I need to write a small front-end type of program for one of my
applications.  Would I be able to write something in BASIC that would
work this way (take my input and run the other program with those
options)?  If so, what are some commands I should use? Thanks!

--
Zach Babayco

For a DOS-style menu, ala QBASIC:

DO
  CLS ' Clear screen
  PRINT "1. Start PROG with -A" ' Print menu
  PRINT "2. Start PROG with -B"
  PRINT "3. Start ABCDE with -A"
  PRINT "4. Start ABCDE with -B"
  PRINT "5. Quit"
  PRINT
  PRINT "Enter the letter of your choice: "; ' Prompt
  GOSUB DoInput
LOOP UNTIL quit > 0
END ' SYSTEM might be better

ActOnInput:
DO: i$ = INKEY$: LOOP UNTIL i$ <> "" ' Wait for key input
PRINT i$ ' Print input key
IF i$ = "1" THEN
  SHELL "C:\PROG\PROG.EXE -A" ' Execute appropriate command
ELSEIF i$ = "2" THEN
  SHELL "C:\PROG\PROG.EXE -B"
ELSEIF i$ = "3" THEN
  SHELL "C:\ABCDE -A"
ELSEIF i$ = "4" THEN
  SHELL "C:\ABCDE -B"
ELSEIF i$ = "5" THEN
  quit = 1 ' Quit the menu
END IF
RETURN

Good luck!

Brent P. Newhall
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to
succeed is always to try just one more time." -- Thomas A. Edison

Uhmm ... if you don't mind my breaking in, what can you do if you get an
insufficient memory error message? Like SHELL-ing doesn't exactly give you a
whole lot of memory to run programs with ...

B. Leung
~~~~~~~~~~
If everyone's on the bandwagon, who's going to pull?
The only way to go from there is downhill.

From: Tomas Tornevall (2:200/213)

 > For a DOS-style menu, ala QBASIC:

 > DO
 >   CLS ' Clear screen
 >   PRINT "1. Start PROG with -A" ' Print menu
 >   PRINT "2. Start PROG with -B"
 >   PRINT "3. Start ABCDE with -A"
 >   PRINT "4. Start ABCDE with -B"
 >   PRINT "5. Quit"
 >   PRINT
 >   PRINT "Enter the letter of your choice: "; ' Prompt
 >   GOSUB DoInput
 > LOOP UNTIL quit > 0

Here's a better one:

================================================================
CLS
RestartMenu:
DO
  LOCATE 1, 1
  PRINT "1. Start PROG with -A" ' Print menu
  PRINT "2. Start PROG with -B"
  PRINT "3. Start ABCDE with -A"
  PRINT "4. Start ABCDE with -B"
  PRINT "5. Quit"
  PRINT
  PRINT "Enter the letter of your choice: "; ' Prompt
PressKey = VAL(INKEY$)
LOOP WHILE PressKey = 0

IF PressKey = 1 THEN SHELL "C:\PROG\PROG.EXE -A" ' Execute appropriate command
IF PressKey = 2 THEN SHELL "C:\PROG\PROG.EXE -B"
IF PressKey = 3 THEN SHELL "C:\ABCDE -A"
IF PressKey = 4 THEN SHELL "C:\ABCDE -B"
IF PressKey = 5 THEN END ' SYSTEM might be better
CLS
GOTO RestartMenu
================================================================

//Tomas Tornevall

 * Origin: FreeWare Data/2 (2:200/213)

AR>Uhmm ... if you don't mind my breaking in, what can you do if you get an
AR>insufficient memory error message? Like SHELL-ing doesn't exactly give you a
AR>whole lot of memory to run programs with ...

Get some EMS or XMS source and dump a bunch of your data in there. Or
find a utility on the net called "SHROOM" (Shell room utility) it will
force any program to swap memory when needed.

Now if I could only remember how to set the ERRORLEVEL from Basic...

Well... in refreshing my memory, I guess I must have used the
SetLevel command in QuickPak Professional.  Not sure if you can set
the DOS ERRORLEVEL in plain QuickBasic?

See the Basic Archives FAQ at http://www.fys.ruu.nl/~bergmann/basic.html

Haven't actually tried this method out yet though.

Check around, I've seen the code here and there before.

- Len Philpot ------------------------------


web page:  http://www2.linknet.net/lphilpot/

MENU.BAT:

  \dos\qbasic /run \menu.bas
  call \menurun.bat

MENU.BAS:
  cls
  print "1. Prog -a"
  print "2. Prog -b"
  print "3. abc -a"
  print "4. abc -b"
  print "5. Quit"
  a$=""
  do while val(a$)<1 or val(a$)>5
    a$=input$(1)
  loop
  select case val(a$)
    case 1
      b$="\prog\prog.exe -a"
    case 2
      b$="\prog\prog.exe -b"
    case 3
      b$="\abc\abc.exe -a"
    case 4
      b$="\abc\abc.exe -b"
    case 5
      b$="echo Exiting..."
  end select
  open "c:\menurun.bat" for output as #1

  close #1
  system

This way, QBasic, and the menu program are unloaded from memory before
the other program is run.

Hope this helps,
Charles Clancy

------------------START.BAT------------------------
:START
MENU
GOTO START
---------------------------------------------------------------

Wite your menu program (described in messages elsewhere)
but instead of SHELL (yech!) try using the CHAIN command
or the RUN Command. Both will EXIT your program, and run
the one you choose. When they're exited, the batch file will
take back over and return you to the menu.

I wrote a BBS DoorGame with 17 smaller doors inside of
it (DoorMania) and I used the RUN command to keep
passing control from door-to-door.