Programming Forums > Application Development > C++

crawforddavid2006 · Jun 23rd, 2006, 6:09 PM

Am I able to run an executable with a c++ program? Does that make any sense?

DaWei · Jun 23rd, 2006, 6:23 PM

Yes, you are, and yes, it does. The quick and dirty way is with the "system" function. Other ways vary, according to OS. For instance, see the execl* family of functions.

crawforddavid2006 · Jun 23rd, 2006, 10:50 PM

Thanks

crawforddavid2006 · Jun 23rd, 2006, 11:13 PM

all right i need some more help with this i put in this for my code but it does not work it gives me an error

(Toggle Plain Text)

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdio>
#include <stdlib.h> 
using namespace std;

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    system("c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat");
    system("PAUSE");
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

the error is this:

(Toggle Plain Text)

'c:/documents' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

but if i put in something like this...

(Toggle Plain Text)

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdio>
#include <stdlib.h> 
using namespace std;

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    system("c:test.bat");
    system("PAUSE");
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

it works just fine. (I do have the "text.bat" in both directories) why does the first one not work?

crawforddavid2006 · Jun 23rd, 2006, 11:45 PM

does anyone know?

andro · Jun 24th, 2006, 12:00 AM

I think you need "c:\\documents and settings\\David.crawford\\my documents\\test.bat"

Jimbo · Jun 24th, 2006, 12:26 AM

it looks like it's getting messed up by the spaces in "Documents and Settings". Try escaping those... I don't remember if that worked around it or not...

v0id · Jun 24th, 2006, 12:31 AM

Like andro said you maybe needs "c:\\documents and settings\\David.crawford\\my documents\\test.bat".
It's just like when you're going in some directory, up in the addressbar the slashes isn't /, but \, but in a browser the slashes is /.
If the string had been "c:\documents and settings\David.crawford\my documents\test.bat" it will not work because that a \ indicates that there's going to be a command like \n, \t, \a etc.

grumpy · Jun 24th, 2006, 2:28 AM

You don't need to escape the spaces. You need to convince the windows command interpreter that a name can have spaces in it. The way to do that is to wrap the whole command in quotes.

For example;

(Toggle Plain Text)

    system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\"");

or (if you want to pass a parameter ABC to the batch file)

(Toggle Plain Text)

    system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\" ABC");

Soulstorm · Jun 24th, 2006, 3:12 AM

Yup, this happens in all platforms. For example, if in my terminal (unix) I type

(Toggle Plain Text)

open -a disk utility

it will not find the application, simply because it searches for the application named "disk".

if I put this instead:

(Toggle Plain Text)

open -a "disk utility"

the application will open just fine. But if I want to give this command trough the 'system()' command of C++, I will simulate the quotes with the '\"'. so the whole system() command in C++ will be like this:

(Toggle Plain Text)

system("open -a \"disk utility\"");

The error you have encountered is because of your fault in the underlying MS-DOS prompt, and not in your program exactly. The commands you enter in the system() command are the commands that are normally accepted by the MS-DOS prompt (I imagine you are using Windows.). In OS X, the equivalent of MS-DOS prompt is 'Terminal'.

Normally in my system (OS X), (I don't know if that applies for you also) in such commands in my terminal I have to use the quotes whenever an argument -such as a file path- contains spaces. That happens because when the terminal reads the command you have given, it often separates the arguments according to the spaces you have given. The quotes - in file paths and file names - force the terminal to accept every character inside the quotes as one argument and tells it not to separate each word and accept it as an argument.

Be careful. C++ programming will not be the only place where you will encounter this problem.

Now as far as your problem is concerned:

(Toggle Plain Text)

c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat

If you write that in your MSDOS command prompt, it will probably not work, because of the spaces in the file path. If you give

(Toggle Plain Text)

"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat"

it will accept it and proceed with your command. Now, you must use the same commands inside the system() function in your C++ compiler. So, to simulate the quotes, you must give this:

(Toggle Plain Text)

 system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\"");

You will probably learn more about system() command in C++ if you mess around with the Windows' command prompt.

