Reading outputs from the commandline

[T3kk]

I'm using Dev C++ and trying to read the output/errors for system commands back into a variables (for logging and other tasks later on). At the moment I have:

 
     char chBuffer4[]= "net stop mailservice";
     char chBuffer5[128];
     int lastChar;   
     FILE *fp; 
 
     fp = popen(chBuffer4, "r");
     lastChar = fread(chBuffer5, 1, 128, fp);
     chBuffer5[lastChar] = '\0'; 
     printf ( chBuffer5 );
     fclose(fp);
 

The problem is I either get back nothing, or I get back .εÉ|└@æ| ╗@æ|Ä╓☺... which despite looking very neat... isn't very useful.

I've been working on this for awhile now, and I am slightly baffled as this formate of code usually works on *nix servers, but it won't work on windows.

Any idea's? Suggestions?

[weaknessforcats]

What is popen???

int main()
{
     //char chBuffer4[]= "net stop mailservice";
    char chBuffer4[]= "net stop mailservice.txt";
     char chBuffer5[128];
     int lastChar;   
     FILE *fp; 
 
     //fp = popen(chBuffer4, "r");
     fp =fopen(chBuffer4, "r");
     if (!fp)
     {
         printf("no such file\n");
         return 1;
     }
     lastChar = fread(chBuffer5, 1, 128, fp);
     chBuffer5[lastChar] = '\0'; 
     printf ( chBuffer5 );
     fclose(fp);
 
}
 

I changed your popen to fopen and added a test for the FILE* to be non-null befoire I use it. Also, changed the files name. Works fine on Windows XP. Compiled with Visual Studio.NET 2005.

[T3kk]

Its a pipe... I'm not trying to read a file at all. Its the best way I've found so far to pass a "system()" like command and still be able to interact with the output afterwards

http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/007908799/xsh/popen.html Thats popen

[T3kk]

Oddly enough my code DOES work... it just doesn't display properly if the service DOESN'T exist... odd odd odd... looks like I'll have to work in a way to check for services now