Can Labview pop-up and close non-Labview, Windows based items?

[korn8598]

I would like my Labview VI to automatically pop-up an existing Windows .doc, .txt or .pdf document or file, such as a procedure, so the operator doesn't have to. Does Labview provide a function to do this? Also, at the end of useage, I would also like a function to close the opened document. In the same vein, I know that Labview provides a function System Exec.VI to run an executable, but I need a function to close the executable at the completion of useage, which Labview does not supply. In other words, a Labview function where you input a path and name of the Window item and then it provides a user selection input which will either essentially double-clicks it to pop it up or presses the Windows exit button to close it. 

[chilly_charly]

There is an NI library with a lot of extremelly interesting Windows functions. And the Quit application is there too !

[korn8598]

Dear NI,

You sent me a bunch of .LLBs that look like they may do the job I want, but they're missing the LVWutil32.dll. How can I get that?

Mike

[daveTW]

Hello korn,
have a look at this post and try again

greets, Dave

[Dennis_Knutson]

Mike,

For something like Word, you should be looking at using ActiveX. For opening a pdf file, there is the function called Open Acrobat Manual in Help>_browser.llb.

[Matt_W1]

If you just want to open a file, there's a way using "system exec.vi".

Pass
cmd /c START "" "path to file"
To the command line input of system exec
You'll want to pass T to the minimize, so you don't see the dos box.

[falkpl]

Traditionally this is done with win 32 dlls.  You can get a window by name (the name is in the title bar) get its handle the perform operations like move, close hide show .... its too easy and the dll socumentation is sparse.  It can be done though.

[chilly_charly]

Korn, you could download the LVW32 utils from the link I gave you in my last post 😮