How to call dos-mode programs into window mode? or put them in form? anyone pls. help

How to call dos-mode programs into window mode? or put them in form? anyone pls. help

Welcome to teh VBForums! :wave:

What do you mean be "call in to window mode" ? A DOS program is text-only, if it had a window it wouldn't be a DOS program ;)

oh sorry, i meant "how to call dos programs?"

would it be possible for these programs to be inside a form? or anything?
like for example : turbo pascal inside a form?

you can shell a dos program, which will run in it's own dos window

Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\CALC.EXE", 1)

this can be used to call a dos program, or even a dos batch file

pete

No you can't put a command prompt (DOS app) within a form.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by westconn1

you can shell a dos program, which will run in it's own dos window

Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\CALC.EXE", 1)

this can be used to call a dos program, or even a dos batch file

pete

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Or, use the ShellExecute API if you need to use parameters, Shell() does not like them very much :)

Cheers,

RyanJ

i suppose if you have a textbox on a form you could use it like a dos prompt

retval = shell ( text1.text)

pete

Quote:

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Originally Posted by penagate

No you can't put a command prompt (DOS app) within a form.

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but would it be possible to create a VB-coded program to call these DOS applications?

yes but if you want to get a return value from the dos program it is a bit more difficult, one way is to rediect the output ot the dos program to a text file, then read the file back into vb

pete

Quote:

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Originally Posted by westconn1

yes but if you want to get a return value from the dos program it is a bit more difficult, one way is to rediect the output ot the dos program to a text file, then read the file back into vb

pete

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wow! that's alot of work to do. hehehe

btw! thank you for the help.

i guess it depends what you want to do and why you need to use a dos program to do it

pete

Quote:

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Originally Posted by westconn1

i suppose if you have a textbox on a form you could use it like a dos prompt

retval = shell ( text1.text)

pete

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on this code, what's the relation with one you first mention?

sorry! i'm just a newbie.

you could type the dos commandline into a textbox, then on button click or whatever shell or shellexecuteex the string enterered in the textbox, as mentioned before shell doesn't like parameters or command line arguments

sort of like the windows run box

why do you need to use dos program?

pete