hello ,

first i want to say that im very new at c++ , i managed to create a very simple program through searching the internet , this little program involves running a certain exe file with parameters :

(e.g: "c:\folder\file.exe" -parameter1 -parameter2)

i am using the system() function to do that so my code looks something like

string x;
x = "\"c:\\folder\\file.exe\" -parameter1:value1 -parameter2:value2";
system(x.c_str());

so it would run this command ( "c:\folder\file.exe" -parameter1:value1 -parameter2:value2 )

it works fine untill one of the parameters values must include quotes in it like this ( -parameter:"value" )

so when i type the code like this

string x;
x = "\"c:\\folder\\file.exe\" -parameter1:\"value1\"";
system(x.c_str());

i get the error :

'C:\Program' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.


but if i put the same command line ( with the quoted value of the parameter ) in the windows run , or in CMD , it would work fine, why do i get the error when i try to run it from the system() function ..?!!


i appereciate any help.

Member Avatar for iamthwee

do you need the quotes around the value?

yes ,

using the system function ,
this command runs fine : ("c:\folder\file.exe" -parameter1:value1)

but some values contain spaces so i would then have to include them between quotes like this :

( "c:\folder\file.exe" -parameter1:value1 -parameter2:"value with spaces" )

this command gives me error when i run it from the system function , if i removed the quotes from the value , the commads line works , but ofcourse i would get a different error from that exe its self because quotes need to be added to the parameter value.

if i copied the same line and pasted it in the RUN window or a CMD window , it would work fine

Member Avatar for iamthwee

Do you think it is a problem with escape characters then?

Member Avatar for iamthwee

What I would do is a cout of

"\"c:\\folder\\file.exe\" -parameter1:\"value1\""

Just to see if it is identical to the command you paste in the cmd window.

Member Avatar for iamthwee

Just on a side note, some people would frown on system commands. The alternative is:-

click_me

But it is a little more complicated.

What I would do is a cout of

"\"c:\\folder\\file.exe\" -parameter1:\"value1\""

Just to see if it is identical to the command you paste in the cmd window.

ofcourse i did that , because i thought something might be wrong with my code ,

the "cout" gives the correct command line in the right form ,
since there should be quotes around the path to the exe file that i need to run , maybe adding two sets of quotes in the same string (x) is causing the problem , i tried to create two strings to seperate (-parameter:"value with quotes") into another string say (Y)

then tried adding the two strings into a third new one (Z)=(X)+(Y)

and applied it to the function " system(Z.c_str()) " , but that didnt change anything , and i dont know how to add the two strings inside the function itself , because i end up with the error :
" cannot add two pointers " when i try to compile :(

Just on a side note, some people would frown on system commands. The alternative is:-

click_me

But it is a little more complicated.

actually i'm using the system function because the command i need to run is very simple , i never thought that a couple of quotes would ruin a perfectly working command line :(

that link isnt working :-(

Member Avatar for iamthwee

Well from what you have said, i.e the cout is exactly the same as the one you pasted in the command line, I can only assume there is a problem with the system command.

Can't you create a bat file with that exact command and just call the bat file i.e

system("something.bat");

Member Avatar for iamthwee

>link isn't working
Yes that is odd the content was:-

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <tchar.h>
#include <direct.h>

int main(  )
{
    chdir("C:/j2sdk1.4.2_04/bin");
    
    STARTUPINFO si;
    PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
    LPTSTR szCmdline=_tcsdup(TEXT("javac Saluton.java"));

    ZeroMemory( &si, sizeof(si) );
    si.cb = sizeof(si);
    ZeroMemory( &pi, sizeof(pi) );

    // Start the child process. 
    if( !CreateProcess( NULL,   // No module name (use command line)
        szCmdline,      // Command line
        NULL,           // Process handle not inheritable
        NULL,           // Thread handle not inheritable
        FALSE,          // Set handle inheritance to FALSE
        0,              // No creation flags
        NULL,           // Use parent's environment block
        NULL,           // Use parent's starting directory 
        &si,            // Pointer to STARTUPINFO structure
        &pi )           // Pointer to PROCESS_INFORMATION structure
    ) 
    {
        printf( "CreateProcess failed (%d).\n", GetLastError() );
        getchar();
        //return 0;
    }

    // Wait until child process exits.
    WaitForSingleObject( pi.hProcess, INFINITE );

    // Close process and thread handles. 
    CloseHandle( pi.hProcess );
    CloseHandle( pi.hThread );
    
    getchar();
}

Which is an alternative to system calls on the windows platform...

