Arguments for S60 3rd Ed rom-based .exe's?

[thetao]

First a disclaimer: I'm not a Symbian developer...unless Python counts. (So if you think this post belongs elsewhere, you won't hurt my feelings. I couldn't find a more general forum for Symbian "architecture".)

My company uses Intellisync Mobile Suite. Our employees carry a variety of wireless devices including several S60 3rd Ed. units...E61i's, etc. Intellisync has its own simple scripting interface, which lets me perform different operations on our devices. The "Execute Program" action has two fields, one for a program and another for an argument. Symbian (or the Intellisync client?) largely ignores the arguments, and this has perplexed me for months. Nokia's support has been helpful, but they aren't programmers either. I've also been bugging the Python PyS60 developers. See this Sourceforge ticket and the attachments.

I can run basically any application I want through Intellisync: C:\sys\bin\Python.exe, C:\sys\bin\YuccaBrowser.exe, Z:\sys\bin\Notepad.exe, Z:\sys\bin\MusicPlayer.exe, etc. but without arguments. I noticed recently that the arguments field actually does something, as launching Z:\sys\bin\ImageViewer.exe with no argument locks up the application (!) on an E61i with the last firmware. With an argument, the application never starts, but triggers an OS Error -28 (invalid path).

The problem is that as a non-developer, I have no idea in what form to supply arguments to these programs, or even if the programs support arguments. I was originally just trying to run Python scripts (I'm aware of Ensymble), but would like the opportunity to do this for programs like ImageViewer and MusicPlayer, too. Previously, everyone including Jukka Laurila suggested that C:\sys\bin\python_launcher.exe should launch a non-graphical .py script this way. But nothing works, which points to an Intellisync bug. (And the logs from an Intellisync "debug" client were inconclusive.) Before I contact Intellisync TAC again, could someone here give me the names of a few .exe's that definitely do take arguments and the form those arguments should take? Or if you have any suggestions on how to better tackle this, or who to contact, I would really appreciate the help. This problem has been dragging on for too long, and I want to finally put it to rest.

Thanks in advance!

Todd

[wizard_hu_]

I am not sure where your problem stems, in Symbian C++ it is possible to pass command-line arguments when you start an application, both RProcess::Create and RApaLsSession::StartApp supports that.

[thetao]

I am not sure where your problem stems, in Symbian C++ it is possible to pass command-line arguments when you start an application, both RProcess::Create and RApaLsSession::StartApp supports that.

Thanks for the reply! I don't expect anyone here to solve this. That's up to the Intellisync developers. But do you have any way to determine if programs like Z:\sys\bin\ImageViewer.exe are supposed to take an argument, and without needing any strange formats? I was even trying things like escaping backslashes (\\) and adding extra quotes. But if ImageViewer.exe expects a special switch like (for example)

Z:\sys\bin\ImageViewer.exe -file C:\Data\Images\Picures\IMAGE_001.jpg

I would never, ever be able to guess that. I assume this is not how Symbian works? If nothing else, can you point me to online documentation for those two API calls? Maybe that will give me some clues?

Thanks again!

[ltomuta]

Nokia's support has been helpful, but they aren't programmers either.

Hmm, I don't know how to take this one :) Was that the Forum Nokia Technical Support service that you have used?

Applications can certainly receive parameters but not all of them are expecting any. You should only send parameters to those applications which are indicating through documentation that they can handle parameters and document which/what those parameters can be.

[wizard_hu_]

Have you actually succeeded in starting a program (any, without arguments)? For example I am not sure if z:\sys\bin\ is necessary, at least the API-s do not require that (as I remember, they do not work if drive and path is specified).