VBA Shell Command Assistance Needed

[js0873]

I'm trying to execute a command line command from within VBA to combine PDFs. I have a tool called pdftk that'll take 2 input files and combine them into one. It has a command structure of:

pdftk "input file1" "input file2" output "output file"

Here's an example of one that works just fine from a command window:

pdftk "F:\Donor Central\Scripts\Joel's COE Test Folder\LC-SJL1046.pdf" "F:\Donor Central\Scripts\Joel's COE Test Folder\LC-SJx1046.pdf" output "C:\_My Files\_My OCCF Files\SugarSyncTemp\combinedx.pdf"

Now for the VBA code and my frustration:

This works fine as well:

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But when I want to use variable substitution I can't get it to work at all: Here's my code:

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If I look at the variable ZZ in the immediate window it looks the same as what's in the Shell command, yet it doesn't work.

It would be great if I could pause the DOS command window after the command executed to see what's wrong, but even when I do a Call Shell it executes and immediately flashes away. Is there a way to stop the command window from closing so fast?

Really, my question is, what's wrong with my variable substitution and why won't it work? I sure would appreciate the help.

[cytop]

You can use the '/K' parameter to keep the DOS box open after the command completes.

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Plus, if there is more information than can be viewed on a single screen, piping it through MORE will pause when the output fills the screen, you press any key to continue.

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I'm passing on your double quote query - too late to make sense of """""'s & """'s

[js0873]

You can use the '/K' parameter to keep the DOS box open after the command completes.

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Plus, if there is more information than can be viewed on a single screen, piping it through MORE will pause when the output fills the screen, you press any key to continue.

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I'm passing on your double quote query - too late to make sense of """""'s & """'s

Hmm. I thought I replied to this yesterday but I don't see it now. Anyway, here goes:

The Shell Environ$("COMSPEC") & " /k" enabled me to get further along and at least see the errors my command was producing so I could fix my code, so thanks. However, I couldn't see anything but the errors. It didn't echo my command like I would have expected. In fact, once I got it working all I saw was 2 C prompts in the command window. One for it begging and another after my command had ended. how do I get it to echo my commands?

My problem with my code was that I didn't need double quotes around my specifications when using variable substitution, like I need when just specifying it in the command itself. The variable substitution has already occurred so I needed the command just as I would type it in the command window myself at that point.

[cytop]

I can't say how you would do that as I don't have PDFtk. However, the help page for the command line facility does mention

By default, pdftk runs quietly. Append 'verbose' to the end and it will speak up.

https://www.pdflabs.com/docs/pdftk-m.../#dest-verbose

[js0873]

Thanks. That gives me the results of the command as it runs, but it still doesn't echo the command itself. That's the part I'd want to see if my command is formatted incorrectly like it was.

[cytop]

Sorry, I misunderstood.

Taking the 2nd block of code in post #1 as an example

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That prints a mess of doubles quotes and leaves the DOS box open for you to enjoy.

[js0873]

Interesting. That gets me what I originally wanted and shows me my command, but for some reason adding verbose to the end of the command now doesn't work. If I eliminate echo it works and shows me everything but the command I issued itself, but with echo verbose doesn't work.

[cytop]

Just one of those things, I guess - but it seems your initial query is on the way to being resolved?

[js0873]

Just one of those things, I guess - but it seems your initial query is on the way to being resolved?

Yes. I now know how to get one or the other. I'll mark this as solved and give you credit.

[cytop]

Again, popping back to your initial post - personally I have always found multiple " marks to be as confusing as hell. There is another way to do it, which I find a lot easier to follow, and that's to use the CHR() function to insert a double quote in a string.

Something like

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As you can see the executable name is a simple string, The Chr(34) adds a double quote and the 1st file name is simply quote delimited as normal and is followed by another Chr(34). Same for the second file but note the space between the 1st & 2nd file must be inserted outside the calls to the Chr() function.

Am only mentioning this now as I didn;t want to confuse the thread with another way of doing it.

Above as an example only. It may work but is obviously not tested.

[js0873]

Again, popping back to your initial post - personally I have always found multiple " marks to be as confusing as hell. There is another way to do it, which I find a lot easier to follow, and that's to use the CHR() function to insert a double quote in a string.

Something like

Please Login or Register  to view this content.

As you can see the executable name is a simple string, The Chr(34) adds a double quote and the 1st file name is simply quote delimited as normal and is followed by another Chr(34). Same for the second file but note the space between the 1st & 2nd file must be inserted outside the calls to the Chr() function.

Am only mentioning this now as I didn;t want to confuse the thread with another way of doing it.

Above as an example only. It may work but is obviously not tested.

I agree. That makes things a lot simpler and easier to follow. Thx.