fork/exec ShellExecute

[Fitzgerald,Greg]

I am trying to launch a Windoze application and then wait for the app to
close before continuing. If I were on a Unix variant I'd do this:

fork { exec("myApp") }
Process.wait

But unfortunately, fork is not implemented for Ruby on Windows. A DOS
limitation I assume?

Using the raw Win32 API, I can do this (in C):

SHELLEXECUTEINFO ShExecInfo = {0};
ShExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
ShExecInfo.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
ShExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
ShExecInfo.lpVerb = NULL;
ShExecInfo.lpFile = "myApp.exe";
ShExecInfo.lpParameters = "";
ShExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
ShExecInfo.nShow = NULL;
ShExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;
ShellExecuteEx( &ShExecInfo );
WaitForSingleObject( ShExecInfo );

Is there a way on Windows that I can wait for the app to close that's as
elegant as the Unix way? I only need it to work on Windows but just out
of curiosity, is there a platform independent way?

Thanks,
Greg

P.S. I apologize for the message at the bottom here. It automatically
gets tacked onto the end of all outgoing mail, and I just love getting
Ruby email at work.

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[Shashank Date]

Hi Greg,

Is there a way on Windows that I can wait for the
app to close that's as
elegant as the Unix way?

Have you looked at win32-process on rubyforge?
http://rubyforge.org/projects/win32utils/

Let us know if it does not work in your case.

Thanks,
Greg

may call Cerner's corporate offices in Kansas
City, Missouri, U.S.A at (+1) (816)221-1024.
---------------------------------------- --

Do you know that there is Ruby User's Group in
Overland Park? Currently there are 3.5 members ;-)

Contact me if you are interested in joining.
-- shanko






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[Joel VanderWerf]

I am trying to launch a Windoze application and then wait for the app to
close before continuing. If I were on a Unix variant I'd do this:

fork { exec("myApp") }
Process.wait

This will wait for myApp to close:

system("myApp")

Other ruby threads will keep running. If you want the main ruby thread
to keep running, too, just do this:

th = Thread.new do
system("myApp")
end

# do some stuff

th.join # wait for myApp to close

# then do something else

 

[Shashank Date]

This will wait for myApp to close:

system("myApp")

And if you want to capture stdout you can also do
back-quoting:

output = `myapp`

or

output = %x{myapp}


wherever there is system("myapp")

Other ruby threads will keep running. If you want
the main ruby thread
to keep running, too, just do this:

th = Thread.new do
system("myApp")
end

# do some stuff

th.join # wait for myApp to close

# then do something else

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