I have a windows batch file which I want to execute using vb.net however the batch as well as the VB.net exe that will execute it are run from the cd rom which means tat i want my vb.net to run the batch from current directory (as both will be placed in the current directory, on CD)
How can I achive this?
You need to create an instance of ProcessStartInfo class, set the property WorkingDir and FileName (eventually also the Arguments property) and pass this instance to the Start static method or the Process class.
Dim pi = new ProcessStartInfo()
pi.WorkingDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(Application.ExecutablePath)
pi.FileName = "your_batch_file_name"
pi.Arguments = "arguments that you want to pass to the batch file"
Process.Start(pi)
Keep in mind that if you run from a CD then your current working directory is not writeable
Related
So I am using this code in excel to read environment parameters on startup:
Dim ExcelArgs As String
Dim arg As String
ExcelArgs = Environ("ExcelArgs")
MsgBox ExcelArgs
If InStr(UCase(ExcelArgs), "CREO") >= 0 Then
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
If Len(ExcelArgs) > Len("CREO") Then
arg = Split(ExcelArgs, ",")(1)
Call Creo.addNewPartToPartslist(arg)
End If
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End If
and this line in my batch script:
echo "Launch excel"
Set "ExcelArgs=CREO,DXFWITHOUTDRW
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE16\Excel.exe" /r "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART\PERSONAL.XLSB"
exit 0
The problem is that if i run the batch file once, keep excel open change the excelargs to CREO,wqhatever in batch file and rerun batch file the excelargs, dos not get updated!!!
So my theory is that excel either caches out the environment variable or that if it is being used by one instance the batch script can not set it
link with some info about passing arguments to excel:
https://superuser.com/questions/640359/bat-file-to-open-excel-with-parameters-spaces
Usually excel sees if there is a previous instance running and let this instance handle the file opening.
Is this important? Yes, in your case both requests to open the file are handled by the same excel process.
How does it make a difference? Environment variables are not shared. Each process has it own environment block that is initialized when the process is created (can be a customized block or a copy of the environment of the parent process) and once the environment is created for a process, only this process can change its environment.
In your case, when you start excel the new process gets a copy of the environment block of the cmd process. Later, when you change the cmd environment, the already running excel instance sees no changes in environment and, as the new request to open excel is converted to a request to the previous process, there is not a new process with a new copy of the cmd environment with the changes.
The only way I see to make it work is to force excel to start a new process (that will inherit the changes in the cmd instance) instead of reusing the previous one.
But this depends on the excel version. As far as I know, the 2013 version includes an /x switch to force separate process usage. For previous versions, maybe this question, or this one could help you.
Excel is open
Then i start the batch script:
The it does not open it as read only by default, but prompt me instead, not a big issue but a bit annoying, and it also make it impossible to loop through to run the batch several times for different input parameters.
A bit unsure how I should post this, couldnt paste images in comments, and to edit the the original question, which was how to start excel with enviroment variable in new instance (/x did the trick), but now /r does not work, Should I post as new question and refer to this one or can I leave it as an answer?
Alright guys I have a copy of minecraft wich is a java program launched by Minecraft.exe.
Inside the same folder is my program (lets call it launcher.exe) wich I am programming in VB.net and a Folder called LocalAppData.
If I place a shortcut in the same folder as Minecraft.exe, clear the "start in" field and put this in the target field:
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c start cd LocalAppData&& set APPDATA=%cd%\LocalAppData&& javaw -Xms4096M -Xmx4096M -cp LocalAppData\Minecraft.exe net.minecraft.LauncherFrame
then minecraft launches with my custom memory allocation from inside the LocalAppData folder. Two command windows appear as well. One closes when minecraft does, but the other does not and needs to be closed by the user
My Question is: How do I acheive the same result in VB.net instead of with a windows shortcut and is there a way to either stop the command windows appearing or setting them both to close automatically?
My goal is to launch minecraft from a subfolder, so local filepaths would be far preferrable to global filepaths, but figuring out the location of the application at runtime and working from a subfolder would be ok as well.
I thought I would be able to use the same code inside a Shell() command to produce the same effect, but it appears not.
Ideally I want to create a program that runs minecraft with:
Custom memory allocation
Local filepaths so that it can be run portably
The appdata folder changed to the subfolder so that it can be run portably
Those command windows either gone or minimised and then close automatically when minecraft is closed by the user.
I know this is a big ask, but I'm 6 months into a programming course and I'll admit that I'm not the best programmer out there.
Once I know how to do this I can create the rest of the program that manages multiple installations in seperate subfolders and lets you choose wich one to launch, but I just need help with the actual launching of the java application itself.
Note:
I should clarify that Minecraft.exe is not something that I have made and that I don't program java. I'm just looking for a solution in VB.Net.
Thank you for reading all this and sorry for the long post.
