如何正确地从Delphi7打开.bat文件（例如，打开RandomApp.exe）？

Question

I've searched a lot and I don't quite find the correct answer.

Directory:

• Project (This folder contains the delphi code and a folder called "RunThis"

  • RunThis

    • RandomApp.exe
    • Run.bat
    • Config.txt

Run.bat code

start %cd%\RandomApp.exe
pause

Delphi 7 (Executes this code on the click of a button.)

ShellExecute (application.handle, 'open', 'cmd', PChar('cmd.exe /c RunThis\Run.bat'), nil, SW_MAXIMIZE

If I don't add the 'cmd.exe /c' part for the directory, Delphi will open a cmd without any of my code. Similiar to if one had to run cmd.exe .However, if I add the 'cmd.exe /c', then it opens the Run.bat correctly.

Windows the gives me this error: Windows cannot find 'C:\\Project\\RunThis\\RandomApp.exe' .Make sure you typed the name the name correctly, and then try again.

What's funny about this is that if I just double click on Run.bat, it excutes perfectly. However, when I open it through Delphi it gives me this error. I thought maybe the Run.bat current address had a problem. So Instead of saying:

start RandomApp.exe

I used the full current directory instead:

start %cd%\RandomApp.exe    

Just to add, when I got Delphi 7 to just open the program directly such as:

ShellExecute(Handle, 'open', PChar('RunThis\RandomApp.exe'),null, null, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ;

The program gave me an error that it couldn't find "Config.txt". RandomApp.exe uses a text file that stores all its settings.

Again, if I simply click on Run.bat or RandomApp.exe, they both execute perfectly. The problem is when I try to open it with code. I have the feeling that it has to do with the directory but I don't know well.

Thank you very much.

PS: Running Windows 10.

Answer 1

Don't rely on relative paths, always use absolute paths.

RandomApp.exe is likely using a relative path to find Config.txt , but when you run it from your app, the current working directory is your project folder, not the RunThis folder. That is why RandomApp.exe can't find the file. So pass the correct folder to ShellExecute() , eg:

var
  Folder: string; 
begin
  Folder := ExtractFilePath(Application.ExeName)+'RunThis\' ;
  ShellExecute(Application.Handle, nil, PChar(Folder+'Run.bat'), nil, PChar(Folder), SW_MAXIMIZE);
end;