Using FSCommand to open an Executable

[ybiDev]

All right everyone, first off, I am happy to be back here. After a 2 year stint with MM, and no longer being there, I can post on the boards again. <Whew!>

Anyways, it's been awhile since I truly had to muscle Flash into doing anything and currently, I need to do it as the company I am now with has a deadline of Tomorrow (Friday).

Basically, what I need to do from within Flash, open the exec for the PowerPoint viewer (They have a lot of things in PPT, and I have already yelled loudly about this) and then have it open a specific presentation.

I need this for a menuing interface as the one we threw together as a patch si very ugly.

Basically, I have tried a lot of different ways to pass this command.

on (release) {
fscommand (exec, "PPVIEW32.EXE");
}

Opens the application needed of course, but I need to open Presentations.PPT using the Viewer and do this using Flash.

I know it's possible to pass the command to the Viewer, I just forgot how.

Anyone Help me?

Dennis

[The Master]

Well most normal applications will accept a 2nd parameter as the filename for any program..

Knowing microsoft at office it's probaly true for powerpoint as well..

Turn your statement into a expression and use
"ppview32.exe" & Chr(9) & "somefile.ppt" (for Flash4)
or
"ppview32.exe" add Chr(9) add "somefile.ppt"

I've also been told this works
ppview32.exe/tsomefile.ppt

[ybiDev]

Well I have entered in

on (release) {
fscommand ("exec", "PPVIEW32.EXE" add Chr(9)add "Presentation.PPT");
}


It will launch the PPVIEW32.EXE piece but it still will not play the Presentation I want it to.

I tried everything you stated Master and still no dice.

Anyone else try this?

Dennis

[The Master]

Yep it's true for powerpoint or powerpnt.exe but ppview32.exe may be a different story.. I don't seem to have access to this particular executable on my system how did you generate the file?

One thing you can do for ppview32.exe is access it via the command line and type space /? this should give you a list of command line commands if it supports them

[ybiDev]

Alright, I tried to test commands to the viewer in DOS, still no dice there.

But I can pass the parameter of the presentation I want to run. so basically from my command line I can type in the following

C:\ppview32.exe presentation.ppt

this will run the desired presentation.

I try this method in Flash, still no go.

Any ideas. I know SWF Studio may solver my problem but I don't have clearance to make the purchase myself

Dennis

[The Master]

Well for one thing this line is incorrect..

fscommand ("exec", "PPVIEW32.EXE" add Chr(9) add "Presentation.PPT");

Should work.. (note here that there is a space between Chr(9) and unlike what your post reflected)

Did you make the expression a statement..??

Perhaphs this would help..
http://www.flashtools.net/tutorials/coding_in_flash.htm
(if the link fails replace http://www.flashtools.net with 216.38.42.83 the dns 48 hour changes may not be in effect all over the internet)