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[Don W]

Add an "external program" item to theater view menu. When the external program is run a command prompt is opened and doesn't go away until the external program is closed. If the external program is not run in full screen, then the command prompt is visible and can get in the way. Also, if the external program is left running then the command prompt never goes away. This is not the best behavior. Command prompt really should not be running but especially should not be visible.

Work around is to open external program with a batch file and set the batch file as the external program to run. In the batch file, use start command to launch the program. For example:

start "" "C:\Program Files\Program Folder\program.exe"

[yoyo09]

I use this method for launching metro apps.

[Matt]

So are you saying adding a mode like "[ ] Wait for program to finish"?  It would be checked by default and use the existing system.  If it was unchecked, it would just spawn the process but not wait for a result?

[Don W]

What does it do with the result? I suspect that it is how MC knows when to restore itself if the option to hide when program is running is checked. Is there anything else?

If you can get notified when program quits without waiting for result then I'd say use that. If the result is used for anything else, then the option you suggest might be useful.

If you must wait for result to get notified when program quits, then it might be enough to leave as is when hide option is checked but only spawn process without waiting when the option to hide is not checked.

Make sense?

[Matt]

I'm feeling my way along in this thread.

I thought you were asking for a way to launch the program and immediately have MC back running.

If that's not it, could you explain it to me?

Thanks.

[Don W]

I was just noticing that having a command prompt open and visible is not the best, especially when the external program is not full screen. Best case it is messy, un-refined. Worst case the window gets in the way of what you need to do. And if you DO intend to leave the external program running indefinitely, then the command prompt never closes. Unless you use the work-around that I mentioned.

[Matt]

Well couldn't you just set the destination program to launch directly so there isn't a command prompt waiting on it?

[Don W]

Well, yes, I would think so. But it seems that a command prompt is used internally by MC to launch whatever is set as the destination program. My guess as to why has been that it is a way to be informed when the program quits. But I don't know.

[Matt]

Well, yes, I would think so. But it seems that a command prompt is used internally by MC to launch whatever is set as the destination program. My guess as to why has been that it is a way to be informed when the program quits. But I don't know.

I don't know why we were showing the command prompt.

Next build:
Changed: Running a program from Theater View starts the batch file to run hidden.

[Don W]

I posted a bug report not long ago about the command window not showing up when target for external program is cmd.exe. You reported that as fixed. But, it seems that the command prompt has been showing since then.