I want to display a .CHM help file when clicking on a button in VB.NET. Could anyone show me code how to do this?
Private Sub cmdHelp_Click(ByVal sender As System.Objects, Byval e As System.EventArgs)Handles cmdHelp.Click
'Please help provide some code
End Sub
The .NET API offers the Help class in the System.Windows.Forms namespace. Some examples:
Help.ShowHelp(ParentForm, "HelpFile.chm", HelpNavigator.TableofContents, Nothing)
Help.ShowHelp(ParentForm, "HelpFile.chm", HelpNavigator.Index, Nothing)
Help.ShowHelp(ParentForm, "HelpFile.chm", HelpNavigator.Topic, "Page.html")
Help.ShowHelp(ParentForm, "HelpFile.chm", HelpNavigator.TopicId, 123)
Help.ShowHelp(ParentForm, "HelpFile.chm", HelpNavigator.Keyword, "Keyword")
Doing a Process.Start with a verb of open does the trick:
Module Module1
Sub Main()
Dim p As New Process()
Dim psi As New ProcessStartInfo("path to my CHM file")
psi.Verb = "open"
p.StartInfo = psi
p.Start()
Console.ReadKey()
End Sub
End Module
Note that .chm files are heavily restricted by the OS from about WinXP SP3 (SP2?) onwards - they are considered to be a reasonble security risk, so you can't open them directly from a network or remote location. You will need to code accordingly, and expect exceptions when trying to open them.
on Button click event write this code
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("hh.exe " & App.HelpFile, vbNormalFocus)
Where hh.exe is any name App.Helpfile is your chm file name
You can also use HH.EXE to display a specified topic.
In the example code
replace [topicid] with the real topic id
and replace [yourhelpfile.chm] with the full path and name of your .chm file
If a return value is required
Dim RetVal As Integer = Shell("HH.EXE -mapid [topicid] ms-its:[yourhelpfile.chm]", AppWinStyle.NormalFocus)
otherwise just this
Shell("HH.EXE -mapid [topicid] ms-its:[yourhelpfile.chm]", AppWinStyle.NormalFocus)
Related
I'm trying to get my app to delete a pdf file after the Acrobat Reader (with this file) closes.
If I do this:
Process.Start("d:\test.pdf")
My.Computer.FileSystem.DeleteFile("d:\test.pdf")
Acrobat gives me an error: "There was an error opening this document. This file cannot be found."
Any help will be appreciated, Thanks
EDIT
I modified the code a little bit...
Dim MyProc = Process.Start(path)
MyProc.WaitForExit()
My.Computer.FileSystem.DeleteFile(path)
And it deletes the PDF after it is closed, but not if there is another PDF opened...
You could just use the event from your process to get the job done.
Dim MyProc = System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("d:\test.pdf")
AddHandler MyProc.Exited, Sub() My.Computer.FileSystem.DeleteFile("d:\test.pdf")
u can add a timer and set timer to check if acrobart.exe is running :
Public sub Btn1_click
Process.Start("file path here")
Timer1.start
Public sub Timer1_tick
Dim pr As Process() = Process.GetProcessesByName("acrobat") 'change acrobat with necessary exe name as i can't remember the exact name of acrobat.exe , it could be acrobat32 or acrobat64 or just acrobat as mentioned
If pr.Length = 0 Then
timer1.stop
My.Computer.FileSystem.DeleteFile("d:\test.pdf")
Else
End If
This will get the job done!
I have a Webbrowser control in a form which displays a pdf file. I have to specify the URL as the file location on my computer.
eg.
E:\Folder\Manual.pdf
Both the pdf file and the program are in the same folder.
How do I specify the URL so that when I move the folder onto another drive, it opens the same pdf file?
The location of your application is
Dim path as String = My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath
The you could use:
Dim pdffile as String = IO.Path.Combine(path, "pdffile.pdf")
WebBrowser1.Navigate(pdffile)
If I understand you correctly, then:
Dim myPdf As String =
IO.Path.Combine(IO.Directory.GetParent(Application.ExecutablePath).FullName, "myPdfFile.pdf")
Another way you could do it is by using something like the code below;
Private Sub FamilyLocateFile_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles FamilyLocateFile.Click
If LocateFamilyDialog.ShowDialog = DialogResult.OK Then
FamilyWMP.URL = LocateFamilyDialog.FileName
ElseIf LocateFamilyDialog.ShowDialog = DialogResult.Cancel Then
MsgBox(MsgBoxStyle.Critical, "Error!")
