If you want your program to run another program and use that program's output. The code below executes the MS-DOS command 'dir' (similar to Linux 'ls') and puts the output of this command in a std::vector. Then it displays the output on screen.

Assumes you have already declared the FileExists and FileToVector functions.


#include <cassert>

#include <cstdlib>

#include <fstream>

#include <iostream>

#include <string>

#include <vector>





int main()

{

  //From http://www.richelbilderbeek.nl/CppRunOtherProgram.htm

  //Silenty executes 'dir' and writes the output to the file "temp.txt"

  std::system("dir > temp.txt");



  //Read "temp.txt" in a std::vector<std::string>

  const std::vector<std::string> file(FileToVector("temp.txt"));



  //Display the file

  typedef std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator Iterator;

  for (Iterator i = file.begin(); i!=file.end(); ++i)

  {

    std::cout << *i << std::endl;

  }

}

Go back to Richel Bilderbeek's C++ page.

Go back to Richel Bilderbeek's homepage.

(C++) RunOtherProgram