How to implement Start menu Run command?

[dc_2000]

Hi everyone:


Can someone suggest how to implement the functionality of the run command from the Windows Start menu. For example, if I type:
rundll32.exe PowrProf.dll, SetSuspendState
how to run similar command with Win32 API?

[wildfrog]

If you just want to execute the application (without any input dialog etc.) you can use CreateProcess (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dllproc/base/createprocess.asp).

- petter

[wildfrog]

Or if you want to hibernate the system you can use the SetSuspendState (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/power/base/setsuspendstate.asp) function.

- petter

[dc_2000]

No, it has nothing to do with hibernation -- it's just an example I gave here. What I'm asking is how the Run window functionality from Start menu is implemenred?

[wildfrog]

Well, it's a dialog box with a textbox and a button. Then when the button is pressed it grabs the entered text and then it use the CreateProcess (or similar) function is mentioned in post #2.

- petter

[dc_2000]

Ok, thanks. But how do I separate ApplicationName and CommandLine for CreateProcess API? I can't use spaces as separator as a path can have spaces inside.

[wildfrog]

As with the Run-dialog, you must use quotes (") around the path or arguments if they contain whitespace.

The lpApplicationName parameter can be NULL. In that case, the module name must be the first white space-delimited token in the lpCommandLine string. If you are using a long file name that contains a space, use quoted strings to indicate where the file name ends and the arguments begin; otherwise, the file name is ambiguous. For example, consider the string "c:\program files\sub dir\program name". This string can be interpreted in a number of ways. The system tries to interpret the possibilities in the following order:

c:\program.exe files\sub dir\program name
c:\program files\sub.exe dir\program name
c:\program files\sub dir\program.exe name
c:\program files\sub dir\program name.exe

- petter

[dc_2000]

Also when I try to specify a file to, say, something other than a program, like:
c:\My Music\Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.mp3CreateProcess returns false. What's up with that?

PS. Tried with both quotes and without. Both returned FALSE. I set lpApplicationName = NULL and lpCommandLine="\"c:\My Music\Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.mp3\""

[wildfrog]

Ahh, sorry. CreateProcess can only open application (not documents). You can use the ShellExecute (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/shellcc/platform/shell/reference/functions/shellexecute.asp) (with the open verb) if you need to open documents in their default application.

- petter

[golanshahar]

This FAQ can also help you: How can I start a process? (http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302501)

Cheers

[dc_2000]

Thank you guys!