End If
End Sub
What this will do is play a file in a Windows Media Player ActiveX object. The file can be selected with an OpenFile Dialog, which in this case is called LocateFamilyDialog. You don't need the ElseIf part of the statement, but you will need to insert an open file dialog and a control that can display PDFs. I think it'll work with WebBrowsers, but I'm not sure.
It sounds very simple but I have searched and cannot seem to find a way to open a log file which the user just created from my windows form app. The file exits I just want to open it after it is created.
I have a Dim path As String = TextBox1.Text and once the user names and clicks ok on the savefiledialog I have a msgbox that says "Done" and when you hit OK I have tried this
FileOpen(FreeFile, path, OpenMode.Input) but nothing happens. I just want it to open the log and show it to the user so they can edit or save it again or anything.
This is where I got the above code.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.visualbasic.filesystem.fileopen.aspx
Searching is difficult because everyone is trying to "Open" a file and process it during runtime. I am just trying to Show a file by Launching it like someone just double clicked it.
Here is the entire Export Button click Sub. It basically writes listbox items to file.
Private Sub btnExport_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnExport.Click
Dim sfd As New SaveFileDialog
Dim path As String = TextBox1.Text
Dim arypath() As String = Split(TextBox1.Text, "\")
Dim pathDate As String
Dim foldername As String
foldername = arypath(arypath.Length - 1)
pathDate = Now.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd") & "_" & Now.ToString("hh;mm")
sfd.FileName = "FileScannerResults " & Chr(39) & foldername & Chr(39) & " " & pathDate
sfd.InitialDirectory = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal)
sfd.Filter = "Text files (*.txt)|*.txt|CSV Files (*.csv)|*.csv"
sfd.ShowDialog()
path = sfd.FileName
Using SW As New IO.StreamWriter(path)
If CkbxFolder.Checked = True Then
SW.WriteLine("Folders")
For Each itm As String In ListBox1.Items
SW.WriteLine(itm)
Next
End If
If CkbxFiles.Checked = True Then
SW.WriteLine("Files")
For Each itm As String In ListBox2.Items
SW.WriteLine(itm)
Next
End If
End Using
MsgBox("Done...")
FileOpen(FreeFile, path, OpenMode.Input) 'Why can't I open a file for you...
End Sub
Do not use the old VB6 methods. They are still here for compatibility reason, the new code should use the more powerful methods in the System.IO namespace.
However, as said in comments, FileOpen don't show anything for you, just opens the file
You coud write
Using sr = new StreamReader(path)
Dim line = sr.ReadLine()
if !string.IsNullOrEmpty(line) Then
textBoxForLog.AppendText(line)
End If
End Using
or simply (if the file is not too big)
Dim myLogText = File.ReadAllText(path)
textBoxForLog.Text = myLogText
As alternative, you could ask the operating system to run the program associated with the file extension and show the file for you
Process.Start(path)
To get the same behavior as if the user double-clicked it, just use System.Diagnostics.Process, and pass the filename to it's Start method:
Process.Start(path)
This will open the file using whatever the default application is for that filename based on its extension, just like Explorer does when you double-click it.
Hey guys before I was just hiding the parent form, but now when I try to read from the parent file it says it can't because it's already running in a process. I followed some tutorial and it said to go to the project properties and have the application stop running when all the forms are closed.
But now since I did that it says the directory can't be found probably because I am reading the input from the parent form. Anyways here is my code
Dim writeFile1 As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(File.OpenWrite("C:\Users\Nick\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\LoginFixed\Accounts\" + frmLogin.txtUser.Text))
How should I go about doing this?
Edit:
Private Sub btnHunter_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnHunter.Click
selection = "Hunter"
writeData.classSelection()
End Sub
This is what I have when the button is clicked.
