help shellout
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Title

    shellout -- Opens documents and their programs from inside Stata.


Multiple Syntax

    shellout application [, cd]
    where application is the name of a software application to be opened.

    shellout [using] filename [, cd]
    where filename takes the form of a document with a known extension, such
    as .doc, .do, .dta, .txt, .xls, .xml, etc.


Options
    cd should not be used, except to tell Stata that the program in question
    is located in the current directory.


Description

    shellout opens a document from inside Stata without having to specify the
    exact file path of the program. It also opens an application with or
    without specifying a file document to be opened.

    shellout is a shell wrapper designed for Windows XP/NT. Unlike shell,
    implements a nested DOS command. The DOS Window is told to close itself.

    shellout was originally written to accompany outreg2 for automatic
    opening of non-Stata documents.


Examples

    shellout wsestata.exe
    shellout using myfile.xml
    shellout using "c:\myfolder\myfile.doc"
    shellout myfile.xml
    shellout me.do

    The first line will open another Stata executable.
    The second line will open a document named myfile.xml in Excel.
    The third line will open a document named myfile.doc in Word.
    The fourth line will do the same thing without invoking the "using"
    syntax.
    The fifth line is the equivalent of -do me- in another Stata executable,
    or was it -run me-....


Parameters

    A parameter is any value passed into a batch script. shellout will work
    with parameters in the following examples (assuming you have Stata SE)

    shellout shellout wsestata.exe shellout wsestata.exe shellout
        wsestata.exe
    shellout wsestata di "Bite Me"
    shellout notepad "Bite Me"

    The first line will open three Stata executables in a daisy-chain.
    The second line will open a Stata executable with a "Bite Me" message.
    The third line will open a (new) notepad file called "Bite Me".


Advanced Parameters

    You can save a batch of parameters in a file and invoke it under shellout
    much like calling upon a do-file. Learn some DOS commands if you want to
    implement it.


Author

          Roy Wada
          roywada@hotmail.com
          

Also see

         [D] Shell