How do I use multiple command line arguments

[menace]

Hi all,

I have a program that reads 3 variables from an INI file. Now I want to get rid of the INI file and get these variables through command line arguments. Just like you could do with BAT files and %1 , %2, %3, etc......
So a users has to enter something like:
PROGRAM.EXE var1 var2 var3
and then the program uses the var1, var2 and var3 to fill other variables.
Does anyone have any idea how to achieve this?
I have been using the COMMAND$ function but it reads al variables as one!!!

If anyone could give any help it would be much appreciated,

Regards,
Dennis ‘t Hart

[Aaron Young]

You could split the Commandline up yourself, if you have VB6, you can use the Handy Function Split, eg.

Sub Main()
    Dim I As Integer
    Dim vCommands As Variant
    vCommands = Split(Command, " ")
    For I = 0 To UBound(vCommands)
        MsgBox "Parameter " & (I + 1) & " = " & vCommands(I)
    Next
End Sub

Otherwise you can use the Instr Function, eg.

Sub Main()
    Dim I As Integer
    Dim sCommands() As String
    Dim sLine As String
    
    sLine = Command
    While InStr(sLine, " ")
        ReDim Preserve sCommands(I)
        sCommands(I) = Left(sLine, InStr(sLine, " ") - 1)
        I = I + 1
        sLine = Mid$(sLine, InStr(sLine, " ") + 1)
    Wend
    If Len(sLine) Then
        ReDim Preserve sCommands(I)
        sCommands(I) = sLine
    End If
    For I = 0 To UBound(sCommands)
        MsgBox "Parameter " & (I + 1) & " = " & sCommands(I)
    Next
End Sub

------------------
Aaron Young
Analyst Programmer
[email protected]
[email protected]

[menace]

THANKS !!!! That does do it.... BUT (always a but).
If I enter: PROGRAM.EXE parm1 parm2 parm3
the message box always comes with 1 empty message first for parameter1 and then continues correctly...... any thoughts?

thanks again,
Dennis

[Aaron Young]

I can't see why it would, are you pasting this code directly into a Module and using it? If not, maybe you are missing something when splitting up the string. It works fine when I try it.

------------------
Aaron Young
Analyst Programmer
[email protected]
[email protected]

[menace]

Ok they both work but......
As 1 of the parameters a user can put in is a folder name (with spaces) it doesn't work.
When I change the " " to "/" I get the problem of the first MsgBox being empty....

Cheers

[Mark Sreeves]

Surely a path with spaces passed as a parameter should be in quotes.

Most apps require this!


Your command string parsing routine should then check for quotes first and then spaces.


------------------
Mark Sreeves
Analyst Programmer

[email protected]
A BMW Group Company

[menace]

This did it for me:
Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim xdays, xdrive, xdir
Dim I As Integer
Dim vCommands As Variant
vCommands = Split(Command, "/")
For I = 0 To UBound(vCommands)
If I = 1 Then xdays = vCommands(I)
If I = 2 Then xdrive = vCommands(I)
If I = 3 Then xdir = vCommands(I)
Next I
MsgBox "Number of days=" & xdays & Chr(13) & "Drive and folders=" & Left$(xdrive, 2) & xdir
End
End Sub


THANKS ALL !!!!!