[Refer to Microsoft documentation.]
MS-DOS shell built-in command called with a filename that invokes the executable associated with the filename's extension. Acts about like double-clicking on a file in File explorer. Usage example from Tcl:
eval exec [auto_execok start] [list $filename]
which, if filename ends e.g. in .htm, calls up IE (if that's your default browser); Win Word for .doc, etc.
[Use in invoking browsers.]
To launch a Windows application (such as Tk) from a console application (such as Tcl) in such a way that it returns only after the subprocess has terminated, use
start /w wish83 myapp.tcl
schlenk One caveat usually found the hard way, is the simple fact, that Microsoft found it amusing to implement start differently on Win9x and on Win2k/XP. So read its documentation before you use it. Try to start something like this on W95 and W2k an see what happens:
start "c:\program files\tcl\bin\wish84" myapp.tcl
Hint (this works on W2k):
start "" "c:\program files\tcl\bin\wish84" myapp.tcl