Here is the classSelection sub:
Public Sub classSelection()
If frmClass.selection = "Hunter" Then
writeFile1.WriteLine(frmClass.selection)
End If
If frmClass.selection = "Gatherer" Then
writeFile1.WriteLine(frmClass.selection)
End If
If frmClass.selection = "Farmer" Then
writeFile1.WriteLine(frmClass.selection)
End If
writeFile1.Close()
End Sub
The error points to this line:
If frmClass.selection = "Hunter" Then
Saying part of the file path cannot be found.
If you want to read input textbox in closed parent form, you have to declare public var
Make a new module in your project .. and add this
public sLogin as String
And before you hide or close frmLogin .. add this
sLogin = txtUser.Text
So, you could change your code with
Dim writeFile1 As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(File.OpenWrite("C:\Users\Nick\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\LoginFixed\Accounts\" & sLogin))
matzone has given you a good hint. And to check exactly what your path is, just add a MessageBox using variables :
Dim writePath1 As String
Dim writeFile1 As StreamWriter
writePath1 = "C:\Users\Nick\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\LoginFixed\Accounts\" & sLogin
If MessageBox.Show(writePath1, "Continue ?", MessageBoxButtons.YesNo) = DialogResult.Yes Then
writeFile1 = New StreamWriter(File.OpenWrite(writePath1))
' ...
writeFile1.Close() ' Very important ! Adrian pointed it out.
End If
^^ and if it works, you can discard the Dialog test or replace it by some test code like If File.Exists(...)
However, I don't understand wether you want to close the parent Form or hide it. It's different !
Closing the parent Form will discard any access to parent Form members, including txtUser.Text.
If you want to close the parent Form, the ChildForm should not be a child of that parent you are trying to close, or you must just hide the parent Form :
frmLogin.Hide() ' Not frmLogin.Close()
If you close frmLogin, frmLogin.txtUser won't be accessible, or use sLogin provided by matzone instead. Alternatively, you should pass frmLogin.txtUser.Text value to a custom property of ChildForm.
Imports System.IO
Public Partial Class ChildForm1
' Inherits System.Windows.Form
' ...
Private _txtUserFile As String
Public WriteOnly Property TxtUserFile() As String
Set(ByVal NewFileName As String)
_txtUserFile = NewFileName
End Set
End Property
Public Sub LoadFile()
Dim writeFile1 As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(File.OpenWrite("C:\Users\Nick\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\LoginFixed\Accounts\" & txtUserFile))
' ...
writeFile1.Close()
End sub
' ...
End Class
Then use this in parent Form :
MyChildForm.TxtUserFile = Me.txtUser.Text
' Me.Close() ' This will definately KILL Form1 (the parent one)
Me.Hide() ' Always use Hide() until you'll terminate your Application
MyChildForm.Show()
MyChildForm.LoadFile()
^^ but this is not a good code either ! Your problem remains unclear (at least for me)
"Still saying it can't find part of the path", then check the path..
Does the file actually exists ?
Does the path contains glitch ? (use the provided MessageBox test)
Does your account can access that directory ? (Windows configuration and account levels)
Well !
In fact, the problem could be somewhere else.
For example, I was able to reproduce your exception by providing an empty string [""] as the value of, either :
frmLogin.txtUser.Text ' = ""
' or
sLogin ' = ""
' or
txtUserFile ' = ""
In fact, I get the "Could not find a part of the path..." exception because the StreamWriter couldn'd read/write to a File, as I didn't provided a valid FileName for that file. As the filename parameter was an empty string "", the provided path for StreamWriter was just representing a directory instead of a file and an exception was raised.
Now, you should check wether you have a valid path before building a new instance of StreamWriter to get sure you are actually pointing to a File ?
Dim writeFile1 As StreamWriter
Dim MyEntirePath As String = "C:\Users\...\Accounts\" + frmLogin.txtUser.Text
MessageBox.Show(MyEntirePath) ' would be enough to be sure your path is correct
' Some test code here...
If everythingOK then ' create the StreamWriter...
writeFile1 = New StreamWriter(MyEntirePath)
' ...
' ...
