Sys_shell Command

[steve745]

I'm not sure what is happening here but when i try to run a shell command from alpha i get argument is invalid data type

'Get 'Value' property of 'Field1' in Form 'diallist' .
DIM SHARED dial AS c
dial = parentform:Field1.value

'Execute inline Xbasic code.
sys_shell(x-lite.exe -dial=sip:9+Var->dial)

trying to make a click to dial setup

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Note the first parameter is specified as

Program_Name [ argument1 ... argumentN ] as C

When you see as C think quoted character string.

Try

sys_shell("x-lite.exe -dial=sip:9"+quote(var->dial))

or similar.

[steve745]

Re: Sys_shell Command

hmm m this is what i get
Script:OnFetch line:13
sys_shell("c:\x-lite -dial=sip:9"+quote(var->dial))
Out of memory
path was set in windows

[steve745]

Re: Sys_shell Command

or if i can get something like open url sip:9 var->dial
i tried to use the open url but had no luck any other ways anyone canthink of

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Sys_shell Command

I find the syntax confusing. Why are you using the same name for the function to dial as well as the name for the number to dial? Suggest you grab the text (not the value) from Field1, and then store it in a variable with a different name than dial.

[steve745]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Made the change you suggested tom but i still get \
Script:OnFetch line:13
sys_shell(xlite -dial=sip:9+var->sipcall)
Argument is incorrect data type
I tried to tinker with conver_type() last night but was getting no where... Do you think it could work here and how could i fire it.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Have no clue how xlite works. It's likely the problem is how you are framing the arguments.

for example sys_shell() is expecting a character string and you've left off the quotes.

what might xlite be expecting?

a useful technique for unscrambling this is to figure out how to do it without using variables. i.e. use literal strings. then substitute in the variable for the literal string

[MikeC]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Stan (all),
Probably not a solution but I am curious as to why the use of quote(var->dial) instead of s_quote(var->dial) which I have taken as the function to use for variables?---and have found instances of just using "quote()" not working with variables.

[steve745]

Re: Sys_shell Command

ok it works like this

'Get 'Text' property of 'Phone' in Form 'diallist' .
DIM SHARED sipcall AS c
sipcall = parentform:Phone.text

'Open program: C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe
if file.exists("C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe") then 
	sys_shell("C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212",1)
else
	ui_msg_box("Error Opening Program","File 'C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe' does not exist.",ui_stop_symbol)
end if

That is straight phone # i just can't figure out how to put the var.. after dial= i need 9 there first to get the outside line

[steve745]

Re: Sys_shell Command

s_quote() worked

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Stan (all),
Probably not a solution but I am curious as to why the use of quote(var->dial) instead of s_quote(var->dial) which I have taken as the function to use for variables?---and have found instances of just using "quote()" not working with variables.

S_quote() is always proper. S_quote is useful when constructing filters with date variables especially.

Since the initial post indicated

DIM SHARED dial AS c

then quote() should be sufficient.

tst = "abc"


? "somefilterhere = "+quote(var->tst)
= somefilterhere = "abc"

? "somefilterhere = "+s_quote(var->tst)
= somefilterhere = "abc"

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Steven, how about showing us the final expression?

Thanks.

-- tom

[MikeC]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Stan,

then quote() should be sufficient

As it did not work in Steve's case could you explain why? There must be some subtlety I do not know about that allows quote() to work most times with a variable but not all the time....almost a moot point really as I tend to use s_quote always when dealing with a variable but always nice to gain a few more bits of information.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Mike,

I'm not sure whether we were/are working with a character string.

Since this worked
sys_shell("C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212",1)
it seems that the "dial" variable doesn't need to be quoted in the first parameter.

dial ="5551212" 'AS CHARACTER

? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212"
= "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212"

? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="+"5551212"
= "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212"

? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="+var->dial
= "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212"

[COLOR="Red"]? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="+quote(var->dial)
= C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="5551212"

? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="+s_quote(var->dial)
= C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="5551212"

equivalent and incorrect[/COLOR]

dial = 5551212 'AS NUMERIC

? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="+var->dial
= "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212"
[COLOR="Blue"]'Alpha automatic data conversion when concatenating[/COLOR]


[COLOR="red"]? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="+quote(var->dial)
ERROR: Argument is incorrect data type[/COLOR]
'quote() is improper due to data type

? "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial="+s_quote(var->dial)
= "C:\Program Files\CounterPath\X-Lite\x-lite.exe -dial=5551212"
's_quote() handles multiple data types

[MikeC]

Re: Sys_shell Command

Thanks for the explanation Stan....always nice to put a little more understanding into my head!! :) I'll get there eventually (or at least plan to!).