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Print PDF files through VB app directly to printer and then close Adobe

I have a list box (style = checkbox) that lists different pdf files. When the command button is clicked it loops through the list box items, looking for checked items and then prints those files directly to the printer using a ShellExecute command. The ShellExecute command opens Adobe Reader. How can I close Adobe Reader after all the files have printed? The app will run on several machines all with different versions of Adobe Reader no doubt. So the answer must address this as well. Thanks.

Sub cmdPrintPDF()
 
For i = 0 To lstApplications.ListCount - 1
    If lstApplications.Selected(i) = True Then
                ShellExecute Me.hwnd, "print",  lstApplications.List(i), vbNullString, vbNullString, vbHide
    End If
Next i
 
End Sub

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ladarling

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ladarling

Corection,: that URL shows ShellExecute, you will need to use ShellExecuteEx, a good example is actually here:
http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/VC/microsoft.public.vc.mfc/2006-04/msg01244.html

MariaHalt

ASKER

This did lead me down the right track. I wrote a routine called CloseWindow. It uses the API calls FindWindow and PostMessage to close the Adobe Reader window.

Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long

Declare Function PostMessage Lib "user32" Alias "PostMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long

Public Const WM_CLOSE = &H10

Sub CloseWindow(ByVal strWindowName As String)
Dim lngWindowHandle As Long

lngWindowHandle = FindWindow(vbNullString, strWindowName)

If lngWindowHandle <> 0 Then
'Close the window
PostMessage lngWindowHandle, WM_CLOSE, 0&, 0&
End If

End Sub

Sub cmdClick()

CloseWindow ("Adobe Reader")

End Sub