Also, it's not a good idea to create your streamwriter, and use it in another part/method of your code. You never known if one day, you'll change your code, and forget to make the link between
Dim writeFile1 As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(File.OpenWrite("C:\Users\Nick\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\LoginFixed\Accounts\" + frmLogin.txtUser.Text))
' plus
Private Sub btnHunter_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs)
...
End Sub
' plus
Public Sub classSelection()
...
writeFile1.Close()
End Sub
^^ too much "here and there"...
You'll obviously also get an exception if you try to click btnHunter twice.. I don't know what is the purpose of your code nor how it works, it looks like a game.. But I would use File.Exist(..) checks, create the file before, if none, and put that in a Try/Catch to check if I eventually don't have administrator rights to write to that directory. Otherwise, make a code that allow user to read/write files to a custom folder. Andalso, you have :
Application.StartupPath
^^ Very usefull, like :
Dim MyFilePath As String = Application.StartupPath + "\Datas\MyText.txt"
After two weeks of coding, I usually forget where I put those "C:\blabla.." or "D:\gnagna\" or what classes actually uses those absolute reference paths. I've dropped this way of getting directories long ago since the day I moved to Win7 on another computer and all such applications I developped using that approach was doomed...
I'm writing a screen capture application for a client. The capture part is fine, but he wants to get the name and path of the file that the capture is of.
Using system.diagnostics.process I am able to get the process that the capture is of, and can get the full path of the EXE, but not the file that is open.
ie. Notepad is open with 'TextFile1.txt' as its document. I can get from the process the MainWindowTitle which would be 'TextFile1.txt - Notepad' but what I need is more like 'c:\users....\TextFile1.txt'
Is there a way of getting more information from the process?
I'm sure there is a way, but I can't figure it out
Any help greatly appreciated.
You can use ManagementObjectSearcher to get the command line arguments for a process, and in this notepad example, you can parse out the file name. Here's a simple console app example that writes out the full path and file name of all open files in notepad..
Imports System
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Management
Module Module1
Sub Main()
Dim cl() As String
For Each p As Process In Process.GetProcessesByName("notepad")
Try
Using searcher As New ManagementObjectSearcher("SELECT CommandLine FROM Win32_Process WHERE ProcessId = " & p.Id)
For Each mgmtObj As ManagementObject In searcher.Get()
cl = mgmtObj.Item("CommandLine").ToString().Split("""")
Console.WriteLine(cl(cl.Length - 1))
Next
End Using
Catch ex As Win32Exception
'handle error
End Try
Next
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000000)
End Sub
End Module
I had to add a reference to this specific dll:
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.Managment.dll
i think it is the simplest way
For Each prog As Process In Process.GetProcesses
If prog.ProcessName = "notepad" Then
ListBox1.Items.Add(prog.ProcessName)
End If
Next
I know this post is old, but since I've searched for this two days ago, I'm sure others would be interested. My code below will get you the file paths from Notepad, Wordpad, Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, Inkscape, and any other text or graphic editor's process, as long as the filename and extension is in the title bar of the opened window.
Instead of searching, it obtains the file's target path from Windows' hidden Recent Items directory, which logs recently opened and saved files as shortcuts. I discovered this hidden directory in Windows 7. You're gonna have to check if Windows 10 or 11 has this:
C:\Users\ "username" \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
I slapped this code together under Framework 4, running as 64bit. The COM dlls that must be referenced in order for the code to work are Microsoft Word 14.0 Object Library, Microsoft Excel 14.0 Object Library, Microsoft PowerPoint 14.0 Object Library, and Microsoft Shell Controls And Automation.
For testing, the code below needs a textbox, a listbox, a button, and 3 labels (Label1, FilenameLabel, Filepath).
Once you have this working, after submitting a process name, you will have to click the filename item in the ListBox to start the function to retrieve it's directory path.
