c++ calling ShellExecute without specifying path

Question

i got a file name that is predefined as a string. can i call shellexcute without specifying the full path? like:

ShellExecute(NULL, L"open", PreDefiendFileName, NULL, NULL, 0);

what should i do otherwise if not?

Answer 1

You could:

1. Fail gracefully: let the user know that the file could not be found and halt the program.
2. Use a default file that you *know* is there, and inform the user that you are using the default file.

I'd encourage you to think defensively about this problem. Eg ensure that the file name that is passed is actually a file ("does it have the correct extension?", "does it exist in the file system?") and then only call the ShellExecute function if those checks pass.