Question

How to retrieve the parameters on the command prompt

Asked by: mscproj

I want to write a simple command-prompt executable files by using VB6, and then pass several parameters as well like

c:\test.ext param1 param2 param3 param4 .....

1. Which function I can use to retrieve the values of those parameters. In java, I can get from array like args[]

2. Also, there may be spaces within the parameters, say,
param2: hello world

In order to prevent wrong no. of parameters being processed, can I solve it by just putting the double quotes to embed the string "hello world"?

Thanks!

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Asked On
2002-08-27 at 21:23:11ID20343031
Tags

command

,

vb6

,

parameter

,

prompt

Topic

Visual Basic Programming

Participating Experts
2
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: Richie_SimonettiPosted on 2002-08-27 at 21:47:22ID: 7245668

you could check for Command$ statement:
for_load() ' or sub main

if command$<>"" then
   'process command line parameters
end if

here is an example from MSDN:

Function ObtenerLíneaComando(Optional MaxArgs)
   'Declara las variables.
   Dim C, LíneaComando, LonLínComando, ArgIn, I, NúmArgs
   'Ver si MaxArgs está.
   If IsMissing(MaxArgs) Then MaxArgs = 10
   'Crea una matriz del tamaño correcto.
   ReDim ArgArray(MaxArgs)
   NúmArgs = 0: ArgIn = False
   'Obtiene los argumentos de la línea de comandos.
   LíneaComando = Command()
   LonLínComando = Len(LíneaComando)
   'Recorre la línea de comando carácter a carácter
   'a la vez.
   For I = 1 To LonLínComando
      C = Mid(LínComando, I, 1)
      'Comprueba espacio o tabulación.
      If (C <> " " And C <> vbTab) Then
         'Ningún espacio o tabulación.
         'Comprueba si está en el argumento.
         If Not ArgIn Then
         'Empieza el nuevo argumento.
         'Comprueba para más argumentos.
            If NúmArgs = MaxArgs Then Exit For
            NúmArgs = NúmArgs + 1
   ArgIn = True
            End If
         'Concatenar el carácter al argumento actual.
         ArgArray(NúmArgs) = ArgArray(NúmArgs) & C
      Else
         'Encontró un espacio o tabulador.
         'Establece ArgIn a False.
         ArgIn = False
      End If
   Next I
   'Redimensiona la matriz lo suficiente para contener los argumentos.
   ReDim Preserve ArgArray(NúmArgs)
   'Devuelve la matriz en nombre de la función.
   ObtenerLíneaComando = ArgArray()
End Function


 

by: ryancysPosted on 2002-08-28 at 01:04:47ID: 7245892

If not wrong the double quote in VB is equavalen to Chr$(34), so you can do it like this:

param1 = Chr$(34) & "1" & Chr$(34)
param2 = Chr$(34) & "2" & Chr$(34)
param3 = Chr$(34) & "3" & Chr$(34)
param4 = Chr$(34) & "4" & Chr$(34)

Shell "c:\test.exe " & param1 & " " & param2 & " " &  param3 & " " & param4

Then you can use the CommandLine function as mentioned above.

Example, in the test.exe's Form Load Event:

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim tmp As String, tmpArr() As String
    tmp = Commandline
    If tmp <> "" Then
        Erase tmpArr
        tmpArr = Split(tmp," ")
    End If

    'Then here try to get compare the value like:
    If UBound(tmpArr) = 3 Then
        txtA = tmpArr(0)
        txtB = tmpArr(0)
        txtC = tmpArr(0)
        txtD = tmpArr(0)
    End if
   'Or do whatever according to the CommandLine/Argument values.
End Sub

Hope this helps too.

regards

 

by: ryancysPosted on 2002-08-28 at 01:09:53ID: 7245896

Sorry, the code above will not working will according to your question requirement.

>>tmpArr = Split(tmp," ")
This line will return error array.

A solution is tried use a unique separator to pass your argument.

Example:

param1 = Chr$(34) & "1" & Chr$(34)
param2 = Chr$(34) & "2" & Chr$(34)
param3 = Chr$(34) & "3" & Chr$(34)
param4 = Chr$(34) & "4" & Chr$(34)
Separator = ":::"

Shell "c:\test.exe " & param1 & Separator & param2 & Separator & param3 & Separator & param4

then use tmpArr = Split(tmp,":::").

If you insist to use " " as the separator, then we need to do some coding to determine the arguments.

regards

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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