C# Signature:
public enum ShowCommands : int
{
SW_HIDE = 0,
SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1,
SW_NORMAL = 1,
SW_SHOWMINIMIZED = 2,
SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 3,
SW_MAXIMIZE = 3,
SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE = 4,
SW_SHOW = 5,
SW_MINIMIZE = 6,
SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE = 7,
SW_SHOWNA = 8,
SW_RESTORE = 9,
SW_SHOWDEFAULT = 10,
SW_FORCEMINIMIZE = 11,
SW_MAX = 11
}
[DllImport("shell32.dll")]
static extern IntPtr ShellExecute(
IntPtr hwnd,
string lpOperation,
string lpFile,
string lpParameters,
string lpDirectory,
ShowCommands nShowCmd);
VB Signature:
Declare Function ShellExecuteA Lib "shell32.dll" ( _
ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, _
ByVal lpOperation As String, _
ByVal lpFile As String, _
ByVal lpParameters As String, _
ByVal lpDirectory As String, _
ByVal nShowCmd As Integer) As IntPtr
User-Defined Types:
None.
Return Values:
If the return value is greater than 32, the ShellExecute call was successfully executed. Otherwise, check for one of these constants:
| ERROR_SUCCESS | The operating system is out of memory or resources. |
| ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND | The specified file was not found. |
| ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND | The specified path was not found. |
| ERROR_BAD_FORMAT | The .exe file is invalid (non-Microsoft Win32 .exe or error in .exe image). |
| SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED | The operating system denied access to the specified file. |
| SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE | The file name association is incomplete or invalid. |
| SE_ERR_DDEBUSY | The Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) transaction could not be completed because other DDE transactions were being processed. |
| SE_ERR_DDEFAIL | The DDE transaction failed. |
| SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT | The DDE transaction could not be completed because the request timed out. |
| SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND | The specified dynamic-link library (DLL) was not found. |
| SE_ERR_FNF | The specified file was not found. |
| SE_ERR_NOASSOC | There is no application associated with the given file name extension. This error will also be returned if you attempt to print a file that is not printable. |
| SE_ERR_OOM | There was not enough memory to complete the operation. |
| SE_ERR_PNF | The specified path was not found. |
| SE_ERR_SHARE | A sharing violation occurred. |
Notes:
None.
Tips & Tricks:
Possible values for lpOperation
edit
explore
find
open
NULL - Performs the default action (prior to Win2k) normally open
Sample Code:
(C#)
// Asks default mail client to send an email to the specified address.
ShellExecute( IntPtr.Zero, "open", "mailto:support@microsoft.com", "", "", ShowCommands.SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE );
// Asks default browser to visit the specified site.
ShellExecute( IntPtr.Zero, "open", "http://channel9.msdn.com", "", "", ShowCommands.SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE );
// Opens default HTML editing app to allow for edit of specified file
ShellExecute( IntPtr.Zero, "edit", @"c:\file.html", "", "", ShowCommands.SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE );
//Modified by Aljaz: Replaced the last zero in these calls with 4 otherwise it wouldn't show anything
// 0 stands for SW_HIDE contant, which means execute but don't show the window which is probably not
// what we want.
(VB.NET)
' Asks default mail client to send an email to the specified address.
ShellExecuteA(Me.Handle, "open", "mailto:support@microsoft.com", "", "", 4)
' Asks default browser to visit the specified site.
ShellExecuteA(Me.Handle, "open", "http://channel9.msdn.com", "", "", 4)
' Opens default HTML editing app to allow for edit of specified file
ShellExecuteA(Me.Handle, "edit", "c:\file.html", "", "", 4)
Alternative Managed API:
Process.Start Method
Starts a process resource and associates it with a Process component.
