program that starts another program. - Page 2

[Bladtman242]

Okay, trying to compile followong code i get the three (also) follownig messages from my IDE.

#include "windows.h"
#include "shellapi.h"


int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
      SHELLEXECUTEINFO shExecInfo;

      shExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);

      shExecInfo.fMask = NULL;
      shExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
      shExecInfo.lpVerb = L"runas";
      shExecInfo.lpFile = L"notepad.exe";
      shExecInfo.lpParameters = NULL;
      shExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
      shExecInfo.nShow = SW_MAXIMIZE;
      shExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;

      ShellExecuteEx(&shExecInfo);

      return 0;
}

Line 11 warning: converting to non-pointer type `ulong' from NULL
Line 13 error: cannot convert `const wchar_t[6]' to `const CHAR*' in assignment
Line 14 error: cannot convert `const wchar_t[12]' to `const CHAR*' in assignment

[Nick Evan]

Remove the two capital 'L' s on line 13 and 14.

[Bladtman242]

Okay, i removed the L's but now it says :

undefined reference to `_WinMain@16'

:/

[Nick Evan]

replace '_tmain' with 'main' :)

(I have serious doubts if this solution will work at all, so we might be just wasting our time...)

[Bladtman242]

I allready did ;- ) didn't work. hmm I'll try again when i get home, just to make sure.

[nucleon]

You're trying to compile it as a windows gui program, so it's saying that you're missing WinMain (which is the entry point for such a program). You need to compile it as a console program.

[Bladtman242]

^^ i Know ;- ) but I'm pretty sure I am compiling it as a console program? if not, how would i know the difference?

[nucleon]

Depends on your IDE. In Dev-C++ you go to Project Options and set the type to a Console program.

[Bladtman242]

I'm using code::blocks, but if that is the case^^ then i am compling as a console program :/

[Comatose]

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[]) to int main(int argc, char **argv) , but I doubt that is going to make a big difference. Just so you know, in code::blocks IDE, windows XP SP2, this compiles (and works) just fine:

#include "windows.h"
#include "shellapi.h"


int main(int argc, char **argv[])
{
      SHELLEXECUTEINFO shExecInfo;

      shExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);

      shExecInfo.fMask = 0; // NULL;
      shExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
      shExecInfo.lpVerb = "runas";
      shExecInfo.lpFile = "notepad.exe";
      shExecInfo.lpParameters = NULL;
      shExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
      shExecInfo.nShow = SW_MAXIMIZE;
      shExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;

      ShellExecuteEx(&shExecInfo);

      return 0;
}

Although, the runas portion comes up with a dialog box... wanting me to ok it and login or whatever... but I'm sure if we can pass something like "/password" or whatever runas takes to lpParameters, we should be able to make it happen seemlessly.

[Bladtman242]

Yes! that is exactly what makes me go crazy! it compiles and runs perfectly on my 64-vista aswell. but when i go "test.bat" instead of "notepad.exe" and then run it, i get a message box claming that test.bat cannot be found. i really don't get it

[nucleon]

I noticed that a while back you tried calling cmd.exe with parameters, but your parameters were not correct. You pass a command to cmd.exe with the /c flag, so assuming test.bat is in the root dir, try something like this:

ShellExecute (NULL, "open", "cmd.exe", "/c test.bat", "c:\\", SW_NORMAL);

or this (modified from Comatose's last post):

int main(int argc, char **argv[])
{
      SHELLEXECUTEINFO shExecInfo;

      shExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);

      shExecInfo.fMask = 0; // NULL;
      shExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
      shExecInfo.lpVerb = "runas";
      shExecInfo.lpFile = "cmd.exe";
      shExecInfo.lpParameters = "/c c:\\test.bat";
      shExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
      shExecInfo.nShow = SW_MAXIMIZE;
      shExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;

      ShellExecuteEx(&shExecInfo);

      return 0;
}

[Bladtman242]

Hmm when i run that^^ something odd happens. a window sort of "flashes by" by it's to fast, so i can't see what it is. still not working though :/ (maybe this window has appeared earlier without me noticing, i really can't say for sure)

[nucleon]

Try adding "pause" to the end of your test.bat.

[Bladtman242]

As expectet^^ The message would stay open, pause or not, but THANK YOU, it made the flashing-by message stay :-D
It says, 'msg' is not reconized as a internal o external command or operatable program or batch file :/ which is of course rubbish?

