Calling a Command Prompt to execute user defined actions

[musoguy]

I am trying to open a PDF file in a certain way through VBA by calling a command prompt. I have each individual part working, but can't put them together!

I can call the command prompt:

Call Shell("cmd.exe " & dosCmd, vbNormalFocus)

I also know the two commands I want to go in the prompt (I'd love to turn this into one command instead of two but I'm not sure how to do it, or if it is even possible plus I presume that is a question for a different forum!):

cd c:\program files\adobe\acrobat 9.0
start acrobat.exe /A "page=10=Open Actions" "M:\My Books\allegro.pdf

The DOS command opens a particular PDF (allegro) on page 10.

I cannot figure out the code however to get VBA to put the commands in the command prompt, execute them and then close the command prompt window.

To complicate things further, the PDF document and page number needs to change dependent on the values in and around the active cell when I run the macro. For example if the value in the active cell (A4) is Whistle Down The Wind. Cell B4 has the value The Vault's Of Heaven. Cell C4 has the hidden value of 5 (which is the page number for The Vaults Of Heaven). In this example the commands to go into the command prompt would be:

cd c:\program files\adobe\acrobat 9.0
start acrobat.exe /A "page=5=Open Actions" "M:\My Books\Whistle Down The Wind.pdf

So in other words I need parts of the command prompt command to be defined by the active cell when the macro is run.

Is any of this even possible?! My head is swimming just thinking about it, which I need to stop doing before I go crazy! I hope someone has a clue what I am talking about and if even a small part of it is possible!

James

 

[Sal Paradise]

A stupid method (perhaps), but one that will likely work is to add some wait statements, and use SendKeys to 'type' what you want into the shell and execute.

 

[musoguy]

Thanks for the reply Sal. Please forgive me, I am pretty new to all this. If you have a moment would you mind giving me a really short example of this to get me on my way.

James

 

[Ivan F Moala]

Look in the other thread you started concerning PDF

 

[musoguy]

For anyone else needing a solution to this, the other thread can be found at:

http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1919101#post1919101