You have at least three issues here.

1. @AsynchShell won't do what you want.
2. The OS will stop you from renaming the file while it is open in another program.
3. Use @Chr(34) instead of a backslash and quote.

You can trick Sesame by using double quotes where you want a quote to appear inside of a string. So, something like this will actually work, but is not recommended:
n = @Shell("ren ""orig name.pdf"" ""new name.pdf""")

You really should use something like this:
@Shell( "ren " + @Chr(34) + "orig name.pdf" + @Chr(34) + " " + @Chr(34) + "new name.pdf" + @Chr(34) )

(BTW, a benefit of using @Shell is that it will return a "0" if it is successful, and a "1" if it is not.)

Ok I realize I still need to put sbasic  logic in to make sure there is an Id before continuing and  that the done directory does not already contain a file of the same name. however the below code seems to work well (at least in some quick tests) to pop up file selection, rename file, move file to different directory and then open the file.  Ray you are correct about why it was  important for me not to use re-direct,  because the users have dual screens so when the pdf is opened it opens on 1 screen and the user enters information into sesame app on the other that they are reading from the pdf.

Thanks again Carl and Ray for the help!

var Vresult as string
Var m as int
Var n as int
var Vrname as string

// pops up selection of pdf files in directory and Variable holder for file selected
vresult = @localfiledialog("choose a Script to work with", "*.pdf")

// Sets the name to use during renaming, moving and displaying pdf
vrname = (PatientId + "script.pdf")


// sets an element to original file chosen so a record of original file can be added to history
scriptnameChosen = (vresult)

// Renames pdf from original to new name of patient ID plus word script
n = @Shell( "ren " + @Chr(34) + vresult + @Chr(34) + " " + @Chr(34) + vrname + @Chr(34) )

// moves from script directory to done
m = @Shell( "move " + @Chr(34) + "c:\sesame\script\" + vrname + @Chr(34) + " " + @Chr(34) + "c:\sesame\done" + @Chr(34) )
     
// opens and displays the pdf
n = @AsynchShell("c:\sesame\done\" + vrname)

BOBSCOTT wrote on Sep 14^th, 2011 at 10:05pm:


Hello Robert,

Currently in 2.5.2, there is not a command to change the directory it opens from. However in the next release of Sesame, which is 2.5.3, there is a command LocalCWD() that can be used to change the directory that @LocalFileDialog() displays when opened.

-Ray