Communicate with .exe via VBA

[LRJ]

I've seen very mixed comments elsewhere regarding the ability to communicate with a .exe file via VBA. It seems that one can use sendkeys (unreliably) to communicate with other Microsoft software (e.g. word), though communicating to engineering software .exe files does not seem possible.

Has anyone been able to develop some code to send commands to a .exe file from VBA? If so, could you share how this communication is done?

 

[IRstuff]

OLE was specifically intended to do that

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[IDS]

LRJ - did you look at the link I posted in the other thread? :

https://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/running-exe-files-from-excel/

It seems to me that it gives you everything you need to know to do what you want to do, but if it doesn't, please let me know what is lacking, or what doesn't work.

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[LRJ]

Thanks IRstuff. I'll check out OLE. I must confess, this is the first I've heard of it.

Thanks also, Doug. That's a great starting point for me.

Can all engineering software be controlled via command line functions? How does one determine what those functions are? I expect them to vary depending on the software, but if there is a way to figure it out that would be great.

 

[handleman]

Can all engineering software be controlled via command line functions?

I'm not sure the person exists who can answer this question. "All" engineering software? To answer this, one would need to know all engineering software. Quite the undertaking!

All engineering software that can be controlled via command line functions can be controlled by command line functions. However, the only way to know if your software can be controlled by command line functions is to check the documentation... help files... sometimes the "/?" switch or something. I don't know of any way to know the allowable command line arguments of any given .exe file.

What is your objective with this question? General knowledge, or do you have a specific application you're needing to get working?

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

 

[IRstuff]

"but if there is a way to figure it out that would be great."

Of course there is, you READ THE MANUAL.

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[LRJ]

Most software manuals do not contain command line codes for their software - they prefer the user to use the interface which they spend a long time creating.

I was wondering whether there was a general way to find out whether command line functions work, e.g. a standard input to try in the command line which most software would use (similar to F1 generally being help for most software on MS operating systems). I guess the best thing to do is contact the software developer.

 

[IRstuff]

DOS command line convention is /?

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