Edit
Thank you for the help. This is what I have so far, but it produces an error "Error: Could not create the JavaVirtualMachine. Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit"
'Declare Processes
Dim appDataStartInfo As ProcessStartInfo = New ProcessStartInfo()
Dim javaStartInfo As ProcessStartInfo = New ProcessStartInfo()
Dim appPath As String = Application.StartupPath()
'Launch appdata relocation process
appDataStartInfo.FileName = "cmd.exe"
appDataStartInfo.Arguments = "/c start cd " & appPath & "&& set APPDATA=" & appPath & "\LocalAppData"
appDataStartInfo.UseShellExecute = True
Process.Start(appDataStartInfo)
'Launch Minecraft
javaStartInfo.FileName = "javaw.exe"
javaStartInfo.Arguments = "-Xms4096M -Xmx4096M -cp " & appPath & "\LocalAppData\.minecraft\bin\Minecraft.jar net.minecraft.LauncherFrame"
javaStartInfo.UseShellExecute = True
Process.Start(javaStartInfo)
Does anyone see where I've gone wrong?
The Process class (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.process.aspx )allows you to launch a process. You set it up with a ProcessStartInfo instance (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.processstartinfo(v=vs.80).aspx ).
I don't have the time to give you all the details, but this pseudo-code should get you started :
Dim startInfo As ProcessStartInfo = new ProcessStartInfo()
startInfo.FileName = "javaw.exe" 'That's the name of your executable
startInfo.Arguments = "your argument line"
startInfo.UseShellExecute = true 'Needed to open a command window
Process.Start(startInfo)
Why does a batch file run when I create it in Notepad, but not when I create it in my VB code?
Dim strStartFile As String = "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\StartMenu\Programs\Startup\Starter.bat"
If Not File.Exists(strStartFile) Then
Dim strBatLine1 As String = "cd C:\Progra~1\Applic~1 && start Application.exe"
My.Computer.FileSystem.WriteAllText(strStartFile, strBatLine1, False)
SetAttr(strStartFile, FileAttribute.Normal)
End If
It creates the file just fine. It looks exactly the same as the handmade version, it just won't launch the exe when double clicked. I've tried appending CR+LF, vbCrLf, but no go.
There is an inherent problem when trying to launch the exe directly from Startup, it runs it from that directory and can't find the related files (in the Application directory) so the cd is necessary.
Using VB 2010 Express. Thanks in advance for your help!
You probably need to pass in the Systems ANSI CodePage, because you are executing the file from cmd.exe
My.Computer.FileSystem.WriteAllText(strStartFile, strBatLine1, False, System.Text.Encoding.Default);
I'm using process.Start to run Convert.exe. This program's purpose is to convert all files which are in the exe's folder. So when I normally use it, I copy paste a file into the same folder as Convert.exe and then run Convert.exe. Convert.exe will create a new "converted" file in the same folder.
I'm trying to automate this tedious process. A User selects a file which needs to be converted from FolderA, I copy it to the same folder where Convert.exe is and I'm using process.start(Convert.exe) to run it.
Just to be clear, this "Convert.exe" accepts NO arguments.
The problem: "Convert.exe" is not converting the files in its folder. Instead it's converting all the files in FolderA for some weird reason. I don't know why it picked that folder, I never even try to send it as an argument or nothing.
Here's the code I have:
Dim techInfo As New System.IO.FileInfo(itm.strFilePath)
techInfo.CopyTo(ConverterPath & techInfo.Name)
Dim procInfoConvert As New ProcessStartInfo
procInfoConvert.CreateNoWindow = False
procInfoConvert.Arguments = ""
procInfoConvert.FileName = ConverterPath & "Convert.exe"
Dim procConvert As Process = Process.Start(procInfoConvert)
I did a test where I copy pasted a file into the "Convert.exe" folder and then just run this code:
process.start(ConverterPath & "Convert.exe")
The exe returns nothing, same as if there was no files in the folder.
The only thing I can think of is that when process.Start is run, it copies the file to another location and runs it from there.
Any ideas anyone?
Try this:
procInfoConvert.WorkingDirectory = ConverterPath
That'll set the process up to start in the directory it's contained in, instead of the current directory.
In vb.net 2008 I want to execute a batch file that resides on another computer.
There is no error, but nothing happens.
Here is the code:
Dim pStart As New System.Diagnostics.Process
Dim startInfo As New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(serverpath & "\file.bat")
startInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = True
startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
startInfo.UseShellExecute = False
pStart = System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(startInfo)
pStart.WaitForExit()
pStart.Close()
To run a process on a remote computer you can use Sysinternals free psexec.
You can call it with the proper parameters and having the required permissions like you are doing in your sample code.
I've never tried to create a Process using a batch file as the executable. I've always had to use cmd.exe as the program. This has worked for me in the past:
Dim startInfo As New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo("cmd.exe", "/c " & serverpath & "\file.bat")
The "/c" as part of the argument list tells cmd.exe to exit after the batch file has completed.
If you are going to use RedirectStandardOutput, you really do want to use RedirectStandardError, and then also subscribe to the events of the Process class for catching data on those streams (OutputDataReceived and ErrorDataReceived). Otherwise you will have no way to debug your batch script.
This reads like a permissions problem. I would troubleshoot it that way if you haven't ruled it out yet.
Have you tried running the same batch file from the local computer?
If it is a permissions issue you can solve it either copying the file locally before executing it or map a drive to the remote computer where the file is and then execute the batch file from the new path.
Additionally, we don't really know what's in the batch file that could be causing an issue. I would either post the batch file or if you can't post the batch file use a batch file that you can post. Example a batch file would write the current date time to a file.