Difference between Run() and ShellExecute()

Question

I want to execute something in a shell/terminal on Windows via AutoIt. And I know that there are two ways of doing it. For example:

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & $myCommand, "", @SW_HIDE)
;and
ShellExecute($myCommand)

I don't understand the difference; both functions will do what I want, but what's behind them? Which pros and cons do they have?

Answer 1

Run() is used to fire off executable files only. It requires the full path of the program.

ShellExecute() also accepts content files like .txt, .htm and .docx and will start the executable associated with it. The verb option can be used to control what action to perform on the file. It utilizes the Windows ShellExecute API.

References:
AutoIt Wiki - FAQ - How can I run something that is not an exe file…