I hope I helped.

Jun 23rd, 2006, 6:23 PM	#2
DaWei Resident Grouch Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,453 Rep Power: 10	Yes, you are, and yes, it does. The quick and dirty way is with the "system" function. Other ways vary, according to OS. For instance, see the execl* family of functions. __________________ Abstraction doesn't make it impossible to write bad code; it makes it possible to write superior code. Contributor's Corner: Grumpy on C++ Exceptions DaWei on Pointers

Jun 24th, 2006, 2:28 AM	#9
grumpy Programming Guru Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 1,207 Rep Power: 5	You don't need to escape the spaces. You need to convince the windows command interpreter that a name can have spaces in it. The way to do that is to wrap the whole command in quotes. For example; (Toggle Plain Text) system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\""); system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\""); or (if you want to pass a parameter ABC to the batch file) (Toggle Plain Text) system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\" ABC"); system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\" ABC");

Jun 24th, 2006, 3:12 AM	#10
Soulstorm Hobbyist Programmer Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Menidi, Athens, Greece Posts: 239 Rep Power: 3	Yup, this happens in all platforms. For example, if in my terminal (unix) I type (Toggle Plain Text) open -a disk utility open -a disk utility it will not find the application, simply because it searches for the application named "disk". if I put this instead: (Toggle Plain Text) open -a "disk utility" open -a "disk utility" the application will open just fine. But if I want to give this command trough the 'system()' command of C++, I will simulate the quotes with the '\"'. so the whole system() command in C++ will be like this: (Toggle Plain Text) system("open -a \"disk utility\""); system("open -a \"disk utility\""); The error you have encountered is because of your fault in the underlying MS-DOS prompt, and not in your program exactly. The commands you enter in the system() command are the commands that are normally accepted by the MS-DOS prompt (I imagine you are using Windows.). In OS X, the equivalent of MS-DOS prompt is 'Terminal'. Normally in my system (OS X), (I don't know if that applies for you also) in such commands in my terminal I have to use the quotes whenever an argument -such as a file path- contains spaces. That happens because when the terminal reads the command you have given, it often separates the arguments according to the spaces you have given. The quotes - in file paths and file names - force the terminal to accept every character inside the quotes as one argument and tells it not to separate each word and accept it as an argument. Be careful. C++ programming will not be the only place where you will encounter this problem. Now as far as your problem is concerned: (Toggle Plain Text) c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat If you write that in your MSDOS command prompt, it will probably not work, because of the spaces in the file path. If you give (Toggle Plain Text) "c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat" "c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat" it will accept it and proceed with your command. Now, you must use the same commands inside the system() function in your C++ compiler. So, to simulate the quotes, you must give this: (Toggle Plain Text) system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\""); system("\"c:/documents and settings/David.crawford/my documents/test.bat\""); You will probably learn more about system() command in C++ if you mess around with the Windows' command prompt. I hope I helped. __________________ Project::Soulstorm (personal homepage)

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Jun 24th, 2006, 12:00 AM	#6
andro Professional Programmer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: California Posts: 294 Rep Power: 3	I think you need "c:\\documents and settings\\David.crawford\\my documents\\test.bat"

Jun 24th, 2006, 12:26 AM	#7
Jimbo Battle Programmer Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA, USA Posts: 754 Rep Power: 3	it looks like it's getting messed up by the spaces in "Documents and Settings". Try escaping those... I don't remember if that worked around it or not...

Jun 24th, 2006, 12:31 AM	#8
v0id Hobbyist Programmer Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 155 Rep Power: 3	Like andro said you maybe needs "c:\\documents and settings\\David.crawford\\my documents\\test.bat". It's just like when you're going in some directory, up in the addressbar the slashes isn't /, but \, but in a browser the slashes is /. If the string had been "c:\documents and settings\David.crawford\my documents\test.bat" it will not work because that a \ indicates that there's going to be a command like \n, \t, \a etc.

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Programming Forums > Application Development > C++

Running executables in C++