vdos 2018.05.01 can'a start a windows app

[levievre]

Just tried to install last vdos update and I probably missed something since I can't start a windows app from my dos app.
Moreover %win_vdos% command in autoexec.txt does not work anymore.

Thank you for your help.
Levievre

[Jos]

Could you be more specific. You realize that starting a Windows app from your DOS app, the executable path is that of DOS/vDos not that of Windows?

You set the VDOS environment variable in the Windows command prompt, or start vDos with parameters, and the WIN_VDOS environment in vDos doesn’t reflect that?

Jos

[levievre]

My dos app and the windows app (dosprinter) are located in the same directory.

I start Vdos with a parameter : "mydosapp.bat". The file Mydosapp.bat is located in the vdos directory.

[Jos]

Normally DOSPrinter is executed by setting a printer port, see Printing.pdf. If you however want to start it from within your program: “DOSPrinter.exe” is no valid DOS 8.3 filename, you would have to use “DOSPRI~1.EXE”. Though something like LPT1 = “DOSPrinter.exe” WAIT DOSPrinter_options #lpt1.asc, and a file copy or writing to LPT1 seems a better alternative.

If you start vDos with “mydosapp.bat”: That only sets the WIN_VDOS environment variable to “mydosapp.bat”. %WIN_VDOS% should then start that, else add a PAUSE command to see what’s going wrong.

[levievre]

I did rename dosprinter.exe in dp.exe so the problem is not an unvalid filename. I choose to launch dosprinter in my app because I can change dynamically the options to either add a background image, define the margins, make a pdf or send an email (very useful app by the way).

I wonder if the problem is not related to vdos setup program. I only have 5 files in the vdos directory after installation. Do I need to install a previous version first and then update to the 2018.05.01 version ?

[Jos]

Well, DOSPrinter was once vDos external print processor. I selected it because it doesn’t need any installation and you can call it directly with parameters.

I guess you just use the wrong path to launch DOSPrinter, it has to be that of DOS, not Windows. Eventually start vDos with the log option (“…vDos.exe” /log parameters). That will create a vDos.log file, find the line where DOSPrinter/PR would have to be executed…

Note: If you want your program to wait for DOSPrinter to finish, precede the DOSPrinter command line with [WAIT] .

[levievre]

I don't specify any path to launch dosprinter since dosprinter.exe (dp.exe) and myapp.exe are in the same directory.

Mydosapp.bat does only two things :

CD myappdir
Mydosapp.exe

I will try to start vdos with the /log parameter

Thank you.

[Jos]

“CD myappdir” sets C:\myappdir as the current DOS directory. If your program doesn’t change that later on, and you don’t specify a path, DOSPrinter.exe (dp.exe) is supposed to be DOS C:\myappdir (not C:\).

The vDos log file should confirm that.

[levievre]

Problem solved by renaming dosprinter.exe in dp.exe.

Thank you.