C++ – how to open a file (ie. .txt file) in C++ (kinda like double clicking it in windows)

c++fileiowindows

I'm wondering how I can open a file literally in C++ (like double clicking it)?

Best Solution

Provided you have the ".txt" extension registered (and text files should be associated with Notepad in a default installation, or something else if you've changed it from Explorer - you'd have to work pretty hard to disassociate them), Windows will open it for you without you having to specify the executable name:

ShellExecute (hwnd,"open","c:\\x.txt",NULL,NULL,SW_SHOW);

or, for a web page in your browser of choice:

ShellExecute (hwnd,"open","http://www.microsoft.com",NULL,NULL,SW_SHOW);