Displaying Run Dialogue Box

mr_kane · August 9th, 2007, 10:51 AM

Hi

Does anyone know how i can display the Run Dialogue on the Start Menu from a vb.net program?

I know its not a .exe but somewhere in one of the dlls?

Thanks

Kane

planoie · August 9th, 2007, 06:46 PM

Do you need to the Start->Run... dialog specifically? Or are you looking to provide the user with a place to enter a program path and you want to run it? You could create your own dialog window with the same types of controls found in the windows run dialog, then use the Process class to start the outside process.

-Peter

BrianWren · August 10th, 2007, 01:21 PM

See http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms630413.aspx

FileRun Method
Displays the Run dialog to the user. This method has the same effect as clicking the Start menu and selecting Run.

Syntax:

Code:

    Shell.FileRun()


Private Sub ShellFileRunVB()

    Dim objShell As Shell
    Set objShell = New Shell

    objShell.FileRun

    Set objShell = Nothing

End Sub

mr_kane · September 15th, 2007, 11:47 AM

hmm this doesnt work with .net tho.... how wud i go about adapting it?

planoie · September 15th, 2007, 01:01 PM

Kane,

Have you looked at the documentation for the Process class I linked in my previous post? You can start any process with that.

-Peter

BrianWren · September 21st, 2007, 12:13 PM

You say âdoesnt [sic] work with .net tho.â What happens when you try?

Peter,

When I read your response, the question that arises in my mind is, âHow would you specify the Run dialog so as to get ProcessClass to start the right process?â

planoie · September 24th, 2007, 08:59 AM

Brian,

I'm not sure I understand your question.

-Peter

BrianWren · September 24th, 2007, 12:23 PM

Well, when you invoke something like a method to start a process, you need to specify the process you want to run (natch). But I donât think the Run dialog is an EXE, nor do I know where it might be located in the DLL it is in (if it is in one), nor the DLL in which it is located.

So let's say you had a LaunchProcess(<ProcessSpecification>) method. What would the value of <ProcessSpecification> be to get the run dialog onto the screen?

planoie · September 24th, 2007, 03:39 PM

Brian,

I think the Start->Run dialog is part of the core explorer process so you probably can't start it externally. This is why my original suggestion to the OP was that they just create their own dialog that mirrors the run dialog functionality and then use the process class to launch the process.

-Peter

BrianWren · September 25th, 2007, 11:44 AM

That is often the best way to go (rolling your own).

It is interesting though that adding a reference to Shell allows you to put up that dialog with the .FileRun method, but he couldn't get that to fly. It would appear that MS did give some ways to interact with (or trigger functionality of) core processes of Explorer.

Also, I did miss that your suggestion for using the process class hinged on having created your own dialog. Sorry.