Open Application and Pass Parameters

Here is a simple Delphi procedure that takes two parameters as its input. The first input is the path of the application executable file, and the second parameter includes appropriate command-line switches for that application. The path to the executable file may be absolute, or it may simply be the executable short name of a properly installed application. Most popular software applications provide guidance regarding command-line switches that can be passed to the program. For example, see here for acceptable command-line switches for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PowerPoint Viewer, Outlook, and Access. Below are some code examples of using this procedure with command-line switches.

Microsoft Word

Each of the following two lines of code starts Microsoft Word and opens the file noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('WINWORD.EXE', 'C:\file.docx');
or
OpenApplicationPassParameters('WINWORD.EXE', '/t C:\file.docx');

The following starts Microsoft Word and opens the two files noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('WINWORD.EXE', 'C:\file1.docx C:\file2.docx');

The following starts Microsoft Word without displaying the Word start splash screen and opens the file noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('WINWORD.EXE', '/q C:\file.docx');

The following starts a new instance of Microsoft Word and opens a blank document.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('WINWORD.EXE', '/w');

The following starts Microsoft Word in safe mode.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('WINWORD.EXE', '/safe');

Microsoft Excel

The following starts Microsoft Excel and opens the file noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('EXCEL.EXE', 'C:\file.xlsx');

The following starts Microsoft Excel and opens the two files noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('EXCEL.EXE', 'C:\file1.xlsx C:\file2.xlsx');

The following starts Microsoft Excel and opens the file noted in read-only mode.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('EXCEL.EXE', '/r C:\file.xlsx');

Microsoft PowerPoint

The following starts Microsoft PowerPoint and opens the noted file.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('POWERPNT.EXE', 'C:\file.pptx');

The following starts Microsoft PowerPoint and opens the noted file in slideshow mode.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('POWERPNT.EXE', '/s C:\file.pptx');

Adobe Acrobat

The following starts Adobe Acrobat and opens the file noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('Acrobat.exe', 'C:\file.pdf');

The following starts a new instance of Adobe Acrobat (even if one is already open) and opens the file noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('Acrobat.exe', '/n C:\file.pdf');

The following starts Adobe Acrobat and opens the two files noted.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('Acrobat.exe', 'C:\file1.pdf C:\file2.pdf');

The following starts Adobe Acrobat, opens the noted file, and goes to the print dialog.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('Acrobat.exe', '/p C:\file.pdf');

The following starts Adobe Acrobat, opens the noted file, and zooms to 300%.

OpenApplicationPassParameters('Acrobat.exe', '/a zoom=300 C:\file.pdf');

This procedure is very useful when there is a desire to open an application and control its behavior/mode. The procedure eliminates the need to remember the details of the ShellExecute function (which calls the ShellExecuteA function within the Windows API). For additional Delphi code for the Windows operating system, see Useful Delphi Code for the Windows Operating System.

procedure OpenApplicationPassParameters(ApplicationPath, Parameters: String);
begin
     ShellExecute(Application.Handle, PChar('open'), PChar(ApplicationPath), PChar(Parameters), nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL);
     //references
     //https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/shellapi/nf-shellapi-shellexecutea
     //https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-showwindow
end;