VBS script with spaces in executable path

[Tyler Durden]

I'm trying to write a vbs to run vncviewer on a relative path. The following
code works, except when the path has spaces:

Dim LaunchDir, FSO, WSHShell
Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
LaunchDir = FSO.GetFolder(".")

wSHShell.Run LaunchDir & "\vncviewer.exe -notoolbar -autoscaling
myhost.dyndns.org"

Where's the error?
Any help would be appreciated.

[Joe Fawcett]

A common question, searching for shell.run spaces on Google gets you many
solutions based on quoting the path:
http://www.vandyke.com/support/crt/004.html

--

Joe Fawcett (MVP - XML)

http://joe.fawcett.name

"Tyler Durden" <ab...@antispam.org> wrote in message
news:e36RBu%23BJH...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[Tyler Durden]

I've found these solutions before, but in my example there's also a variable
and command line parameters. Tryed to correct the string, without success.

"Joe Fawcett" <joefa...@newsgroup.nospam> wrote in message
news:%23hWfYfB...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

[Al Dunbar]

Also, can you be sure that FSO.GetFolder(".") will get you the folder where
vncviewer.exe is actually located?

/Al

"Joe Fawcett" <joefa...@newsgroup.nospam> wrote in message
news:%23hWfYfB...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

[Tyler Durden]

Yes, the vbs is always in the same folder.

"Al Dunbar" <Alan...@hotmail.com.nospaam> wrote in message
news:uSpcc3FC...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[Tyler Durden]

This way it worked:

Dim LaunchDir, FSO, WSHShell
Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
LaunchDir = FSO.GetFolder(".")

LaunchDir = Chr(34) & LaunchDir & "\vncviewer.exe" & Chr(34)

wSHShell.Run LaunchDir & "-notoolbar -autoscaling myhost.dyndns.org"

Thanks!

"Al Dunbar" <Alan...@hotmail.com.nospaam> wrote in message
news:uSpcc3FC...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[James Whitlow]

"Tyler Durden" <ab...@antispam.org> wrote in message
news:e36RBu%23BJH...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

Trying changing your 'Run' line to (watch for wrapping):

wSHShell.Run """" & LaunchDir & "\vncviewer.exe"" -notoolbar -autoscaling
myhost.dyndns.org"

Also, if you are only using the 'Scripting.FileSystemObject' to get the
current directory and nothing else, you can get it from 'WScript.Shell' &
remove the instantiation of 'Scripting.FileSystemObject'

LaunchDir = WSHShell.CurrentDirectory

FYI: The '.CurrentDirectory' method is read/write, so you can use it to
change the current directory as well.

[Tyler Durden]

James, tested here and worked perfectly. And is a better solution than mine.
Thank you.

"James Whitlow" <jwhitlow...@bloglines.com> wrote in message
news:%23ZKPDgG...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[Tyler Durden]

James, just to make sure, the following is the complete script. Could it be
optimized/cleaned in any other way?

Dim LaunchDir, FSO, WSHShell

Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

LaunchDir = WSHShell.CurrentDirectory

WSHShell.Run """" & LaunchDir & "\vncviewer.exe"" -notoolbar -autoscaling
myhost.dyndns.org"

"James Whitlow" <jwhitlow...@bloglines.com> wrote in message
news:%23ZKPDgG...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[James Whitlow]

"Tyler Durden" <ab...@antispam.org> wrote in message

news:OldexvGC...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> James, just to make sure, the following is the complete script. Could it
> be optimized/cleaned in any other way?
>
> Dim LaunchDir, FSO, WSHShell
> Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
> LaunchDir = WSHShell.CurrentDirectory
>
> WSHShell.Run """" & LaunchDir & "\vncviewer.exe"" -notoolbar -autoscaling
> myhost.dyndns.org"

I personally think it looks good. Others in the group might have some
helpful comments, though.

The only things that I would do differently would be to add 'Option
Explicit' as the first line to force variable declaration and use some form
of Hungarian Notation to indicate what type your variables are (string,
integer, object, etc.). I think most people prefer 3 letter abbreviations
(ex: strLaunchDir, objWSHShell), I personally prefer 1 letter abbreviations
(ex: sLaunchDir, oWSHShell).

[Tyler Durden]

Thank you.

"James Whitlow" <jwhitlow...@bloglines.com> wrote in message

news:uBDZfgHC...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

[Al Dunbar]

"James Whitlow" <jwhitlow...@bloglines.com> wrote in message

news:uBDZfgHC...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

Personally, I mistrust the current directory and prefer to explicitly use
the directory where the script is located, i.e.:

replace( WScript.ScriptFullName, WScript.ScriptName, "vncviewer.exe")

This will give the full path to a file called "vncviewer.exe" located in the
same directory as the script itself - even if the current directory has been
changed for some reason, or is pointing elsewhere in case your script is
being executed by another script and not by double-clicking in explorer.

Some will point out that the above replace reference will fail in the event
that the path includes a folder that is a superset of the name of the
script. A more bullet-proof method would use the GetParent method of the
file system object. As an aside, it is almost always better to use the
filename parsing capabilities of FSO instead of string concatenation and
sub-stringing methods to calculate file paths.

/Al

[Michael Harris]

> Personally, I mistrust the current directory and prefer to explicitly
> use the directory where the script is located, i.e.:
>
> replace( WScript.ScriptFullName, WScript.ScriptName, "vncviewer.exe")
>
> This will give the full path to a file called "vncviewer.exe" located
> in the same directory as the script itself - even if the current
> directory has been changed for some reason, or is pointing elsewhere
> in case your script is being executed by another script and not by
> double-clicking in explorer.
> Some will point out that the above replace reference will fail in the
> event that the path includes a folder that is a superset of the name
> of the script. A more bullet-proof method would use the GetParent
> method of the file system object. As an aside, it is almost always
> better to use the filename parsing capabilities of FSO instead of
> string concatenation and sub-stringing methods to calculate file
> paths.
> /Al

I prefer to use this to sync the current directory to the running script...

shell.CurrentDirectory = WScript.ScriptFullName & "\.."

...which has worked for me 100% of the time, even with scripts executed via
UNC paths.

--
Michael Harris

[Al Dunbar]

"Michael Harris" <mikhar.at.mvps.dot.org> wrote in message
news:OYOzhvtC...@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

I hadn't thought of doing it that way, even though I do much the same in
batch files:

@echo off
cls & pushd "%~dp0"

This also works with batch scripts executed via UNC paths, however, it does
this by temporarily mapping the UNC to an available drive letter.

But that said, this would seem to depend on one's personal preference. I
have spent so much of my (vb)scripting time mistrusting (and therefore not
using) the current directory that I'm not so sure I need to adopt it now ;-)

/Al

[Tyler Durden]

Michael, I've tryed your method without success. How it should be used on my
script? Thank you.

"Michael Harris" <mikhar.at.mvps.dot.org> wrote in message
news:OYOzhvtC...@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

[Michael Harris]

Tyler Durden wrote:
> Michael, I've tryed your method without success. How it should be
> used on my script? Thank you.
>

Assuming that vncviewer.exe and the script are actually in the same
folder...

Dim WSHShell
Set WSHShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WSHShell.CurrentDirectory = WScript.ScriptFullName & "\.."

WSHShell.Run "vncviewer.exe -notoolbar -autoscaling myhost.dyndns.org"

--
Michael Harris

[Tyler Durden]

Seems to be the best solution, worked perfectly. Thank you Michael and all
the others.

"Michael Harris" <mikhar.at.mvps.dot.org> wrote in message

news:OI89cLXD...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...