How do I run an executable with options?

[ernie]

Hello everybody--

My LB 4.51 program calls the batch file:

    @echo off

    cls

    sfk hexdump -wide -nofile -pure columns.bmp > columns.hex

I want to dispense with the batch file and run the executable sfk.exe with these options from within LB.

I've tried this without success:

    run "sfk.exe hexdump -wide -nofile -pure columns.bmp > columns.hex"

it displays the command window (unsatisfactory) for many seconds while doing the operation, but the resulting file columns.hex is never created, also unsatisfactory.

My question is, how can I run this executable with these options from within LB?

[Chris Iverson]

You can't, because the output redirection is done by the command processor, not by the program.

If the program has an option to send output to a file, you can do that, but taking a quick look at the Swiss File Knife website, I'm not sure it does.


You can do it using the Windows API to manually run the program and then separate API calls to capture the output, but it's very complicated. Running the batch file and capturing the output afterwards would be far simpler.

If you wish, I can try to write an example of doing it the API way.

[tsh73]

Thank you for bringing such interesting tool

For hiding command window, there is "hide" mode
be warned that "run" does not wait for operation to finish
so you better check for file creation
As for file got not created - well, for me I saw hexdump in that console window!
So this is redirection what did not worked.
I managed to n=make it run with cmd.exe /c, like this
(had to put full path to sfk.exe because it is not on my PATH)
run "cmd.exe /c C:\path to sfk\sfk.exe hexdump -wide -nofile -pure columns.bmp > columns.hex" ,hide
print "over"


[tsh73]

You can't, because the output redirection is done by the command processor, not by the program.

LOL
and I just called CMD.EXE without much thinking.

[ernie]

Thanks, you guys. This was super helpful. 

Ernie

[Chris Iverson]

Jul 1, 2022 16:43:50 GMT -5 tsh73 said:

You can't, because the output redirection is done by the command processor, not by the program.

LOL
and I just called CMD.EXE without much thinking.

That's what I get for overthinking it

Nice job!