bit more help please Access Denied?? "FINALLY RESOLVED" THANKS ALL!!

Hi I've been working on a small app that updates xml playlist through a batch file. I've been struggling to understand why it wont run from vb. I used this code tonight and in the dos output I got the message Access Denied - any suggestions/explanations???

VB Code:

Shell "C:\Program Files\mgamerz\my_mp3s\Update.bat", vbNormalFocus

cheers Rob

Your XML file might have been be set as Read Only so check properties first.

I already checked that and if I run the batch not from vb it works fine - Just when I thought I was gettin somewhere lol

post what's in your batch file. is there a file open in VB that you are writing to?

do this:

Code:

---

Public 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

Public Sub RunProgram(strProgram As String)
    Dim lRet As Long
    lRet = ShellExecute(vbNull, "", strProgram, "", "", SW_SHOWNORMAL)
End Sub

---

in a module

and in your form put:

Code:

---

RunProgram "C:\Program Files\mgamerz\my_mp3s\Update.bat"

---

I have a feeling this is a "Start in" problem . . .

|2eM!x (that is a wierd forum name), had the right idea, but he (or she) still left the lpDirectory parameter blank, so I suspect it would fail.

Put a pause in your batch file, then run it by itself. The pause will cause the cmd window to display. Look in the window at the path.

Now run your vb app. (Make sure you leave the pause in the batch file). Look in the cmd window this time. Notice the path? This time the path was the application path, not the batch files path.

Windows 2000 and XP, by default, start batch files in directory they were run from, not the directory they are located in. When you double-click on the batch file you are starting the batch file in the directory it is located in. When you shell out to the batch file from your vb app, you are starting the batch file in your application path.

That having been said, shell is very, very ugly at best. I would (and alway do) use the shellexecute api. Just be sure to specify the lpDirectory parameter so the batch file starts in that directory

can you explain the lpDirectory to me? would it be like ipdirectory = (dir) or what?

thanks

oh and its remix :wave:

could you explain how I would add that please? Any chance of a bit of an example thanks Rob

Hi I have tried adding the module and changing the code on my command button but nothing happens. I add a pause in my batch file but cannot see the path. The most confusing aspect of this is that the batch file works perfectly when ran by itself.


thanks

Rob

In Reply to dglienna here is my batch file

@echo off
pause
SET filein=mp3.txt
SET fileout=audiolist.xml
SET filedir="%my_mp3s%"

if NOT %filedir%=="" goto continue

cd > %filein%

for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ( %filein% ) do (
SET filedir="%%i"
)

:continue

dir %filedir%\*.mp3 /b > %filein%

echo ^<?xml version="1.0"?^> > %fileout%
echo ^<songs^> >> %fileout%

for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ( %filein% ) do (
echo ^<song path=%filedir\%"my_mp3s/%%i" title="%%i"/^> >> %fileout%
)

echo ^</songs^> >> %fileout%




call c:

cd PROGRA~1

cd mgamerz

cd my_mp3s

copy audiolist.xml c:\PROGRA~1\mgamerz


echo file: audiolist.xml is ready


as Ive said this works fine when just double clicked but as soon as I call it from VB It aint having it

ROb

Rob,


here is the code for you to create both the mp3.txt if you need it and audiolist.xml from within vb, no batch file required, the way it is set up at the moment it creates both file in the folder where the mp3s are located, but his is esay to change if you keep you audiolist elsewhere

VB Code:

Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _ 
     ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)

goes at the top under Option Expicit

VB Code:

Private Sub writexml()
 
    Dim f1 As Integer, songpath As String, mp3path As String, f2 As Integer, i As Integer
    
    
    mp3path = "C:\Documents and Settings\User1\My Documents\My Music\MP3\The Greatest Oldies (vol 1)\"
    
     f2 = FreeFile
    Open mp3path & "mp3.txt" For Output As #f2       ' if you don't need mp3.txt take out
     f1 = FreeFile
     
    Open mp3path & "audiolist.xml" For Output As #f1
    Print #f1, "<?xml version=""1.0""?>"
    Print #f1, "<songs>"
    songname = Dir(mp3path & "\*.mp3")   ' get first track
    i = 1
    While Not Len(songname) = 0
        songpath = "<song path=""" & mp3path & songname & """ title=""" & songname & """/> "
        Print #f1, songpath
        Print #f2, songname                  ' for mp3.txt
        Sleep 100                                ' slight pause, needed
        songname = Dir                         ' get next track
    
    Wend
    Print #f1, "</songs>"
 
 
Close
End Sub

you can put this code into a button click or cal it from a button click

hope this helps to you to progress in VB

rgds p.

thanks but would this automatically add the mp3 files to the xml doc when they have been copied into the my_mp3 folder or will it have to be manually updated by users. The reason I was using the batch was it made it simple for users to add their own tracks without having to manually edit the xml doc therselves.

eg user browses for a file and that is added to the my_mp3s folder and then ran the batch file and it was ready for playing

Thanks again for your time
Rob

this code creates 2 files in the folder where mp3s are located,at present it is a folder on my hard drive, so you will need to change that. or select it from a common dialog setting mp3path to that.

i didn't know if you needed mp3.txt or if it was just part of your process, it is not required for this code

this code does not copy any files, it just creates the files with contents as your batch file did.

if you wanted to copy files you would do that first, then run this code with the path set to where you have copied them to.

if you just copy this into a new project and put a cmdbutton on the form you can test it quite easily

p.

VB Code:

Option Explicit
Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
     ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)
     
Private Const FAVORITES_FOLDER = "C:\PROGRAM FILES\MGAMERZ\MY_MP3S\"

I have this in my general declarations but I receive this error -
compile error:
constants,Fixed-length strings,arrays,user-defined types and Declare statements not allowed as public members of object modules.

Any ideas what I've done wrong
cheers
Rob

sorry change it to

VB Code:

Private Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
     ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)

i had it in a module
p.

I keep getting errors when trying to update the xml. when I click on the update xml button I get this

Compile error.

Varialble not defined.

I have attached my file to see if you can see any blatant errors that I've missed.

Thanks
Rob

sorry can't open your file, but the message is specific, one of the variables needs to be dimmed, i just checked my code, all the variable in it were declared,
did you add any??

if you want me to check your file attach it in a zip
p.

sorry here it is I appreciate this a lot.

Thanks

ok it is the variable songname in command2 so just add that to the list
songname as string.

also you have End Sub twice for command 2

p.

In a word Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant. Your an absolute diamond. Thans Very much.

Just a small query now. Would I be able to copy a copy of the xml back to the folder C:\Program Files\mgamerz after it has updated because the flash player needs it to be there to play the files. (As is I've not asked enough) lol

Thanks agoin
Rob

all you have to do is change the path to where the file is opened
mp3path,
you can add a new variable xmlpath and set it to

VB Code:

xmlpath = "C:\Program Files\mgamerz\"
Open xmlpath & "audiolist.xml" For Output As #f1

if you want to keep the original in the mp3 folder

you can leave the original code
and add

VB Code:

Filecopy  mp3path & "audiolist.xml"  "C:\Program Files\mgamerz\audiolist.xml"

p.

I want to keep the original so do I just add

VB Code:

Filecopy  mp3path & "audiolist.xml"  "C:\Program Files\mgamerz\audiolist.xml

to the end of the code that you sent me? nearly there now
Thanks Rob