Open a file with its default viewer:

The following will open a file with its default viewer. The behaviour is exactly the same as what will happen when you double click on that file in Explorer.

SHELLEXECUTEINFO lpExecInfo;

memset(&lpExecInfo, 0, sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO));

lpExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);

//name of file to open. For URL, it will be open in the default browser

lpExecInfo.lpFile = L"doc1.doc";

lpExecInfo.lpParameters = _T("");

lpExecInfo.lpDirectory = _T("");

lpExecInfo.lpVerb = _T("open");

lpExecInfo.fMask = 0;

lpExecInfo.hwnd = g_hwnd; //handle of current window

lpExecInfo.hInstApp = g_hinstModule; //handle to current executable

if (!ShellExecuteEx(&lpExecInfo))

{

//cannot run, show error here

}

Alternatively, use the following to use any program to open a particular file:

PROCESS_INFORMATION pi = {0};

if (!CreateProcess(L"notepad.exe", L"readme.txt", NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, &pi))

printf("Cannot execute process \n");

else

WaitForSingleObject(pi.hProcess, INFINITE);