Very Computer

I'm sure this is a FAQ, but is there a mechanism to allow a windows
program to be started from a Dos shell?  I'm sure this is a FAQ.  I
ran into something called WRUN, but that only seems to work if you
have a another (large) program running under windows

I have a Windows program which I'd like to have run from a Makefile.
Unfortunately the program uses a lib which requires a Windows executable.

This comes up occasionally, so here's one solution.  But, you need to have
the MSC 7.x compiler tools.  Since C7 needs to run various windows apps from
the PWB (a dos program), they supplied three programs that accomplish the
task.  You need to get these files from the C7 distribution:

   WXSRVR.EXE,  WX.EXE, and VMB.386

Put VMB.386 in the systems dir, and add a line to the system.ini [386enh]
section like "device=vmb.386".  Then, put WXSRVR.EXE in your windows
startup group.  Put WX.EXE somewhere on your dos PATH so commands can find
it.  You can find out the WX options by running wx with /? parameter.

To launch a windows program from a dos box, use something like:

  WX /n /a /w winhelp

which will run the windows help program.  I use MKS toolkit or DOSKEY to
set up some aliases so I can just type windows commands and have them
run.  For example, some mks aliases are:

  winhelp="wx /n /a /w winhelp"
  winword="wx /n /a /w winword"
  qpw="wx /n /a /w c:/qpw/qpw.exe"
  notepad="wx /n /a /w notepad"
  write="wx /n /a /w write"

Similar doskey macros can be written.

WXSRVR seems to launch Freecell (a win32s program) as well, so it does give
a general purpose launch vehicle.  I still use the WX* stuff under MSVC++,
so it appears they haven't trashed the capability.  I understand that Chicago
will work like NT, allowing you to launch any type of program from the DOS
command line.

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Splitting up a newsgroup is like gun control -- many people hope it will
solve problems, even when the empirical data clearly shows otherwise.

This is great, I was planning to write something like it. (But it would
have taken me some time, I would have had to learn.) I just see one
problem for myself: I just deleted C7 and installed Visual C++ instead.
It does not have these files.

Do I have to reinstall C7 on some machine just to get my hand on these
files? (If I can find the floppies again...) Would it be to much if
MicroSoft put them out somewhere (ftp.microsoft.com for example)? Just
for use while we are waiting for chicago?

Or is there any other solution to the problem?

--------------------------------------------------------------
Lennart Borgman, Astra Draco AB, Box 34, S-221 00 Lund, SWEDEN

: This is great, I was planning to write something like it. (But it would
: have taken me some time, I would have had to learn.) I just see one
: problem for myself: I just deleted C7 and installed Visual C++ instead.
: It does not have these files.

: Do I have to reinstall C7 on some machine just to get my hand on these
: files? (If I can find the floppies again...) Would it be to much if
: MicroSoft put them out somewhere (ftp.microsoft.com for example)? Just
: for use while we are waiting for chicago?

: Or is there any other solution to the problem?

: --------------------------------------------------------------
: Lennart Borgman, Astra Draco AB, Box 34, S-221 00 Lund, SWEDEN

PC Magazine published a program called 'WinStart', which should be available
on cica, which will happily sit there, and run a Windows program inside a
DOS box, just like with NT.

Stuart

Quote:>   (lines deleted...)
>PC Magazine published a program called 'WinStart', which should be available
>on cica, which will happily sit there, and run a Windows program inside a
>DOS box, just like with NT.

>Stuart

thank you very much. (I could not mail and thank you, there seems to be
something wroing with your mail address.)

--------------------------------------------------------------
Lennart Borgman, Astra Draco AB, Box 34, S-221 00 Lund, SWEDEN

Quote:>PC Magazine published a program called 'WinStart', which should be available
>on cica, which will happily sit there, and run a Windows program inside a
>DOS box, just like with NT.

>Stuart

Are the sources anywhere on the net? (There is nothing said about this
in the FAQ - or I could not find it...)

--------------------------------------------------------------
Lennart Borgman, Astra Draco AB, Box 34, S-221 00 Lund, SWEDEN

These files are not freely redistributable, so they can't be placed on
ftp.microsoft.com.  Sorry!

Phil
--
===================================================================
Phillip Cooper                 Microsoft Developer Support Services
These opinions are mine alone.  I am *not* speaking for Microsoft.

: >PC Magazine published a program called 'WinStart', which should be available
: >on cica, which will happily sit there, and run a Windows program inside a
: >DOS box, just like with NT.
: >
: >Stuart

: Are the sources anywhere on the net? (There is nothing said about this
: in the FAQ - or I could not find it...)

The source code should be included in the .zip file - if not, I guess contact
PC-Magazine for the relevant back issue.

As for a FAQ, I've never seen one for this newsgroup.  I think I've seen some
noise about there being one, which is supposed to be regularly reposted, but
not seen one.  If there isn't one, might be an idea for someone to start one.

Stuart