Re: Running a exe from code - C / C++ / MFC Discussion Boards

Lucky the code machine15-Dec-03 4:30

15-Dec-03 4:30

Thanks to both of you. I had tryed that before with no luck as I think my 40MB Resource file was too far shot.

I did solve the problem tho by creating a new dialog on another PC & adding a fresh MS Flex Grid. I then Copyed this section from the Resource file & Pasted it into my Project Resource file in place of the currup ones. Then After re-loading into C++ I re-applyed my previous Grid Settings & Re-compiled.

The EXE & RC have stopped doubleing & My EXE went from 20MB back to 700K!! Cool | :cool:

An Expert is somone who has previously made ALL the Mistakes, I dream of this day. - Lucky

Running a exe from code

Mortis12-Dec-03 0:26

Mortis

12-Dec-03 0:26

Okay, i have to run this .exe file from my c++ program with varying arguments, then compare the results.
the .exe printf's a few lines of code run normally from command line.
so how would i run this file from my c++ program, and how'd i load the results back into a char buffer or something

any help with this would be greatly appriciated!

Re: Running a exe from code

BaldwinMartin12-Dec-03 0:52

BaldwinMartin

12-Dec-03 0:52

OK Sure!

HANDLE YourAppName::StartProcessGettingProcessHandle(const TCHAR* pszCommandLine)
{
SHELLEXECUTEINFO sei;
ZeroMemory(&sei, sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO));
sei.cbSize = sizeof (SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
sei.lpVerb = NULL;
sei.lpFile = pszCommandLine;
sei.nShow = SW_SHOW;
sei.hInstApp = NULL;
sei.lpDirectory = NULL;
sei.fMask = SEE_MASK_DOENVSUBST|SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
sei.lpParameters = NULL;
if (ShellExecuteEx (&sei) )
return sei.hProcess;
else
return NULL;

}

Call it with
m_hSpawnedProcess = pApp->StartProcessGettingProcessHandle(pApp->m_sProgramToRun);
// If the shell resides in the app.

In OnDestroy add
//Free up the process handle we have spawned if valid
if (m_hSpawnedProcess)
{
CloseHandle(m_hSpawnedProcess);
m_hSpawnedProcess = NULL;
}

//Let the base class do its thing
return CWinApp::ExitInstance();

Now monitor the handle

Best Wishes and Happy Holiday's,
ez_way

Re: Running a exe from code

Mortis12-Dec-03 4:34

Mortis

12-Dec-03 4:34

excellent, thanks for the code

only thing is, the program i'm writing is a console application.
will the "SHELLEXECUTEIN" work there too?

Re: Running a exe from code

BaldwinMartin12-Dec-03 4:40

BaldwinMartin

12-Dec-03 4:40

Yes, Microsoft show a console app using ShellExecute in WN_DOS.H. 1992
If not you may compile using mfc in console.

Best Wishes and Happy Holiday's,
ez_way

Re: Running a exe from code

Mortis12-Dec-03 5:11

Mortis

12-Dec-03 5:11

okay, i'll give it a go. i'm not using MFC at the moment though.
i wanna keep this as simple as prossible. just a "void main()" with a few functions.
its for a cryptanalysis project...
anyways, i dont have time to try it out today, so i'll give it a go tomorow and post back either a "thanks it works" message or "oh crap, i can't get it to work" Wink | ;)

Re: Running a exe from code

Shay Harel12-Dec-03 6:17

Shay Harel

12-Dec-03 6:17

Whoooo looks like you know your way around ShellExecute !!
Here is a question.

I have been using it almost the same way but I need to know if the execution ended in an error, is there any way to know that ?

I use ShellExecute to run PKZIP to unzip a big file and then I just wait with:

<br />
SHELLEXECUTEINFO sei;<br />
	sei.cbSize =sizeof(sei);<br />
	sei.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;	//set the waiting flag<br />
	sei.hwnd = m_hWnd;			//pointer to our window<br />
	sei.lpFile="x.bat";	//name of file to run<br />
	sei.nShow=SW_MINIMIZE;					//hide window<br />
	sei.lpVerb=NULL;				<br />
	sei.lpParameters="";			<br />
	sei.lpDirectory="";<br />
	<br />
<br />
	ShellExecuteEx(&sei);<br />
	//wait for it to complete<br />
	long factor=0;<br />
	while (WaitForSingleObject (sei.hProcess, 0)==WAIT_TIMEOUT)<br />
	{<br />
		factor++;<br />
		if (factor==1000)<br />
			progbar.StepIt();<br />
				<br />
	}<br />

The problem is , how do I know for example if the PKZIP did not find the file I told him to look for, or any kind of error....

