ShellExecute() is an API wrapper around the Windows API with the same name. Using ShellExecute() you can:

• Open Web URLs
• Open files by filename in their associated application
• Open local folders in Explorer
• Open Application Protocol Handlers
• Open OS applications that are on the OS path without a path

Here are some examples:

ShellExecute("https://west-wind.com")     && opens in Web Browser
ShellExecute("c:\temp")                   && opens folder in Explorer
ShellExecute("c:\temp\test.pdf")          && opens PDF in PDF viewer
ShellExecute("skype:8083215555")          && Opens Skype
ShellExecute("markdownmonster:untitled")  && Opens associated application
ShellExecute("code")                      && Opens VS Code (if installed)

ShellExecute can also execute commands with a complex commandline. Unlike the RUN command ShellExecute() works with long filenames or filenames with spaces in them.

ShellExecute("c:\Program Files (x86)\Markdown Monster\mm.exe", ;
             "OPEN","c:\temp",; 
             ["c:\temp\Getting Started With MM.md" ".\test.md"])

For command line execution you might find ExecuteCommandline() a little simpler as you can write it the same way as you would from the Terminal as a single line:

ExecuteCommandLine([c:\Program Files\Markdown Monster\mm.exe "c:\temp\Getting Started With MM.md"])

o.ShellExecute(tcUrl, tcAction, tcDirectory, tcParameters)