WordBasic Shell Command Defined

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SUMMARY

The WordBasic Shell command starts another program under Microsoft Windows.

Syntax

Shell "App$", Window_Style

App$ uses the same format as the File Run command in the Windows MS-DOS Executive, including any switches or arguments that the program accepts. If App$ is the name of a file with an extension specific to an installed application (.DOC for a Word document, for example), the statement starts the application and loads that file.

Window_Style specifies how the window containing the program should appear, as follows:

   Mode     Window Type
   ----     -----------

   0        Minimized window; default
   1        Normal window
   2        Minimized window (for Microsoft Excel
            compatibility)
   3        Maximized window
   4        Deactivated window

Example

Shell "C:\EXCEL\EXCEL.EXE",2    Starts Microsoft Excel and minimizes
            the window

MORE INFORMATION

If the application that is being shelled is not listed on the PATH statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and the full directory and path are not stated in App$, then Microsoft Word generates the error message:

   Cannot find or run application.