Changing directories from a C console program

[oddstray]

Hi,

I'm using WinXP. I wrote a short C utility in which I want to change
directories and run programs. When I use the system() method and pass
in the same command that works in a cmd.exe session, it claims "Unable
to locate the directory". This happens for directories with and
without spaces in their names. Can anyone tell me what's wrong?
Thanks.
B
Here's the code snippet that fails:

if( _chdir( "C:" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// WORKS THIS FAR

if( _wchdir( "cd Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

if( _wchdir( "cd C:\\Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:\\Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// 'UNABLE TO LOCATE' EITHER OF THESE ALTHOUGH THIS DIRECTORY DOES
EXIST

[Jack Klein]

On 26 Aug 2004 17:57:50 -0700, od******@gmail.com (oddstray) wrote in
comp.lang.c:

Hi,

I'm using WinXP. I wrote a short C utility in which I want to change
directories and run programs. When I use the system() method and pass
in the same command that works in a cmd.exe session, it claims "Unable
to locate the directory". This happens for directories with and
without spaces in their names. Can anyone tell me what's wrong?
Thanks.
Not here, we can't. The standard C language has no support for
directories at all. Not all systems have them and they are
implemented in vastly different ways on some platforms that do.
Here's the code snippet that fails:

if( _chdir( "C:" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// WORKS THIS FAR

if( _wchdir( "cd Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

if( _wchdir( "cd C:\\Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:\\Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// 'UNABLE TO LOCATE' EITHER OF THESE ALTHOUGH THIS DIRECTORY DOES
EXIST

There are no functions named "_chdir" or "_wchdir" in the standard C
library, they are extensions provided by your compiler. You need to
ask about this in one of Microsoft's support groups in the
news:microsoft.public.vc.* family, or a group like
news:comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32.

It is a Windows issue, not a C language one.

--
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
FAQs for
comp.lang.c http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html
comp.lang.c++ http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/
alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~a...FAQ-acllc.html

[Keith Thompson]

od******@gmail.com (oddstray) writes:

I'm using WinXP. I wrote a short C utility in which I want to change
directories and run programs. When I use the system() method and pass
in the same command that works in a cmd.exe session, it claims "Unable
to locate the directory". This happens for directories with and
without spaces in their names. Can anyone tell me what's wrong?
Thanks.
B
Here's the code snippet that fails:

if( _chdir( "C:" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// WORKS THIS FAR

if( _wchdir( "cd Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

if( _wchdir( "cd C:\\Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:\\Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// 'UNABLE TO LOCATE' EITHER OF THESE ALTHOUGH THIS DIRECTORY DOES
EXIST

We don't know. The _chdir() and _wchdir() functions aren't defined in
standard C; neither are directories, for that matter. You might try a
Windows-specific newsgroup. (But first, you might ask yourself
whether _wchdir() expects a directory name or a command string.)

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) ks***@mib.org <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
San Diego Supercomputer Center <*> <http://users.sdsc.edu/~kst>
We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this.

[jacob navia]

oddstray wrote:

Hi,

I'm using WinXP. I wrote a short C utility in which I want to change
directories and run programs. When I use the system() method and pass
in the same command that works in a cmd.exe session, it claims "Unable
to locate the directory". This happens for directories with and
without spaces in their names. Can anyone tell me what's wrong?
Thanks.
B
Here's the code snippet that fails:

if( _chdir( "C:" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// WORKS THIS FAR

if( _wchdir( "cd Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

if( _wchdir( "cd C:\\Perl" ) != 0 )
printf( "Unable to locate the directory: %s\n", "C:\\Perl" );
else
system( "dir *.*");

// 'UNABLE TO LOCATE' EITHER OF THESE ALTHOUGH THIS DIRECTORY DOES
EXIST

wchdir expects a wide character set string, not a multi byte one.
Hence, it doesn't find any directory you pass it.

Rule:
Use the documentation when something doesn't work.

[Alan Balmer]

On 26 Aug 2004 17:57:50 -0700, od******@gmail.com (oddstray) wrote:

I'm using WinXP. I wrote a short C utility in which I want to change
directories and run programs. When I use the system() method and pass
in the same command that works in a cmd.exe session, it claims "Unable
to locate the directory". This happens for directories with and
without spaces in their names. Can anyone tell me what's wrong?
Thanks.

Off topic here. Try a Windows programming group. However, I note that
you have one method which works - why not use it?

{OT} I wouldn't expect the system calls to work. You spawn a shell,
change directory in that shell, then close the shell and return to the
program you spawned it from. {/OT]

--
Al Balmer
Balmer Consulting
re************************@att.net

[Kenneth Brody]

oddstray wrote:
[...]

if( _wchdir( "cd Perl" ) != 0 )

[...]

Do you really have a directory called "cd Perl"?

If so, then something else is wrong, and you'll need to ask help in a
Windows-related group.

If not, then I hope you see the problem now.

--
+-------------------------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
| Kenneth J. Brody | www.hvcomputer.com | |
| kenbrody/at\spamcop.net | www.fptech.com | #include <std_disclaimer.h> |
+-------------------------+--------------------+-----------------------------+