Opening a non TXT with Notepad in excel

[LS2021]

I have a file that i need to change that does not have a .txt but i can use notepad to open and manipulate by the open with notepad command
I have used the excel shell commend

Dim MyTxtFile
MyTxtFile = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe C:\TRUSTED DOCUMENTS\File Conversion\3123100 - HULU 5.wdp", 1)
and this will open the file inside of notepad that i can then use excel to change all the parts i need to do

but i don't want to hard code the location since it will change from project to project so i added this to do the file location

With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
If .Show <> 0 Then
OrgWdpFile = .SelectedItems(1)
End If
End With
MyTxtFile = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe" & OrgWdpFile,1)
It finds the file but when i combine the variable i get an run time error 53

why by adding the variable not work ? it has the correct syntax that i know of?
I have tried using a copy of the wdp file as a .txt and still won't work it has something to do with using a variable?
also when i use the full text path i get some random number that make no sense and it changes each time i run the code what is this number that is not getting generated when i add the variable?

Can any one help

 

[rlv01]

I think you just need to get the spacing right.

Try this.

MyTxtFile = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe " & """" & OrgWdpFile & """", vbNormalFocus)

 

[LS2021]

Hi riv01
Sorry that did not work, and i also tried different amounts of ""

 

[rlv01]

I think you are going to need to provide a little more debug info than that. Try running a special test program like this one and report back on what the variable ShellString is.

Sub Test()
    
    Dim ShellString As String, OrgWdpFile As String
    Dim MyTxtFile
    
    OrgWdpFile = "C:\TRUSTED DOCUMENTS\File Conversion\3123100 - HULU 5.wdp" '<- make sure this is correct
    
    ShellString = "C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe " & """" & OrgWdpFile & """"
    Debug.Print ShellString
    
    
    With CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
        If Not .FileExists(OrgWdpFile) Then
            MsgBox "File '" & OrgWdpFile & "' does not exist"
            Exit Sub
        End If
    End With

    MyTxtFile = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe " & """" & OrgWdpFile & """", vbNormalFocus)
End Sub

 

[LS2021]

Hi rlv01
Thanks for the quick response and the information as I was looking over what you had sent back a saw a difference where you had a empty space after the notepad.exe that i did not
and could not believe this could be the issue

this is my new line of code, i found it did not need the additional blank space after the ampersand or at the end, it now work
here is the current code

the one question I still have is what is the random number being generated that is in "MyTxtFile" variable? and what would it be used for? If you know can you let me know
First time run: 16512?

Second time run: 17364?

Appreciate the nudge in the right direction
Thanks for your help

 

[rlv01]

that i did not and could not believe this could be the issue

That's why I said spacing was the issue. There must be a space between "notepad.exe" and the name of the file you are trying to open for the Shell command to work.

the one question I still have is what is the random number being generated that is in "MyTxtFile" variable?

It is not a random number. It is the Process ID (PID) of the launched program.

 

[LS2021]

Thanks again for your help and support
I will be more aware of the syntax
do I use this number To get or send information? or it is not used for anything within my script

 

[rlv01]

You don't need to use it for anything.

 

[LS2021]

Thanks for your help