An Odd Quirk On File Access

[Brent vanSchaayk]

I need some help. I am writing an application that accesses an external exe file which is a DOS application. I am currently using the shell command to access this file. What this application does is rebuilds the tables in a FairCom Database using a modified version of the standard rebuild function. The problem is when I goto do a rebuild of all the tables I have a Do loop which opens up the rebuild application and gets passed the name of the table. The VB application is basically just a GUI for the DOS application. Here is my sample of code. I hope it explains better what I am trying to do.

Private Sub cmdBegin_Click()
Dim MaxListitem
MaxListitem = cboTableName.ListCount - 1 'Gets the total number of tables in the DB
If chkAllTables.Value = 1 Then 'Checks if the user wants a rebuild of all the tables.
PrgCom.Max = MaxListitem 'Max property for a progress bar
Do Until cboTableName.ListIndex = MaxListitem 'loops through all the tables
Call RunRebuild ' calls the rebuild
cboTableName.ListIndex = cboTableName.ListIndex + 1 'moves to the next table
PrgCom.Value = PrgCom.Value + 1 'increases the progress bar
Loop
Else
RunRebuild ' used if rebuilding only one table
End If
End Sub
____________________________________________________________
Private Sub RunRebuild()
Dim validation As Boolean
Dim NewSting As String
Dim Runrbld As String
Dim Pathtocheck As String
validation = False
Pathtocheck = ""
NewString = "C:\Work\Clin\Util\csrbld.exe" + " C:\Work\Clin\jk_tech " + cboTableName.Text + " >>rebuild.log" ' the path csrbld [schema] [tablename]
Runrbld = Shell(NewString, vbNormalFocus) 'runs the app
Loop
End Sub
____________________________________________________________
Private Sub DisplayLog()
Do Until EOF(1)
Input #1, Outy
txtOutput.Text = txtOutput.Text + Outy + vbCrLf
Loop
End Sub

The problem I am having is that it opens up 130 instances of the database rebuild, one for each table. What I want it to do is wait till the first rebuild is finished to do the second. I need some sort of check, anyone have any idea's.

[Joacim Andersson]

Here you go! Add this code to the form and call the ShellAndWait procedure instead of the normal Shell function.

Private Type STARTUPINFO
    cb As Long
    lpReserved As String
    lpDesktop As String
    lpTitle As String
    dwX As Long
    dwY As Long
    dwXSize As Long
    dwYSize As Long
    dwXCountChars As Long
    dwYCountChars As Long
    dwFillAttribute As Long
    dwFlags As Long
    wShowWindow As Integer
    cbReserved2 As Integer
    lpReserved2 As Long
    hStdInput As Long
    hStdOutput As Long
    hStdError As Long
End Type

Private Type PROCESS_INFORMATION
    hProcess As Long
    hThread As Long
    dwProcessID As Long
    dwThreadID As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function WaitForSingleObject _
 Lib "kernel32" ( _
 ByVal hHandle As Long, _
 ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function CreateProcess _
 Lib "kernel32" Alias "CreateProcessA" ( _
 ByVal lpApplicationName As Long, _
 ByVal lpCommandLine As String, _
 ByVal lpProcessAttributes As Long, _
 ByVal lpThreadAttributes As Long, _
 ByVal bInheritHandles As Long, _
 ByVal dwCreationFlags As Long, _
 ByVal lpEnvironment As Long, _
 ByVal lpCurrentDirectory As Long, _
 lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, _
 lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Long

Private Declare Function CloseHandle _
 Lib "kernel32" ( _
 ByVal hObject As Long) As Long

Private Const NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H20&
Private Const INFINITE = -1&
Private Const STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW = &H1

Public Sub ShellAndWait(sCmd As String, Optional WindowStyle As VbAppWinStyle = vbNormalFocus)
    Dim udtStart As STARTUPINFO
    Dim udtProc As PROCESS_INFORMATION
    
    udtStart.cb = Len(udtStart)
    udtStart.dwFlags = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
    udtStart.wShowWindow = WindowStyle
    CreateProcess 0&, sCmd, 0&, 0&, 1&, _
     NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS, 0&, 0&, udtStart, udtProc
    WaitForSingleObject udtProc.hProcess, INFINITE
    CloseHandle udtProc.hProcess
    AppActivate Me.Caption
End Sub

[Brent vanSchaayk]

Thank you soooooooooo.... much, that fixed my problem. I can't say thank you enough. If you ever need anything, just email me. [email protected]

Once again Thank You.

[Joacim Andersson]

How about a beer...