Program Launch

The Program Launch command instructs the macro to start a specific program. If the program cannot be found, the macro terminates. This option may not display the launched program on top of other programs currently running. To ensure that the program window opens at program launch, use the Launch Program and Activate Window command.

Script Editor > Expand Windows/Programs Category > Program Launch

Program

Program/Path Name

Enter the complete file path and program name (typically a .exe file). Or click on the Browse button to search for the program desired. Select programs listed in the Start menu or from a list of processes running on the computer. If the program is not found, then click on the Browse button of the Select a Program window to access all programs on the computer. 

üNote: Any type of file extension that has been defined on the computer may be inserted in the Program Path/Name field. As long as there is a file type association set up in Windows for that particular file type, the corresponding program will be loaded and the document specified will be opened. For example, if you insert C:\My Documents in the file path, and .doc files are associated with Microsoft Word, then Microsoft Word will start and load the test file.

Run Mode

Choose to have the program launch and either maximize, minimize, hide or display the window as it would normally at program launch. These options may not be available if the application being launched does not support them.

Program Parameters

Some programs can have values following the name of the program that can make the program behave in a specified manner. These are called Program Parameters and can be set here if desired.

Start this program in its default directory

Some programs require a specific default folder to be set before they are run. The default folder may contain the program shortcut or the program .exe file. This option allows the program to start from the default directory.

Capture Console Output

This option captures the standard output (stdout) from the launched application and places output in a variable. When using this option, the Macro Express script does not continue until the application being launched closes.

Store in variable

Select or input the variable to store the information output from the Console Application.

Advanced

Wait for _____ seconds after executing the command

This option instructs the macro to wait after executing the program. For many programs this value will simply be zero as no wait is required. For others, it may require a second or two delay. A little experimenting may be required.