system() function using

hello ..
i m new at c++ programming. i have a problem about system() using.
you know system( ) function lets us to use dos commands.
and i have to use it like

system("dir")

my problem starts here. i want to use commands with variable.

for ex :

Code:

char folder[10] ;
.
cout<<"which folder"<<endl; // for ex i typed " photos " ;
cin>>folder;
.
system("dir folder[10]") // here is my problem.

i can not use system function with variable. i want to use that function to effect the folder i choose. but system function does what is written between quotation marks. So it's looking for the folder named "folder[10]" . i want it to effect the photos folder.
so here are my questions ;

how can i use system function with variable ?
or is there anyway to use dos commands for the variables (folders) i choose ?
or is there any other way to do this ?

i m newbie.. i will be glad if someone can help, any help would be appreciated.
Thanx in advance.

1. stop using C-strings, use std::string
2. do not use >> to read input - it stops on spaces, so you cannot read folder name with spaces inside - use getline
3. use stringstream to generate result

Code:

std::stringstream ss;
ss<< "dir " << folder;
system(ss.str().c_str());

Well, you can use sprintf/snprintf/strings/stringstreams to accomplish this.

Using strings:

Code:

string command = "dir ";
string folder;

cout << "which folder" << endl;
cin >> folder;  // Type in "photos"

command += folder;  // Now command contains "dir photos"

system(command.c_str());