Shell - trouble with variables and quotes

**brl8** · 09-29-2010, 06:13 PM

Hello,

I'm having trouble with the Shell command from VBA.

This line of code works:

RetVal = Shell("""C:\Program Files\eQUEST 3-64\eQuest.exe"" ""C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\eQUEST 3-64 Projects\Large Office Case Study 6\BatchData.eQBatch""", vbMaximizedFocus)

But when I replace the hard coded paths with the variables, as below, it does not work and tells me "C:\Documents cannot be found" because I am not passing in any " around the parameters.

RetVal = Shell(ProgFolder & "\eQuest.exe " & ProjFolder & "\BatchData.eQBatch", vbMaximizedFocus)

How do I pass in quotes around the path and parameter, as I'm doing in the example above???

Thanks!
BRL

**MarvinP** · 09-29-2010, 07:05 PM

These quote problems are stumpers and I've spent lots of time building them incorrectly.

I've found that building a String Variable first, with all the correct values and then placing this in the call normally works.

My second hint on putting quotes in these calls is to defind a Constant called QUOTE = Chr(34) and use & QUOTE & in building your strings.

**romperstomper** · 09-30-2010, 03:42 AM

Double them as in your original:

RetVal = Shell("""" & ProgFolder & "\eQuest.exe"" """ & ProjFolder & "\BatchData.eQBatch""", vbMaximizedFocus)

**snb** · 09-30-2010, 06:31 AM

This is the way I do it:

RetVal = Shell(replace("#" & ProgFolder & "\eQuest.exe# #" & ProjFolder & "\BatchData.eQBatch#","#",chr(34)), vbMaximizedFocus)

**brl8** · 09-30-2010, 12:01 PM

Awesome! Thanks all for the great suggestions.

Here's what it took:

Quote = Chr(34)
ShellStr = Quote & ProgFolder & "\eQuest.exe" & Quote & " " & Quote & ProjFolder & "\BatchData.eQBatch" & Quote      
RetVal = Shell(ShellStr, vbMaximizedFocus)

Thanks All.