Help with simple xbasic code

[vantripper]

I'm a babe in the woods with Xbasic, OK with any programming language and trying to make this code work but I get errors. I want the final url to be this when launched with IE6:

http://biz.yahoo.com/p/a/a.html

f = parentform.this
a = left(symbol.value,1)
b = trim(symbol.value)
c = "c:Program FilesInternet ExplorerIexplore.exe http://biz.yahoo.com/p/"
d = "/"
e = "/.html"
f = c+b+d+a+e
sys_shell(f,1)

Many thanks

[whanigsberg]

RE: Help with simple xbasic code

I see that nobody has responded so I will point out the issues I can see bearing in mind that I have not tried this.

Questions:
-what version of the program are you using

You must certainly modify the first line which creates a pointer variable
f = parentform.this
because you later use the same letter for a character variable
f = c+b+d+a+e

The backslash is a special character, the escape character, in Xbasic so to get it you should use the expression
chr(character number)
where I have unfortunately forgotten the number. If nobody writes in to supply it look it up.

Finally you cannot just add the elements to get your string but will have to evaluate them to get the string. So instead of
f = c+b+d+a+e
you will probably need
f = eval(c+b+d+a+e)
after which you may be able to use your expression
sys_shell(f,1)
but I don't remember using a variable with sys_shell. I don't mean it will not work. I just don't remember using it in this way.

There is an article on the eval() function at learn alpha.com.

Of course, somebody has probably already written a function to do this.

Bill

[JohnZaleski]

RE: Help with simple xbasic code

A variable will work with the sys_shell command, but if you have a5v4.5 this is easier:

sys_open("http:www.dell.com")

If you are launching this from a form where your form value is something like www.dell.com then

dim urlname as c
urlname = "http:" + symbol.value
sys_open(urlname)

John

[JohnZaleski]

RE: Help with simple xbasic code

Typo: sys_open("http://www.dell.com")
rather than sys_open("http:www.dell.com")

[whanigsberg]

RE: Help with simple xbasic code

Thanks John,

I hadn't realized that urls were a registered file association but of course they are.

Bill

[vantripper]

RE: Help with simple xbasic code

Version 4.5.266 What an oversight, thanks for the help. Shuffled a few letters and this is the code that's worked so far:

f = parentform.this
a = left(symbol.value,1)
b = trim(symbol.value)
c = "c:Program FilesInternet ExplorerIexplore.exe http://biz.yahoo.com/p/"
d = "/"
e = ".html"
g = c+a+d+b+e
sys_shell(g,1)

Thanks again.