Help with external_cmd()

[Wanderer]

SlickEdit 12.0.3, WinXP

I'm having trouble formatting the command to pass to external_cmd().

I want to launch and external file and pass the current buffer's filename on the cmd line.
I suspect the program path/name needs to be quoted, since it is in 'c:\program files\'.

'\"c:\program files\doit.exe \" :+ p_buf_name '   

Any suggestions for how to create the command string?
Thanks.

[hs2]

This should do:

Code: [Select]

   _str cmdline = "D:\\path\\to\\exe" :+ " " :+ maybe_quote_filename (p_buf_name);
   shell (cmdline,"AP"); // or sth. else
HS2

[Wanderer]

Thanks, but no joy.

Code: [Select]

_str cmdline = "C:\\Program Files\\XML Notepad 2007\\XmlNotepad.exe" :+ " " :+ maybe_quote_filename (p_buf_name);
 message("Launching " :+ cmdline);
 pushToClipboard(cmdline);
 r = shell (cmdline, "AP"); // or sth. else
 message("Result " :+ r);
Here's the command line, from the clipboard:
C:\Program Files\XML Notepad 2007\XmlNotepad.exe "C:\Program Files\SlickEdit 2007\macros\cbmacros.e"

Nothing is launched; r = -2007.

[hs2]

Ok - missed to quote the tool filename too:

Code: [Select]

_str cmdline = maybe_quote_filename ("D:\\path\\to\\exe") :+ " " :+ maybe_quote_filename (p_buf_name);
HS2

[jbhurst]

BTW,

Did you know that if you use single quotes for strings you don't need to escape your backslashes? I think this would work too:

Code: [Select]

_str cmdline = maybe_quote_filename ('D:\path\to\exe') :+ " " :+ maybe_quote_filename (p_buf_name);

John Hurst
Wellington, New Zealand

[hs2]

John is right - of course. This would make it more readable too.
You'd need double quotes if dealing with strings containing single quotes or you need to single quote the single quote:

Code: [Select]

"'"  // 1 (double quoted) single quote string
'''' // 1 (single quoted) single quote stringMy 2ct, HS2