Well from what you have said, i.e the cout is exactly the same as the one you pasted in the command line, I can only assume there is a problem with the system command.

Can't you create a bat file with that exact command and just call the bat file i.e

system("something.bat");

i can't because one of the parameter's value is a variable inside my program , unless there is a way (or function) to create a new bat file and write the final command line inside it and then run that bat file O_o , which if was possible , i wouldn't know how to pull that off :(

Member Avatar for iamthwee

That would be possible, all you would be doing is writing a file with a .bat extension then calling it as a system process.

>link isn't working
Yes that is odd the content was:-

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <tchar.h>
#include <direct.h>
 
int main(  )
{
    chdir("C:/j2sdk1.4.2_04/bin");
 
    STARTUPINFO si;
    PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
    LPTSTR szCmdline=_tcsdup(TEXT("javac Saluton.java"));
 
    ZeroMemory( &si, sizeof(si) );
    si.cb = sizeof(si);
    ZeroMemory( &pi, sizeof(pi) );
 
    // Start the child process. 
    if( !CreateProcess( NULL,   // No module name (use command line)
        szCmdline,      // Command line
        NULL,           // Process handle not inheritable
        NULL,           // Thread handle not inheritable
        FALSE,          // Set handle inheritance to FALSE
        0,              // No creation flags
        NULL,           // Use parent's environment block
        NULL,           // Use parent's starting directory 
        &si,            // Pointer to STARTUPINFO structure
        &pi )           // Pointer to PROCESS_INFORMATION structure
    ) 
    {
        printf( "CreateProcess failed (%d).\n", GetLastError() );
        getchar();
        //return 0;
    }
 
    // Wait until child process exits.
    WaitForSingleObject( pi.hProcess, INFINITE );
 
    // Close process and thread handles. 
    CloseHandle( pi.hProcess );
    CloseHandle( pi.hThread );
 
    getchar();
}

Which is an alternative to system calls on the windows platform...

i'll have to spend sometime trying to figure how this one works (i'm new at this) , it is more complicated , but thanks :)

Which compiler are you using?

If it's something particularly old like Turbo C 2.01, then you're probably not using cmd.exe as your command interpreter, but the rather more archaic command.com.

That would be possible, all you would be doing is writing a file with a .bat extension then calling it as a system process.

i don't know how to do that with system ()

Which compiler are you using?

If it's something particularly old like Turbo C 2.01, then you're probably not using cmd.exe as your command interpreter, but the rather more archaic command.com.

i'm using microsoft VC++

Member Avatar for iamthwee

If you know how to write variables to a file. Then you can write your command to a bat file then just call it...

system("something.bat");

Try it. I'll leave it with you.

lol , thinking about , even if i could do it , having to create a bat file just to execute the command is not going to be useful for me

thanks for your help :)

hello ,

first i want to say that im very new at c++ , i managed to create a very simple program through searching the internet , this little program involves running a certain exe file with parameters :

(e.g: "c:\folder\file.exe" -parameter1 -parameter2)

i am using the system() function to do that so my code looks something like

string x;
x = "\"c:\\folder\\file.exe\" -parameter1:value1 -parameter2:value2";
system(x.c_str());

so it would run this command ( "c:\folder\file.exe" -parameter1:value1 -parameter2:value2 )

it works fine untill one of the parameters values must include quotes in it like this ( -parameter:"value" )

so when i type the code like this

string x;
x = "\"c:\\folder\\file.exe\" -parameter1:\"value1\"";
system(x.c_str());

i get the error :

'C:\Program' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.


but if i put the same command line ( with the quoted value of the parameter ) in the windows run , or in CMD , it would work fine, why do i get the error when i try to run it from the system() function ..?!!


i appereciate any help.

Check the quotes in the line you posted, there are too many of them. -- remove the quotes at the beginning of the string and after file.exe. It should be something like this (I tested it and it works)

system("\\dvlp\\file.exe -parameter1:value1 -parameter2:\"value2 with spaces\"");

thanks Ancient Dragon ,
but your solution didn't solve the problem , i still get the same error.
is there a way to run the same command line other than the system() function ?

I'm sorry I didn't see your question before now. If you are still having a problem with this please post your most recent attempt to solve it.

Did u find the solution for this. I am also facing the same problem

one suggestion :
try enclosing the whole "-parameter2: parameter value"
in quotes

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