How to find path to MS Word for use with SYS_Shell

[cpgood]

How can I find the path to MS Word on a local machine? Word may be installed in a different location on different machines.

I need to use sys_shell to open a Word document. I need to use sys_shell instead of sys_open because I need to control the Window Mode.

Thank you in advance for help,

CPGood

[Stan Mathews]

Re: How to find path to MS Word for use with SYS_Shell

? filefind.get_recurse("C:\\","winword.exe")
= C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\WINWORD.EXE

If you can rely on the executable being in the C:\program files\microsoft office directory this will be much quicker.

filefind.get_recurse("C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\\","winword.exe")

If you must use the first version I would suggest you do it when the startup form loads and store it in a global variable to reference elsewhere rather than finding it multiple times.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: How to find path to MS Word for use with SYS_Shell

This is what I eventually came to in order to open a specific word file on any computer with Word 2000 with much help from others. If you search my name and "Word", you will find Marcel, Stan's and others helping me through this. Make specific to your app what is in red. I imagine there is a way to adjust the mode, try playing with what I have in blue. Some number might be minimized, etc. This also works with Word 2003. I have no experience with higher versions of Word.

' get pointer to the table
	dim tm as p
	[COLOR="red"]tm[/COLOR]=table.get("main")	

' generate the document name for the current record and folder path
	dim vdoc_folder_path as C="[COLOR="red"]C:\databases\document_control"+chr(92)[/COLOR]
	dim docname as C
	docname=alltrim(vdoc_folder_path)+alltrim([COLOR="red"]tm.dc_number[/COLOR])+".doc."
	
	'set the signature for the document for the Word macro "doc_sign_stamp" to place
	dim shared vsign_stamp_text as C="JMW"
	:clipboard.set_data(vsign_stamp_text)

	' asssure the record is NOT IN READ ONLY CONDITION 
	file.attributes_set(docname,"-R")

' open the word application calling the document by the above variable 
	on error goto error_handler
	dim vmacro1 as C="[COLOR="red"]doc_sign_stamp[/COLOR]"
	dim vmacro2 as C="[COLOR="red"]doc_footer_stamp[/COLOR]"
	Dim wordApp As p
	wordApp = ole.getobject("","Word.Application")
	[COLOR="blue"]wordApp.WindowState = 2 [/COLOR]
	wordApp.Documents.Open(docname)

' Insert the stamp text created above to the end of the document calling the Word macro 
	wordApp.run(vmacro1)
	
' generate the footer and attach to the clipboard
	dim shared vfooter_text as C
	vfooter_text="[COLOR="red"]YOUR TEXT DATA TO ADD TO THE FOOTER[/COLOR]"
	:clipboard.set_data(vfooter_text)

' stamp document footer by calling the Word macro , save the document, and quit Word application
	wordApp.run(vmacro2)
	wordApp.ActiveDocument.SaveAs(docname)
	wordApp.quit()
	delete wordApp
	GOTO TERMINAL

'error handler
	error_handler:
	dim shared vstamp_error as C
	vproceed="no"
    err = error_code_get()
    vstamp_error= error_text_get(err)
    if "Microsoft Word" $ sys_id_enum()
		wordApp.quit()
	end if
	msgbox(vstamp_error)
    ON ERROR RESUME 0

TERMINAL: 
' return document to READ ONLY CONDITION
	file.attributes_set(docname,"+R")

[Finian Lennon]

Re: How to find path to MS Word for use with SYS_Shell

Two other possibilities occur to me:

(1) Set up a global variable to store the path to Word and have an xdialog that allows the user to locate Word and store the value. I used this method for a long time. There's a screenshot below. It uses ui_get_folder() in the xdialog.

(2) Use the registry to locate the path. This would require you to know which version of Word (10.0, 11.0, 12.0 etc) is being used or to write code that tests for various versions and presents an interface that allows the user to select the correct one.

The basic code is pretty simple. In the interactive window:

dim wpath as c = registry.sys_get("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Options\Programdir")
?wpath = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\"

This works in XP and Windows 7 and I'm guessing it's the same for Vista.