start external program and continue

[kellan4459]

I am trying to start an external program. When I have the following code it opens a new command window. If I remove the start in front it opens the program as expected but also as expected you don't return control to the Perl script until the application closes. What am I missing that may be causing it to open a command window instead of the application when using the start call?


# Open program
my $start = "\"C:\\APPS\\flar 2_5_1\\FLAR.EXE\"";

system("start $start");

 

[stevexff]

I seem to remember that unless a program runs as a Windows service, it will need to run in a command window. I've also got a feeling that it needs to be coded to run as a windows service before you can run it as one. Perhaps a windows guru might be able to offer more insight?

Steve

[small]"Every program can be reduced by one instruction, and every program has at least one bug. Therefore, any program can be reduced to one instruction which doesn't work." (Object:erlDesignPatterns)[/small]

 

[MikeLacey]

Hi Kellan,

Try using the fork() system call to run the external program. This will let you start a program and carry on with your perl script.

if(fork(){
system(....)
} else {
rest of your perl script
}

Mike

http://www.myspace.com/micahhowzat

http://mikelacey.fuzz.com/

 

[kellan4459]

i got it using the cmd option, but I will admit I didn't spend a lot of time trying the fork when it didn't first succeed due to time crunch. i'm new to perl and learning while meeting a deadline.

thanks for the help