Overload List
Starts (or reuses) the process resource that is specified by the StartInfo property of this Process component and associates it with the component.
public bool Start();
Starts the process resource that is specified by the parameter containing process start information (for example, the file name of the process to start) and associates the resource with a new Process component.
public static Process Start(ProcessStartInfo);
Starts a process resource by specifying the name of a document or application file and associates the resource with a new Process component.
public static Process Start(string);
Starts a process resource by specifying the name of an application and a set of command-line arguments, and associates the resource with a new Process component.
public static Process Start(string, string);
Sample Code:
[Visual Basic]
Imports System
Imports System.Diagnostics
Imports System.ComponentModel
Namespace MyProcessSample
_
'/ <summary>
'/ Shell for the sample.
'/ </summary>
Public Class MyProcess
'/ <summary>
'/ Opens the Internet Explorer application.
'/ </summary>
Public Sub OpenApplication(myFavoritesPath As String)
' Start Internet Explorer. Defaults to the home page.
Process.Start("IExplore.exe")
' Display the contents of the favorites folder in the browser.
Process.Start(myFavoritesPath)
End Sub 'OpenApplication
'/ <summary>
'/ Opens urls and .html documents using Internet Explorer.
'/ </summary>
Public Sub OpenWithArguments()
' url's are not considered documents. They can only be opened
' by passing them as arguments.
Process.Start("IExplore.exe", "www.northwindtraders.com")
' Start a Web page using a browser associated with .html and .asp files.
Process.Start("IExplore.exe", "C:\myPath\myFile.htm")
Process.Start("IExplore.exe", "C:\myPath\myFile.asp")
End Sub 'OpenWithArguments
'/ <summary>
'/ Uses the ProcessStartInfo class to start new processes, both in a minimized
'/ mode.
'/ </summary>
Public Sub OpenWithStartInfo()
Dim startInfo As New ProcessStartInfo("IExplore.exe")
startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Minimized
Process.Start(startInfo)
startInfo.Arguments = "www.northwindtraders.com"
Process.Start(startInfo)
End Sub 'OpenWithStartInfo
Public Shared Sub Main()
' Get the path that stores favorite links.
Dim myFavoritesPath As String = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Favorites)
Dim myProcess As New MyProcess()
myProcess.OpenApplication(myFavoritesPath)
myProcess.OpenWithArguments()
myProcess.OpenWithStartInfo()
End Sub 'Main
End Class 'MyProcess
End Namespace 'MyProcessSample
[C#]
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.ComponentModel;
namespace MyProcessSample
{
/// <summary>
/// Shell for the sample.
/// </summary>
public class MyProcess
{
/// <summary>
/// Opens the Internet Explorer application.
/// </summary>
public void OpenApplication(string myFavoritesPath)
{
// Start Internet Explorer. Defaults to the home page.
Process.Start("IExplore.exe");
// Display the contents of the favorites folder in the browser.
Process.Start(myFavoritesPath);
}
/// <summary>
/// Opens urls and .html documents using Internet Explorer.
/// </summary>
public void OpenWithArguments()
{
// url's are not considered documents. They can only be opened
// by passing them as arguments.
Process.Start("IExplore.exe", "www.northwindtraders.com");
// Start a Web page using a browser associated with .html and .asp files.
Process.Start("IExplore.exe", "C:\\myPath\\myFile.htm");
Process.Start("IExplore.exe", "C:\\myPath\\myFile.asp");
}
/// <summary>
/// Uses the ProcessStartInfo class to start new processes, both in a minimized
/// mode.
/// </summary>
public void OpenWithStartInfo()
{
ProcessStartInfo startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("IExplore.exe");
startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Minimized;
Process.Start(startInfo);
startInfo.Arguments = "www.northwindtraders.com";
Process.Start(startInfo);
}
public static void Main()
{
// Get the path that stores favorite links.
string myFavoritesPath =
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Favorites);
MyProcess myProcess = new MyProcess();
myProcess.OpenApplication(myFavoritesPath);
myProcess.OpenWithArguments();
myProcess.OpenWithStartInfo();
}
}
}
