B4J Question How to tell windows to open a file with its default app?

[MegatenFreak]

Hello.
My app creates Word and Excel output files. Currently it works if Office is installed in the default location (I give the file address directly to jShell), but otherwise it won't.
Is there a way to send the file to Windows so it automatically opens it with the default app for that type of file?
Thanks in advance.

 

[DonManfred]

fx.ShowExternalDocument(File.GetUri(File.DirApp, "filename"))

 

[MegatenFreak]

Awesome! Thanks!
Is there by any chance a way to choose a different app that supports the file? For example, I want to open HTML files with Microsoft Word (for editing and printing). I tried renaming the html files to .doc or .docx but it didn't work.

 

[DonManfred]

Is there by any chance a way to choose a different app that supports the file?

No. You need to use jshell and start the app manually giving the correct parameters to open that file.

 

[Sandman]

I tried renaming the html files to .doc or .docx but it didn't work.

Really? I used that exact trick 15 years ago and Word cooperated nicely and opened the html file without any complaints.

 

[MegatenFreak]

Really? I used that exact trick 15 years ago and Word cooperated nicely and opened the html file without any complaints.

I guess Microsoft got smarter?
It would probably work if I set Word as the default app for html files in Windows, but I don't wanna have to do that on every client computer that uses my app.

 

[TILogistic]

I guess Microsoft got smarter?
It would probably work if I set Word as the default app for html files in Windows, but I don't wanna have to do that on every client computer that uses my app.

see:

Assoc - File extension and Type - Windows CMD - SS64.com

ss64.com

 

[Erel]

fx.ShowExternalDocument will not work in non-ui apps. A possible, Windows only, alternative that works in both types of apps:

'Windows only!
'Opens MS Excel if it is installed.
'<code>Wait For (xl.OpenExcel(FilePath)) Complete (Success As Boolean)</code>
Public Sub OpenExcel (FilePath As String) As ResumableSub
    Dim shl As Shell
    shl.InitializeDoNotHandleQuotes("shl", "cmd.exe", Array("/c", "start", $""""$, $""${FilePath}""$))
    shl.Run(-1)
    Wait For shl_ProcessCompleted (Success As Boolean, ExitCode As Int, StdOut As String, StdErr As String)
    If ExitCode <> 0 Then
        Log(StdOut)
        Log(StdErr)
        Return False
    End If
    Return True
End Sub