Run a Citrix App

[Guest]

Hi,

We have some applications that run on a Citrix server. I would like to run
one of them, a reporting app, from within a VB.net application.

If I log into the Citrix server with remote desktop, I can type a command
line that will do what I want. My VB.net application is not on that Citrix
server. I'm afraid that if I map a drive to the Citrix box and shell out to
the reporting app that I'll take it over -- that is, my use of the
application won't be managed by Citrix.

I normally access the reporting app by running a "Citrix Neighborhood" on my
desktop. The app is publised there and I can click on it and run it.

Does anyone know of a way to run this in such a way that it will still be
managed by Citrix?

Thanks,

Art

 

[Peter Proost]

Hi Art, if you right click the app in your Citrix Neighborhood you can
choose Create Desktop Shortcut, if you then right click the shortcut on the
desktop you can see the shortcuts' target and the shortcut start in
directory. Next you can use this info to start up the program the same way
as citrix would by using a Process and ProcessStartinfo in vb.net

For example

Dim myProc As New Process
Dim myPsi As New ProcessStartInfo
'this is the info like it is in my desktop shortcut
'Target: "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\pn.exe" /APP
"Profelmenu" /PNI "8a0f5291"
'Start in: "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client"
myPsi.FileName = "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\pn.exe" 'First
part of the "target" part from the shortcut
myPsi.Arguments = "/APP ""Profelmenu"" /PNI ""8a0f5291""" 'Second
part of the "target" part from the shortcut
myPsi.WorkingDirectory = "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client" 'The
"start in" part of the shortcut
myProc.Start(myPsi)

hope this helps,

Greetz PEter

 

[Guest]

Peter,

Two things...

First -- why didn't I think of a desktop shortcut?
Second, and this may cancel our the first -- I've never seen any of the
stuff in your code. I'll try it out and no doubt learn a whole bunch of
useful stuff.

Thanks very much,

Art

 

[Peter Proost]

Hi the code isn't that complex if you go by it step by step

'First we declare a new Process and ProcessStartInfo, you can use
ProcessStartInfo to provide the process more info about 'what and where to
start.
Dim myProc As New Process
Dim myPsi As New ProcessStartInfo

'We provide the processStartInfo the path to the exe to start
myPsi.FileName = "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\pn.exe" 'First

'Next we provide the startup arguments for the exe
myPsi.Arguments = "/APP ""Profelmenu"" /PNI ""8a0f5291""" 'Second

'Then we pass the workingdirectory
myPsi.WorkingDirectory = "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client" 'The

'Finally we say start a process based on the processStartInfo
myProc.Start(myPsi)


Greetz Peter

 

[Guest]

Peter,

I tried your suggestion and it did successfully launch the Citrix App. I
know have a followup problem. There are 3 parameters I need to pass to the
reporting app -- user ID, password and a report file. I can do this on a
command line by:

appname.exe -user xxxx -password xxxx report.rrr

When I use the shortcut as you described, I can't find a way to do this. I
did find that I needed to change what you had sent me slightly:
myProc.StartInfo=myPsi
myProc.Start

I then noticed all kinds of methods and properties for myProc. I thought
maybe somwthing using the window handler would let me fill in the ID and
password. Although this wouldn't let me get the report name in there.

The ideal solution would be to be able to use something that looks like the
command line that I would use to start the application.

Do you have any suggestions for that?

Even if not, I want to thank you for the help you've already given me.

Art

 

[Peter]

Hi,

I won't be at work for a couple of days so I can't realy test anything,
but I think that you can specify command line parameters when you publish an
app on citrix, so I would publish the app with the parameters you need, then
again create a desktop shortcut and check it's properties to see how the
info get's passed to the app. I guess you probably need to add something to
the myPsi.Arguments = "/APP ""Profelmenu"" /PNI ""8a0f5291""" piece of code

I hope this helps, greetz Peter