[AccessD] Running Dir from Batch file in MS Access

[Stuart McLachlan]

On 12 Mar 2017 at 20:07, Jim Dettman wrote:

> Jack, 
> 
> I have a "waitwhilerunning" function that I can share.    All it needs
> is a windows handle,  so you can shell to a batch file if you want to.
> 

No need for a handle, just pass it the command you want to run.

Here's my standard "Wait for Shelled Application to finish" code, FWIW:

Private Const STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW& = &H1
Private Const NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H20&
Private Const INFINITE = -1&

Private Type STARTUPINFO
    cb As Long
    lpReserved As String
    lpDesktop As String
    lpTitle As String
    dwX As Long
    dwY As Long
    dwXSize As Long
    dwYSize As Long
    dwXCountChars As Long
    dwYCountChars As Long
    dwFillAttribute As Long
    dwFlags As Long
    wShowWindow As Integer
    cbReserved2 As Integer
    lpReserved2 As Long
    hStdInput As Long
    hStdOutput As Long
    hStdError As Long
End Type

Private Type PROCESS_INFORMATION
    hProcess As Long
    hThread As Long
    dwProcessID As Long
    dwThreadID As Long
End Type

Declare Function WaitForSingleObject Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hHandle As Long, ByVal 
dwMilliseconds As Long) As Long

Declare Function CreateProcessA Lib "kernel32" (ByVal lpApplicationName As Long, ByVal 
lpCommandLine As String, ByVal lpProcessAttributes As Long, ByVal lpThreadAttributes As 
Long, ByVal bInheritHandles As Long, ByVal dwCreationFlags As Long, ByVal lpEnvironment 
As Long, ByVal lpCurrentDirectory As Long, lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, 
lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Long

Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long

Public Sub ShellWait(Pathname As String, Optional WindowStyle As Long)
On Error GoTo Err_Handler

   Dim proc As PROCESS_INFORMATION
   Dim start As STARTUPINFO
   Dim ret As Long
   
   ' Initialize the STARTUPINFO structure:
   With start
      .cb = Len(start)
      If Not IsMissing(WindowStyle) Then
         .dwFlags = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
         .wShowWindow = WindowStyle
      End If
   End With
   ' Start the shelled application:
   ret& = CreateProcessA(0&, Pathname, 0&, 0&, 1&, NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS, 0&, 0&, 
start, proc)
   ' Wait for the shelled application to finish:
   ret& = WaitForSingleObject(proc.hProcess, INFINITE)
   ret& = CloseHandle(proc.hProcess)

Exit_Here:
   Exit Sub
Err_Handler:
   MsgBox Err.Description, vbExclamation, "E R R O R"
   Resume Exit_Here
    
End Sub