Shay

Re: Running a exe from code

BaldwinMartin12-Dec-03 6:32

BaldwinMartin

12-Dec-03 6:32

Hi,... Set a thread and monitor it.

When you call if call it through a callback proceedure as a worker thread.

Set you Shellx in the app of your application.

Create a HANDLE in the header of app.

HANDLE myhandle;

Return sei to the callback Now monitor the thread for running, and the handle for terminitation.

If the HANDLE exits with say 0x03 then you know what?
If the HANDLE exits with say 0x00 then you know what?

The worker thread will only un-freeze your app while all this is going on, and is good practice to get into. (I should talk I have several x 100 apps running without threads). If you need help on threads see Newcomers artice here for a good description of threads.
http://www.codeproject.com/cpp/callbacks.asp?target=

If you need help with shellx see P.J.Naughter class called pop3.
http://www.naughter.com

Let me know, work on it and if you don't have it in 2 days I will send you an example.

Rose | [Rose]

Best Wishes and Happy Holiday's,
ez_way

Re: Running a exe from code

Shay Harel12-Dec-03 6:48

Shay Harel

12-Dec-03 6:48

Thx

Re: Running a exe from code

BaldwinMartin12-Dec-03 6:53

BaldwinMartin

12-Dec-03 6:53

sure let me know!

Best Wishes and Happy Holiday's,
ez_way

Re: Running a exe from code

BaldwinMartin12-Dec-03 9:04

BaldwinMartin

12-Dec-03 9:04

How is it going?

Best Wishes and Happy Holiday's,
ez_way

Executing a program with arguments

Nicolas Bonamy11-Dec-03 23:45

Nicolas Bonamy

11-Dec-03 23:45

Hello,

I am trying launching an application telling it to open a document. I build a command line surrounding the program name and each document with quotes and then use ShellExec to process. This works fine with all applications except old Adobe programs (like PhotoDeluxe or Photoshop LE). So I tried CreateProcess instead it does not work either. Tried ShellExecuteEx same error: the program does not find the document. If I take the command line I am builing and paste it in a Command Prompt it works. Other programs are able to run the application passing it a file to open.

So my question is: what other way can I use to run that application telling it to open an application... Should I revert to _exec or is there something else?

Regards,
Nicolas

Re: Executing a program with arguments

David Crow12-Dec-03 2:48

David Crow

12-Dec-03 2:48

What does the code snippet look like that tries to launch Adobe and its command-line arguments?

Five birds are sitting on a fence.
Three of them decide to fly off.
How many are left?

Re: Executing a program with arguments

Nicolas Bonamy12-Dec-03 2:57

Nicolas Bonamy

12-Dec-03 2:57

Something like this:

// build arguments<br />
string fnames;<br />
list<string> sel = GetSelection();<br />
for (list<string>::iterator it = sel.begin(); it != sel.end(); ++it)<br />
    fnames += "\"" + *it + "\" ";<br />
<br />
// quotes<br />
strEditor = "\"" + strEditor + "\"";<br />
strDir= "\"" + strDir+ "\"";<br />
<br />
// run the app<br />
ShellExecute(NULL, "open", strEditor.c_str(), fnames.c_str(), strDir.c_str());

This works with latest version of Photoshop for instance (6 and later) and Paint Shop Pro but NOT with Photoshop LE 5 and Photoshop Deluxe. CreateProcess and ShellExecuteEx fail the same way: the app is correctly launched but it can't find the files I am passing.

Regards,
Nicolas

Re: Executing a program with arguments

David Crow12-Dec-03 3:16

David Crow

12-Dec-03 3:16

Have you tried calling ShellExecute() with string constants instead of variables? This will tell you if the variables are incorrect.

ShellExecute(NULL, "open", "c:\\program files\\adobe.exe", "file1 c:\\somepath\\file2 file3", "c:\\somedir", ...);

Five birds are sitting on a fence.
Three of them decide to fly off.
How many are left?

Re: Executing a program with arguments

Nicolas Bonamy12-Dec-03 3:38

Nicolas Bonamy

12-Dec-03 3:38

David,

thanks for suggesting. The problem came from the trailing whitespace at the end of fnames. I removed it and it workls!

