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Run a windows program from a web/mobile app

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    #1

    Run a windows program from a web/mobile app

    At different times while reading forum messages and the documentation, I had seen the sys_shell function referenced and had kept it in the back of the mind.

    So when someone at work asked me if I could run an Access macro from a web/mobile app., I said "Sure! I should be able to do that".

    I created my UX and my Xbasic function that calls sys_shell. It worked great in the Chrome Live Preview on my development machine (running through Chrome Live Preview means it is a web app, no?).

    Anyway, once I was ready, I published it to my application server (IIS version) and came to discover that sys_shell isn't running through that setup. I know the Xbasic function is being called because I also do some save_to_file() calls in order to write some "log" entries. I also get the expected javascript alert that I configured for the completion of the Ajax callback.

    So.... I read the documentation a little more and find at the bottom of the sys_shell page: Limitations Desktop applications only. But I was developing a UX and not a Runtime app (Desktop app = Runtime Engine app to me).

    Anyway, do I need to throw my work out? Will I never be able to use sys_shell if trying to run it through IIS?

    Any other "out-of-the-box" ideas? For instance, maybe I can call a node.js service that then does basically the same thing as sys_shell?
    Last edited by jgrannis; 09-27-2017, 10:01 AM.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Run a windows program from a web/mobile app

    I was pointed in the direction of the IIS migration documentation:
    https://www.alphasoftware.com/docume...ion/index.html

    There is a point in the doc about sys_system:

    "If an external program is run using sys_shell(), it may need to be changed to use sys_shell_result() or use the Helper::ShellProcess object instead:

    dim sp as Helper::ShellProcess = Helper::ShellProcess::Create(" path", "-e")
    sp.waitUntilTerminate()
    "

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Run a windows program from a web/mobile app

      An update to this if anyone is interested.
      Helper::ShellProcess did the trick but IIS launches the program under the operating system session "0" and if the program has a UI involved, you probably won't have a functioning instance of the program that you are trying to launch.
      To get around this, I created a Windows task in the Task Scheduler (but didn't actually give it a schedule) that will launch MS Access.
      So then I used Helper::ShellProcess to launch the Windows command "SCHTASKS" which immediately runs the task that launches Access.

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