How to Hide the "FoxPro Run Command" Window in Visual FoxPro

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0 and 3.0b

SUMMARY

By using the Windows API function WinExec, you can execute an MS-DOS command or program without the user seeing the "FoxPro Run Command" window or another MS-DOS session.

MORE INFORMATION

The following program creates a sample function that executes an MS-DOS command or program and keeps the MS-DOS window hidden. The program takes one parameter, the command to be executed.

To maintain control over the MS-DOS window, the program sends the command through a PIF file. To keep this window hidden, use the Windows PIF Editor to make the following changes to the PIF file you use (this example uses Foxrun.pif in the Visual FoxPro directory):

1. Select the Close Window on Exit check box.

2. Set Display Usage to Windowed.

Code Sample

*---------------- Run.prg ----------------------------- * Sample program to Execute an MS-DOS command and keep * the MS-DOS window hidden. * * To use this function in FoxPro to create a new directory, * use one of the following commands that illustrate two * ways to call the function and achieve the same result: * * = run("MD C:\VFP\TESTDIR") * * DO run WITH "MD C:\VFP\TESTDIR" *

FUNCTION run PARAMETER doscmd

DECLARE INTEGER WinExec IN win32api AS run ;

   STRING command, INTEGER param

cmdstart = SYS(2004) + "FOXRUN.PIF /C "

* Now concatenate the two pieces of the command:

fullcmd = cmdstart + doscmd

retval = run(fullcmd, 0)

RETURN retval *------- End of program ----------------------

NOTE: For more information about hiding the FoxPro Run Command window in FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.x, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: