How to start external application from QT?

[TomASS]

Hi,

I'ld like to start external application from QT - for example "iexmplore", "outlook.exe" etc.... how can I do it? If i've wrote:

void MainWindow::on_pushButton_clicked()
{
     QString program = "iexplore";
     QStringList arguments;
 
     QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(this);
     myProcess->start(program, arguments);
     qDebug()<<myProcess->errorString();
}

void MainWindow::on_pushButton_clicked()
{
     QString program = "iexplore";
     QStringList arguments;

     QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(this);
     myProcess->start(program, arguments);
     qDebug()<<myProcess->errorString();
}

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qDebug shows me

"Process failed to start"

What i'm doing wrong?

[RSX]

Wrong path I believe.

An example of working one would be:

QString program = "C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\winmine.exe";
QStringList arguments;
QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
myProcess->start(program, arguments);

QString program = "C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\winmine.exe";
QStringList arguments;
QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
myProcess->start(program, arguments);

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[TomASS]

Wrong path I believe.

An example of working one would be:

QString program = "C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\winmine.exe";
QStringList arguments;
QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
myProcess->start(program, arguments);

QString program = "C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\winmine.exe";
QStringList arguments;
QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
myProcess->start(program, arguments);

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Yes, that's correct, but I don't known where is (for example) "outlook.exe" in any my program's users - I'm just writting "outlook.exe" in start->run and It's working - why in this case can't I write only simple "outlook.exe"?

[squidge]

Start->Run iterates through all the system paths if the executable isn't found in the current directory. You could do this yourself (the path is stored in an environment variable), but depending on what you actually want to do, the url handler may be easier.

[TomASS]

Start->Run iterates through all the system paths if the executable isn't found in the current directory. You could do this yourself (the path is stored in an environment variable), but depending on what you actually want to do, the url handler may be easier.

The path:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\

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Whith is a outlook.exe isn't in PATH in system enviroment, so:

QStringList env = QProcess::systemEnvironment();
     QString program = "outlook.exe";
QStringList arguments;
QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
myProcess->setEnvironment(env);
myProcess->start(program, arguments);

QStringList env = QProcess::systemEnvironment();
     QString program = "outlook.exe";
QStringList arguments;
QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
myProcess->setEnvironment(env);
myProcess->start(program, arguments);

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isn't work either :/

about the fact that easier use url handler, in mailto:

QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl::QUrl("mailto:tomek@tomek.pl?subject=myreport&body=seeattachment&attachment=C:\\tomek.txt'"));

QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl::QUrl("mailto:tomek@tomek.pl?subject=myreport&body=seeattachment&attachment=C:\\tomek.txt'"));

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unfortunately the attachment isn't work :/

[franz]

Also possible is

QProcess::startDetached("c:/path/to/program.exe");

QProcess::startDetached("c:/path/to/program.exe");

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[TomASS]

Also possible is

QProcess::startDetached("c:/path/to/program.exe");

QProcess::startDetached("c:/path/to/program.exe");

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As I've said

It isn't possible to known all users' path to outlook....

[squidge]

Well, you could use OLE/VBA as Outlook will register a server so it'll load when you access it and then you can have full control over it.

There's also the application registry. For example, if you were to type "outlook", you would find this:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\applications\OUTLOOK.EXE\shell\o pen\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office10\\OUTLOOK.EXE\" \"%1\""

In other words, exactly where "outlook.exe" is stored, and how to run it. There are many other applications here also, which can also be started just by typing there name into the start/run box.

[TomASS]

Well, you could use OLE/VBA as Outlook will register a server so it'll load when you access it and then you can have full control over it.

There's also the application registry. For example, if you were to type "outlook", you would find this:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\applications\OUTLOOK.EXE\shell\o pen\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office10\\OUTLOOK.EXE\" \"%1\""

In other words, exactly where "outlook.exe" is stored, and how to run it. There are many other applications here also, which can also be started just by typing there name into the start/run box.

Ok, thanks, I've a path from registry, although not the
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\applications\OUTLOOK.EXE\shell\o pen\command] (i've not a shell\open\command) only for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\Outlook.File.msg\\shell\\Open\\ command,

i've a string:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /a "c:\tomek.txt"

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /a "c:\tomek.txt"

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when I'm doing:

QString program = "\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\OUTLOOK.EXE\" /a \"c:\\tomek.txt\"";
    QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
    myProcess->start(program, arguments);

QString program = "\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\OUTLOOK.EXE\" /a \"c:\\tomek.txt\"";
    QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(qApp);
    myProcess->start(program, arguments);

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the outlook shows me:

command line argument is invalid

command line argument is invalid

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but when I paste a

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /a "c:\tomek.txt"

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" /a "c:\tomek.txt"

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in start->run It works very fine :/

[squidge]

Why the extra quotes?

'program' should just be that, "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\OUTLOOK.EXE". No escaped quotes.

If you want arguments such as "/A", then put them into the 'arguments' QStringList.

[TomASS]

Yes! You've a right! Thanks