Option Strict On
Option Explicit On
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word
Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint
Imports Shell32
Public Class Form1
'function gets names of all opened Excel workbooks, adding them to the ListBox
Public Shared Function ExcelProcess(ByVal strings As String) As String
Dim Excel As Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application = CType(Marshal.GetActiveObject("Excel.Application"), Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application)
For Each Workbook As Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Workbook In Excel.Workbooks
Form1.ListBox1.Items.Add(Workbook.Name.ToString() & " - " & Form1.TextBox1.Text)
Next
Return strings
End Function
'function gets names of all opened Word documents, adding them to the ListBox
Public Shared Function WordProcess(ByVal strings As String) As String
Dim Word As Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Application = CType(Marshal.GetActiveObject("Word.Application"), Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Application)
For Each Document As Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.Document In Word.Documents
Form1.ListBox1.Items.Add(Document.Name.ToString() & " - " & Form1.TextBox1.Text)
Next
Return strings
End Function
'function gets names of all opened PowerPoint presentations, adding them to the ListBox
Public Shared Function PowerPointProcess(ByVal strings As String) As String
Dim PowerPoint As Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.Application = CType(Marshal.GetActiveObject("PowerPoint.Application"), Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.Application)
For Each Presentation As Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.Presentation In PowerPoint.Presentations
Form1.ListBox1.Items.Add(Presentation.Name.ToString() & " - " & Form1.TextBox1.Text)
Next
Return strings
End Function
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
'clears listbox to prepare for new process items
ListBox1.Items.Clear()
'gets process title from TextBox1
Dim ProcessName As String = TextBox1.Text
'prepare string's case format for
ProcessName = ProcessName.ToLower
'corrects Office process names
If ProcessName = "microsoft excel" Then
ProcessName = "excel"
Else
If ProcessName = "word" Or ProcessName = "microsoft word" Then
ProcessName = "winword"
Else
If ProcessName = "powerpoint" Or ProcessName = "microsoft powerpoint" Then
ProcessName = "powerpnt"
Else
End If
End If
End If
'get processes by name (finds only one instance of Excel or Microsoft Word)
Dim proclist() As Process = Process.GetProcessesByName(ProcessName)
'adds window titles of all processes to a ListBox
For Each prs As Process In proclist
If ProcessName = "excel" Then
'calls function to add all Excel process instances' workbook names to the ListBox
ExcelProcess(ProcessName)
Else
If ProcessName = "winword" Then
'calls function to add all Word process instances' document names to the ListBox
WordProcess(ProcessName)
Else
If ProcessName = "powerpnt" Then
'calls function to add all Word process instances' document names to the ListBox
PowerPointProcess(ProcessName)
Else
'adds all Notepad or Wordpad process instances' filenames
ListBox1.Items.Add(prs.MainWindowTitle)
End If
End If
End If
Next
End Sub
Private Sub ListBox1_MouseClick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles ListBox1.MouseClick
Try
'add ListBox item (full window title) to string
Dim ListBoxSelection As String = String.Join(Environment.NewLine, ListBox1.SelectedItems.Cast(Of String).ToArray)
'get full process title after "-" from ListBoxSelection
Dim GetProcessTitle As String = ListBoxSelection.Split("-"c).Last()
'create string to remove from ListBoxSelection
Dim Remove As String = " - " & GetProcessTitle
'Extract filename from ListBoxSelection string, minus process full name
Dim Filename As String = ListBoxSelection.Substring(0, ListBoxSelection.Length - Remove.Length + 1)
'display filename
FilenameLabel.Text = "Filename: " & Filename
'for every file opened and saved via savefiledialogs and openfiledialogs in editing software
'Microsoft Windows always creates and modifies shortcuts of them in Recent Items directory:
'C:\Users\ "Username" \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
'so the below function gets the target path from files's shortcuts Windows created
FilePathLabel.Text = "File Path: " & GetLnkTarget("C:\Users\" & Environment.UserName & "\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\" & Filename & ".lnk")
Catch ex As Exception
'no file path to show if nothing was saved yet
FilePathLabel.Text = "File Path: Not saved yet."
End Try
End Sub
'gets file's shortcut's target path
Public Shared Function GetLnkTarget(ByVal lnkPath As String) As String
Dim shl = New Shell32.Shell()
lnkPath = System.IO.Path.GetFullPath(lnkPath)
Dim dir = shl.NameSpace(System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(lnkPath))
Dim itm = dir.Items().Item(System.IO.Path.GetFileName(lnkPath))
Dim lnk = DirectCast(itm.GetLink, Shell32.ShellLinkObject)
Return lnk.Target.Path
End Function
End Class