Launching Betfair Trader From Excel??

[The Gambling Monkey]

Hello All,

I'm trying to launch Gary's program from excel using the following code:

Code: Select all

Sub OpenLayItBA()

    Dim ReturnValue As Double
   
    ReturnValue = Shell("C:\Program Files\Betfair Trader\BetfairTraderLauncher.exe")
    Call AppActivate(ReturnValue)

End Sub

But I keep getting this error from Gary's Betfair Trader Application:

See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The system cannot find the file specified
at System.Diagnostics.Process.StartWithShellExecuteEx(ProcessStartInfo startInfo)
at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start()
at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(ProcessStartInfo startInfo)
at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(String fileName)
at BetfairTraderLauncher.Form1.Form1_Activated(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnActivated(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.set_Active(Boolean value)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmActivate(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 1.0.5000.0
Win32 Version: 1.1.4322.573
CodeBase: file:///c:/windows/microsoft.net/framework/v1.1.4322/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
BetfairTraderLauncher
Assembly Version: 1.0.1953.25021
Win32 Version: 1.0.1953.25021
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Betfair%20Trader/BetfairTraderLauncher.exe
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
Assembly Version: 1.0.5000.0
Win32 Version: 1.1.4322.573
CodeBase: file:///c:/windows/assembly/gac/system.windows.forms/1.0.5000.0__b77a5c561934e089/system.windows.forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
Assembly Version: 1.0.5000.0
Win32 Version: 1.1.4322.573
CodeBase: file:///c:/windows/assembly/gac/system/1.0.5000.0__b77a5c561934e089/system.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
Assembly Version: 1.0.5000.0
Win32 Version: 1.1.4322.573
CodeBase: file:///c:/windows/assembly/gac/system.drawing/1.0.5000.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/system.drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualBasic
Assembly Version: 7.0.5000.0
Win32 Version: 7.10.3052.4
CodeBase: file:///c:/windows/assembly/gac/microsoft.visualbasic/7.0.5000.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/microsoft.visualbasic.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just in time (JIT) debugging, the config file for this
application or machine (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
<system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the machine
rather than being handled by this dialog.



Anyone know why?

Cheers.

[GeorgeUK]

Not sure if this is of use, but it may be the shell function not liking folders with more than one word ie "program files"

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/micros ... 73e6596563

Not sure if this is what's happening as you seem to be accessing the application.
I don't have the trader on this computer so can't test it.

It seems to be something to do with the shell function opening the trader, so i'm not sure if the above allows the dos comand to do it. Maybe also look at the ShellAPI commands.

Will try to have another look some other time, but hopefully this is on the right track.

George

[GeorgeUK]

YAAAY that was it - thank god for google

you just need this line of code

Code: Select all

x = Shell("cmd /k cd C:\Program Files\Betfair Trader&&BetfairTraderLauncher.exe")

Note - i have it as /k so you can see the cmd prompt. Change this to /c and it will close down after it has run the code.

[The Gambling Monkey]

Cheers for that George.

It doesn't work flawlessly for me as I get:

Run-Time Error '5'
Invalid procedure Call or argument.

BUT it launches the application. An On Error Resume Next statement should fix that.

Many thanks.

[Mitch]

That's good stuff George.

I have another use for this, but the application I want to start has a space in the name of the file to launch. Is there a character(s) that I can replace the space with to make it work in a command window, because as it is now it only recognises up to the space in the name and obviously says it doesn't exist. I know I could rename the app without the space (which I've tried and it works) but it would make life a lot easier if I didn't have to.

Also, I'm just curious, but how can opening BA automatically help unless you can pick and load markets automatically as well?

[GeorgeUK]

Took me ages to get this

Code: Select all

Sub test()
y = """Betfair Trader Launcher.exe"""
x = Shell("cmd /k cd C:\Program Files\Betfair Trader&&" & y)
End Sub

Not entirely sure why the double quotes before and after a quote/string makes a difference, but it seems to work.

Time for bed now
zzzzzzz

Edit: As for automatically opening the trader from excel, i think that's just for ease of use.

[The Gambling Monkey]

Mitch,

As I open a new page for each market, using SendKeys I am going to try to automatically open the trader with 18 new pages. If I can I'm also going to set the refresh rates in each to 10 seconds and tick show place market. If it works I'll post the code here (bearing in mind I am just a novice at VBA).

George,

Thanks for the code, lovely!!

Cheers

[Mitch]

The double-quotes inside single-quotes means use " rather than end the first quotes. I tried that in the long string but never thought of assigning it to its' own string first, thanks very much George.

18 pages open! No wonder the site is slow if lots of people do that! I got told I use too much bandwidth and I only use 1 page and 1 instance of the program.
I tried to use 2 pages once (admittedly both at 1 sec refresh) but it made it far too slow - about 3 sec refresh.

[a1ehouse]

Great Stuff. I always open UK Win Markets when I open BA, so now I can use this code, thanks for the tips!! Just run OpenBA from Excel, or asign it to a button

Code: Select all

Sub OpenBA()
    Shell ("cmd /c cd C:\Program Files\Betfair Trader&&BetfairTraderLauncher.exe")
    PauseMe (2)
    LoadWinMkt
End Sub
Sub LoadWinMkt()
    SendKeys "%M"
    SendKeys "S"
    PauseMe (2)
    SendKeys "{TAB} "
    SendKeys "{TAB 5} "
    SendKeys "%{F4}"
End Sub
Sub PauseMe(iHowLong As Integer)
    Dim WAIT As Double
   
    WAIT = Timer
    While Timer < WAIT + iHowLong
       DoEvents  'do nothing
    Wend
End Sub

[GeorgeUK]

So all we need to do now is put in a scheduled task to open or close the workbook when required.

This way our other macros that automatically pick the selections can be run without any user interference and our automated stoploss and greening macros will enure we make millions.

All of this can take place on the old wireless laptop we can keep under the stairs. Just let it run for a year and reap the benefits.

Or maybe i'm simplifying too much