[nucleon]

Presumably it has an empty environment, which means no path variable. So you will have to use the full pathname of msg. Something like: c:\windows\system32\msg

[Comatose]

And probably need to use \\ instead of \

[Bladtman242]

Hmm still not working, maybe I did something wrong? i have tried different variations of:

int main(int argc, char **argv[])
{
      SHELLEXECUTEINFO shExecInfo;

      shExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);

      shExecInfo.fMask = 0; // NULL;
      shExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
      shExecInfo.lpVerb = "runas";
      shExecInfo.lpFile = "c:\\windows\\system32\\msg";
      shExecInfo.lpParameters = "";
      shExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
      shExecInfo.nShow = SW_MAXIMIZE;
      shExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;

      ShellExecuteEx(&shExecInfo);

      return 0;
}

I altso tried changing "test.bat" to variations of

cd C:\windows\system32
msg * Hallu
pause

and then "just" calling "test.bat" with no parameters.

[Comatose]

set shExecInfo.lpDirectory = to the path where your .bat file resides...

[nucleon]

I don't remember if anyone's suggested initializing COM. Try this.

#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h>
#include <objbase.h>
// Link with ole32 (add -lole32 to the linker command line)


#define FILE "c:\\test.bat"
//#define FILE "c:\\windows\system32\msg.exe"

#define VERB "runas"
//#define VERB "open"


int main(int argc, char **argv[])
{
    SHELLEXECUTEINFO shExecInfo;

    CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED |
                         COINIT_DISABLE_OLE1DDE);

    shExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
    shExecInfo.fMask = 0;
    shExecInfo.hwnd = 0;
    shExecInfo.lpVerb = VERB;
    shExecInfo.lpFile = FILE;
    shExecInfo.lpParameters = 0;
    shExecInfo.lpDirectory = 0;
    shExecInfo.nShow = SW_MAXIMIZE;
    shExecInfo.hInstApp = 0;

    if (!ShellExecuteEx(&shExecInfo))
        std::cout << "Error: " << GetLastError() << "\n";

    CoUninitialize();

std::cin.get();

    return 0;
}

[mpnk121]

int main()
{
    system("C:\\test.bat");

    return 0;
}

works just fine for me on WinXP. same batch file as yours.

If nothing else works, change "msg" to "C:\Windows\System32\msg.exe"

[Comatose]

int main()
{
    system("C:\\test.bat");

    return 0;
}

works just fine for me on WinXP. same batch file as yours.

If nothing else works, change "msg" to "C:\Windows\System32\msg.exe"

>i dont wish to run it "trough" my program, just as if i had found the destination and doubleclick'ed it.

I believe using system, execl, and the like, will force the C++ program to wait until the program returns.... I don't think shellexecute is going to force the c++ program to wait for the shelled application to return.

[mpnk121]

>I believe using system, execl, and the like, will force the C++ program to wait until the program returns
Oh, sorry, I didn't see that... :P

In which case,

ShellExecute (NULL, "open", "cmd.exe", "/c C:\\test.bat", "C:\\", SW_NORMAL);

works for me too... hmm...

[Comatose]

Nice. You are in vista like he is?

[Bladtman242]

Well, it would be fine by me to use system, but that doesn't work either:/
i tried the above shellexecute and got this from my IDE:
\main.cpp|3|error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

[nucleon]

I'm trying out Code::Blocks. It's pretty nice!
Try this code. I've included instuctions on how to link it with ole32 in Code::Blocks. Also, it shows the formatted error message in a message box.

#include <windows.h>
#include <objbase.h>

// Link with ole32. In CodeBlocks, add "ole32" (no quotes) to
// Project/Build options/Linker settings/Link libraries

void showError(char *msgin)
{
    char *msgbuf, *displaybuf;
    DWORD dw = GetLastError();
    FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER |
        FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM | FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
        NULL, dw, MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT),
        (char*)&msgbuf, 0, NULL);
    displaybuf = (char*)LocalAlloc(LMEM_ZEROINIT,
        strlen(msgbuf) + strlen(msgin) + 40);
    wsprintf(displaybuf, "%s failed with error %d: %s",
        msgin, dw, msgbuf);
    MessageBox(NULL, displaybuf, "Error", MB_OK);
    LocalFree(msgbuf);
    LocalFree(displaybuf);
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    SHELLEXECUTEINFO sei = {sizeof(sei)};

    CoInitializeEx(NULL,
        COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED | COINIT_DISABLE_OLE1DDE);

    sei.lpVerb = "runas";
//    sei.lpVerb = "open";
    sei.lpFile = "c:\\test.bat";
//    sei.lpFile = "c:\\windows\system32\msg.exe";
    sei.nShow = SW_SHOWNORMAL;
//    sei.lpParameters = "";
//    sei.lpDirectory = "";

    if (!ShellExecuteEx(&sei)) showError("ShellExecuteEx");

    CoUninitialize();

    return 0;
}

[Bladtman242]

Err, all that does (for me at least) is open the casual command prompt-like window with "hello world" in it? :)

[nucleon]

Sounds like it's running a test.bat. Is that's what's in the at c:\ or is there another in the current directory?

[Bladtman242]

It's at the root. full path:
C:/test.bat

[nucleon]

So c:\test.bat has something like "echo hello world" in it??? If so then it seems to be working.