"Start in : ..."

[Hans L]

Hello:

When you want to start an app, I believe, you have a number of items in a box:

Target type
Target location
Target
Start in
Shortcut key
Run
Comment

Now, if you put a path+ .exe in "Target", should it not be optional to put something in "Start in:". I do not know, but I would want to know, what the purpose of this "Start in:" is. What I do know is that over the years, I have never had a need to put anything in "Start in:" than the path (minus .exe), so that, to me, warrants the optionality.

Thanks for an explanation and some views.

Hans L

 

[TrainableMan]

Sometimes when a program runs it has to call or read other programs or files. By giving it a target the system knows where to find the program to run but if isn't running from that folder (starting in) then it may not find it's other files.

 

[Hans L]

TrainableMan, I do not understand this. Would you kindly expand?

In this ...

Target: C:\Windows\Notepad.exe

Start in: C:\ Windows

"Start in" seems totally superfluous.

However, this case would explain the use of "Start in", but if it makes sense, I do not know why:

Target: C:\Windows\Madeup.exe

Start in: C:\ Windows\Otherfolder ?

Regards/Hans L

 

[TrainableMan]

For your notepad example it probably makes no difference ... try it and prove it for yourself just to be sure, but it also does not hurt anything to have it there.

 

[Hans L]

Understand, but I do not see in what situation the second example would be necessary. Would you car to give an example?

Thanks/Hans L

 

[TrainableMan]

Program1.exe is in folder XYZ
Subr1.dll is in folder XYZ

Program1 calls Subr1.dll

If the "start in" folder is not XYZ then Subr1.dll will probably not be found & Program1 will error out.

 

[Hans L]

So, what you are saying is that

XYZ\Program1.exe
XYZ\Subr1.dll

and when Program1.exe calls Subr1.dll, it does NOT look for it in its OWN folder XYZ, but needs the user to tell it (in the shortcut's "Start In") that Subr1.dll is in XYZ.

Thanks for the explanation, but I can only say "Remarkable!", because this would have made sense to me only if Subr1.dll was in (for example) folder ABC, so that the user needed to tell Program1.exe to call ABC\Subr1.dll.

Regards,

Hans L

 

[TrainableMan]

It goes all the way back to the days of DOS OS.

You have no way of knowing what folder you are actually in when Program1.exe is called unless you have a "start in". If the system is in C:\Windows when you run XYZ\Program1.exe then when program1 calls subr1.dll it will look in C:\Windows, not in XYZ, so the first step is always to change the active folder to XYZ.

 

[Hans L]

Now, I feel a little sheepish for not thinking of telling you that I always have Path\xxx.exe in Target. Wouldn't that make Start in unnecessary?

 

[TrainableMan]

some programs have subfolders, for example XYZ/ABC, if the main program needs something in a subfolder it can be reached using a reference such ABC\data.ini . A path may help it locate a program that happens to be called by name but not if it is in a subfolder and referenced as in my example.

I don't understand why it has you so concerned but as I said, if you don't want it then try it without it and see if it still works properly.

The norm is just to have it. I would rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.

 

[Hans L]

Simply curious. Thanks for your insight.

Hans L