dir, @SW_MAXIMIZE)

If the variable $pgm_path has spaces, Run won't work...

What can I do????

Peter

Edited August 13, 2004 by spiderblues

[emmanuel]

it's all about the quotes...[link to wiki article on this question]

[pekster]

If the variable $pgm_path has spaces, Run won't work...

What can I do????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Enclose it in a set of double quotes:

Run ('"' & $pgm_path & '"' & " " & $file, $work_dir, @SW_MAXIMIZE)

This is so common that I have created a small UDF to do it for me. It works like this:

Run (path($pgm_path) & " " & path($file), path($work_dir), @SW_MAXIMIZE)

Func path($input)
  If StringLeft($input, 1) <> "'" Then $input = '"' & $input
  If StringRight($input, 1) <> '"' Then $input = $input & '"'
  return $input
EndFunc

That function will enclose whatever paramater you feed it with double quotes on either end if they are not present. Great for folder, file, and directory paths that may contain spaces.

[spiderblues]

the function to enclose the parameter is working, but the run still don't work...

I tried this:

$cmd = path($pgm_path) & " " & path($file)
Msgbox(0,"",$cmd)
Run ('"'& $cmd & '"', path($work_dir), @SW_MAXIMIZE)

Output:

"C:\Programme\ACD Systems\ACDSee\ACDSee6.exe" "test.jpg"

Looks good, but ACDSee don't run...

[pekster]

The whole point is that the space has to be inside the double quotes, not outside. What you have effectivally done is used my small routine to attach a set of double quotes around each segment that is before and after the space you include, which will be treated as 2 seperate paramaters.

If you ever want to use a paramater with a space or other reserved character in DOS, it must be enclosed in a string to be processed as a single paramater. Otherwise, in almost every case, it will be interperted as a 2nd paramater.

[spiderblues]

The strange thin is, that it's working with other programms with spaces in the pathname (like idoswin pro) but not with acdsee!

I tried to run acdsee from the command line, and that didn't work, too!

So I think, it's acdsee...

Thanks for you help.

Peter

[pekster]

The strange thin is, that it's working with other programms with spaces in the pathname (like idoswin pro) but not with acdsee!

I tried to run acdsee from the command line, and that didn't work, too!

So I think, it's acdsee...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Each application parses the command line paramaters a bit differently. However, in most cases, spaces will determine an additional paramater. It's just a good habbit to get into of enclosing phrases or paths in double quotes if they could contain a space.