Thanks again,
Nicolas

Re: Executing a program with arguments

l a u r e n12-Dec-03 20:40

l a u r e n

12-Dec-03 20:40

nothing like hardcoding stuff for testing huh?
Smile | :)

"there is no spoon"
biz stuff about me

CComObject<> Problem

Braulio Dez11-Dec-03 23:42

Braulio Dez

11-Dec-03 23:42

Hi,

I have a COM server, and a private class for the internal use of the COM object, what I want to do is to add a a method that returns a CComObject<> * Object, I have two problems:

If I make this:

<br />
CComObject<Connections> *DBGroup::GetGroupConnections(_bstr_t strGroup)<br />
{<br />
    CComObject<CConnections>* pConnections;	    <br />
    HRESULT hr = CComObject<CConnections>::CreateInstance(&pConnections);<br />
<br />
(...)<br />
return pConnections;    <br />
}<br />

1. I get a compiler error telling me that he don't knows about the Connections com component that I have created in the same server.

2. If Instead of that I return and IConnection interface, Do I generate there a leakage ? ( I don't call the "delete pConnection"), what is the solution or workaround for this problem ?

Thanks in advance, greetings
Braulio

Re: CComObject<> Problem

Peter Molnar12-Dec-03 10:16

Peter Molnar

12-Dec-03 10:16

1.Initialize your object

CComObject<CYourBaseClass>* pConnection;
...
pConnection->AddRef();
return pConnections;

2.Returning a pointer cuases very much a memory leak UNLESS you destroy it in your caller function

CComObject<CYourBaseClass> *pConnection = GetGroupConnections(...);
pConnection->...
pConnection->Release();

Peter Molnar

Re: CComObject<> Problem

Braulio Dez14-Dec-03 21:38

Braulio Dez

14-Dec-03 21:38

So, I can do directly ?

<br />
CComObject<CYourBaseClass>* pConnection;<br />
<br />
pConnection->AddRef();<br />
<br />
return pConnections; <br />

And I don't have to call "CreateInstance" ?

If I want to return my object as an interface( e.g. a list of users that matches a certain criteria), so the collection will not be hold as a member variable, can I use ?

<br />
get_Connection(IConnection **pVal)<br />
{<br />
CComObject<CYourBaseClass>* pConnection;<br />
<br />
pConnection->AddRef();<br />
<br />
return pConnections->QueryInterface(...)<br />
}<br />

And then in the client code retrieve that value with an smart pointer ?

<br />
IConnectionPtr pConn = pMyComObject->Connection;<br />

So with the smart pointer, the object will be released automatically ?

Thanks in advance, greetings
Braulio

Re: CComObject<> Problem

Peter Molnar15-Dec-03 14:38

Peter Molnar

15-Dec-03 14:38

You have very much to call CreateInstance, which I ment to indicate with ... (dots) in my code. Since it was OK in yours, I didn' repeated it again, modify your get_Connection function accordingly. AddRef tells the object that there will be one more call on it, it should not unload itself, and Release tells that the call have already taken place, it can unload.
So after you received the interface pointer,you should release it. Smart pointers indeed eliminate this, because they call AddRef on object creation and Release on when the object goes out of scope.

Peter Molnar

Blank spaces in system function pathnames

dukeleto11-Dec-03 23:24

dukeleto

11-Dec-03 23:24

Hi all,
i have a problem using the system or _exec functions when i try to load an external executable file from my code:

if i use:

system("C://myfolder//converter.exe JONNY.FFT BAGONKY.TXT");

my converter work fine and i find my output file in the "Debug" folder of my project.

if i use:

system("C://Documents and settings//converter.exe JONNY.FFT BAGONKY.TXT");

i don't find anything!!!!

How can i resolve this problem?

Re: Blank spaces in system function pathnames

Ian Darling11-Dec-03 23:39

Ian Darling

11-Dec-03 23:39

I suspect you need to quote the path to your program:

"\"C://Documents and settings//converter.exe\" JONNY.FFT BAGONKY.TXT"

You might also want to consider using CreateProcess rather than system

--
Ian Darling
"The moral of the story is that with a contrived example, you can prove anything." - Joel Spolsky

Re: Blank spaces in system function pathnames

David Crow25-Oct-06 3:24

David Crow

25-Oct-06 3:24

dukeleto wrote:
my converter work fine and i find my output file in the "Debug" folder of my project.

Which indicates that the current working directory (CWD) is being used.

"Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" - 2 Timothy 2:15

"Judge not by the eye but by the heart." - Native American Proverb

Trap Windows TaskManager end task me.

KiangGiap Lau11-Dec-03 23:07

KiangGiap Lau

11-Dec-03 23:07

Dear all,

Can I trap when Windows TaskManager kill me?

Best Regards,
kglau

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