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Aug 10th, 2006
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How to run a *.exe file in Java

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Greetings,

I was wondering if someone could teach me how to run an executable in java.

I have written a Java program that fills out some information, but I need to run a file that is normally run from a command prompt that is an executable. If someone could tell me how to do this, I would appreciate it. Thanks.


Sciocosmist
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Aug 10th, 2006
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

Last edited by iamthwee; Aug 10th, 2006 at 12:06 pm.
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Aug 14th, 2006
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

Thank you for your help! This is close to what I needed. On the *.exe file it has a command line sequence of:

command=(path of program)/name of program.exe (upload file #1)=(path file#1) (upload file #2)=(path file#2) (output file name)=(name for output) /exit

That is to say that the variable command=the path of the *.exe program, space, first needed file, space, second file needed, space, output name, space, /exit.

The java command: Runtime.getRuntime().exec(command); //command is a variable

has a problem with the output file name becase it is technically not created yet. Would any one have a solution for how I would be able to have the output file included?
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Aug 15th, 2006
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

>has a problem with the output file name becase it is technically not created yet. Would any one have a solution for how I would be able to have the output file included?

I would guess that the file has to be opened, written then closed before you can launch it as an executable. Is that what you mean?
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

A command prompt would come up and say 'Windows does not recognize (new file name)'


After a bit of investigation, I have found that the command for the runtime process needs to have a destination/working directory where the program is stored.

Here is what I am attempting to do:

String command="(path of program)/name of program.exe /(upload file #1)=(path file#1) /(upload file #2)=(path file#2) /(output file name)=(name for output) /exit"

That is to say that the variable command=the path of the *.exe program, space, forward slash, program recognition code, equals sign, first needed file, space, forward slash, program recognition code, equals sign, second file needed, space, forward slash, program recognition code, equals sign, output name, space, /exit.

The java command: Process p=Runtime.getRuntime().exec("rundll32 SHELL32.DLL,ShellExec_RunDLL "+ command); //command is a variable

p.waitFor();//to allow the program to terminate before proceeding.


Since this is an *.exe it needs to have certain addional files not listed in the original command line prompt from the Java code, in order to execute.

Could you also tell me how to set the correct directory so that the command line would know where to find the necessary files to execute the *.exe? I have tried to use the System.getenv(...) method, but that didn't work.

Again thank you, and anyone else willing to help!

--Sciocosmist
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Aug 16th, 2006
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

I am trying to run the program from a method as oppossed to using the main method. Could any one give me some advice on how to run the Runtime.getRunTime.exec(...) method for a *.exe file with three needed arguments without using the "public static void main (String[] args) method? I cannot use a main method to pass parameters in with the program that I am coding.

The first argument is a file that I have created with my Java program. The second argument is a file that I also have created with my Java program. The third argument is the output name of the *.exe file (the *.exe file writes a file based on the information from the other two files).
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Aug 17th, 2006
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

I'm not sure I'm following the details of the problems you are having, but more generally, have a look at the [new] "ProcessBuilder" class in the standard java API docs. It gives you better control over the command line arguments and also the working directory that the process appears to run in. In other words, it is better than Runtime's exec.
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Aug 18th, 2006
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

The executable that I am trying to run is a MSDOS based program. I need to pass in parameters to the command line.

I have been able to get windows based *.exe files to run, but not an MSDOS application to run from the Java Code.

Here is the command that I need to run from a command prompt (and in the java program I am writing):

Java Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
  1. C:\My Directory\My_exe.exe /cfg=my_cfg.cfg /err=my_xmd.xmd /xml=My_xml.xml /exit

Where both the *.cfg and the *.xmd are files that are read by the *.exe program. The *.xml is the name for the output file that the *.exe program produces.

This does work in a command prompt or command line, but it does not work in Java code (so far as I have tried).

Here is some of what I have tried:
Example 1:
Java Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
  1. Process p=Runtime.getRuntime().exec("rundll32 SHELL32.DLL,ShellExec_RunDLL " +"C:\\My Directory\\My_exe.exe /cfg=my_cfg.cfg /err=my_xmd.xmd /xml=My_xml.xml /exit");
  2. Thread needle =new Thread();
  3. needle.sleep(((y/120)*1500+15000));//y is an int that is obtained from different sources throughout the program; I have checked it and it is fine.
  4. p.destroy();//By this time the process has closed and I can close the window. The waitFor() command does not work for my purposes.
Example 2:
Java Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
  1. ProcessBuilder pb=new ProcessBuilder("cmd.exe /c start C:\\My Directory\\My_exe.exe /cfg=my_cfg.cfg /err=my_xmd.xmd /xml=My_xml.xml /exit");
  2. pb.directory(new File("C:\\My Directory\\My_exe.exe"));
  3. Process p=pb.start();
  4. Thread needle =new Thread();
  5. needle.sleep(((y/120)*1500+15000));//y is an int that is obtained from different sources throughout the program; I have checked it and it is fine.
  6. p.destroy();//By this time the process has closed and I can close the window. The waitFor() command does not work for my purposes.
Example 3:
Java Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
  1. Process p=Runtime.getRuntime().exec("C:\\My Directory\\My_exe.exe /cfg=my_cfg.cfg /err=my_xmd.xmd /xml=My_xml.xml /exit");
  2. Thread needle =new Thread();
  3. needle.sleep(((y/120)*1500+15000));//y is an int that is obtained from different sources throughout the program; I have checked it and it is fine.
  4. p.destroy();//By this time the process has closed and I can close the window. The waitFor() command does not work for my purposes.
Example 4:
Java Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
  1. Process p=Runtime.getRuntime().exec("rundll32 SHELL32.DLL,ShellExec_RunDLL " +"C:\\My Directory\\My_pif.pif");//The pif file contains the string as listed above
  2. Thread needle =new Thread();
  3. needle.sleep(((y/120)*1500+15000));//y is an int that is obtained from different sources throughout the program; I have checked it and it is fine.
  4. p.destroy();//By this time the process has closed and I can close the window. The waitFor() command does not work for my purposes.
Java Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
  1. Process p=Runtime.getRuntime().exec("C:\\My Directory\\My_bat.bat");//the *.bat contains the string listed above.
  2. Thread needle =new Thread();
  3. needle.sleep(((y/120)*1500+15000));//y is an int that is obtained from different sources throughout the program; I have checked it and it is fine.
  4. p.destroy();//By this time the process has closed and I can close the window. The waitFor() command does not work for my purposes.

I have tried variations of each of these, but it has not yet been able to run. If someone could help me out, I would appreciate it.

Thank you for your help!
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Sep 8th, 2006
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

After painstaking hours, I have finally found the solution. Thanks to everyone that helped me.
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Jul 13th, 2007
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Re: How to run a *.exe file in Java

there's no .exe in java...
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This thread is more than three months old

No one has posted to this discussion for at least three months. Please let old threads die and do not reply to them unless you feel you have something new and valuable to contribute that absolutely must be added to make the discussion complete. Otherwise, please start a new thread in this forum instead.
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