about launching external application

Hi
I´m noob in programming so keep it simple thank you.

My OS is Vista x64 SP1
and I use VS 2008 PRO SP1

I am experimenting windows programming and I thought to make a simple launcher.

There are two functions / APIs:

CreateProcess () and system ()

Any other APIs???
I got a hint that there would be more.

Really I wouldn't think there would be more APIs than the C standard libraries (system) and the Win32 API. Granted there are other functions in the Win32 API then CreateProcess (ShellExecute I think is another) -- you can find out all the stuff from that API at msdn.microsoft.com.

It's that deja-vu feeling all over again

Choose wisely

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salem

It's that deja-vu feeling all over again

Choose wisely

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Yeah, I came here because I got private message in my email

somebody called ?macro32? if I remember right and told that there would be more this kind of APIs. He suggested to subscribe in news://comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32

But I didn´t manage, some kind Windows mail window opens and when trying to subscribe it just loads..

that´s why I tried other forums with separate Windows coding area..this is NO spamming if you are wondering.

so I´ll check ShellExecute too....

If you just want to read news, then http://groups.google.com/

But for most effective use, a newsreader (there are many) is a good start - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Usenet_newsreaders

Some web browsers can read the news, as can some email clients, but they tend to be a compromise.

Use ShellExecute, but I you want to keep track of the process ID and thread ID, use CreateProcess.

To subscribe newsgroups with Windows Mail :
http://support.cox.com/sdccommon/asp...b-9ad40513af96

Thaats it. I have tried much so I give up.
Learning native c++ didn´t pay up. Coding windows is like starting from clean table.

my code this far is like this:

Code:

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#include<windows.h>
#include<stdio.h>
#include<tchar.h>


void _tmain( int argc, TCHAR *argv [] )
{
        STARTUPINFO si;
    PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
        STARTUPINFO sj;
    PROCESS_INFORMATION pj;

    ZeroMemory( &si, sizeof(si) );
    si.cb = sizeof(si);
    ZeroMemory( &pi, sizeof(pi) );
        ZeroMemory( &sj, sizeof(sj) );
    sj.cb = sizeof(sj);
    ZeroMemory( &pj, sizeof(pj) );
 
        // Start the child process.
        if( !CreateProcess( NULL,
                "A.exe",                                                        // Command line
        NULL,                                                                        // Process handle not inheritable
        NULL,                                                                        // Thread handle not inheritable
        FALSE,                                                                        // Set handle inheritance to FALSE
        0,                                                                                // No creation flags
        NULL,                                                                        // Use parent's environment block
        NULL,                                                                        // Use parent's starting directory
        &si,                                                                        // Pointer to STARTUPINFO structure
        &pi )                                                                        // Pointer to PROCESS_INFORMATION structure
    )
 
       

if (pi.hProcess != 0)

        ResumeThread (pj.hThread);

    WaitForSingleObject( pi.hProcess, INFINITE );

 
    CloseHandle( pi.hProcess );
    CloseHandle( pi.hThread );


if( !CreateProcess( NULL,
                "B.exe",                                                       
        NULL,                                                               
        NULL,                                                                       
        FALSE,                                                                       
        CREATE_SUSPENDED,                                                                               
        NULL,                                                                       
        NULL,                                                                       
        &sj,                                                                       
        &pj )                                                                       
    )

...............................the rest is obvious....}

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now both applications (A and B) opens a window but simultaneusly, so I suspended one thread.

and now I have to resume suspended thread. I have tried everything:

ResumeThread (sj. / pj.hthread / .process and tried putting &sj/&pj...

Should I add more parameters in STARTUPINFO or PROCESS_INFORMATION?

no luck, so what is that handle which is importatnt for resumethread?

thanx and sorry being noob.

What do you think CreateThread returns, if not a handle to the thread?

(Edit: And I hope you actually have error-handling stuff inside that if statement there, as opposed to the nothing you've posted?)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tabstop

What do you think CreateThread returns, if not a handle to the thread?

(Edit: And I hope you actually have error-handling stuff inside that if statement there, as opposed to the nothing you've posted?)

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no error handling, and if I remove that "if ()" function and leave only ResumeThread () it won´t do anything.. at least it get compiled just fine but resuming won´t happen..that piece of code is just leftover what I have been testing. Something similar I need.

Well... if I think hard,. only thread which would be resumed is pj.thread, isn´t that right?

but I want so that only when pi.thread had been fully completed. yes? that means handle in 1st child thread is "> 0" or "!= 0" or do I have to use STILL_ACTIVE flag?...hmm or sj.cb..have to try that next..I have overlooked that one..

1. Well, if you have an if, then the next statement is going to be the "then" part of it -- so look into that (since I have no idea what your code looks like or what you're trying to do).

2. So you suspended B, I guess, looking at your CreateThread calls -- which means you sure as heck can't resume it until after you've even created it and suspended it, yes? You can't resume A -- it's still running.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tabstop

1. Well, if you have an if, then the next statement is going to be the "then" part of it -- so look into that (since I have no idea what your code looks like or what you're trying to do).

2. So you suspended B, I guess, looking at your CreateThread calls -- which means you sure as heck can't resume it until after you've even created it and suspended it, yes? You can't resume A -- it's still running.

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Right, I want to run 1st child process 1st (with A.exe), that one which isn´t suspended,
that´s why I put pj.Thread in ResumeThread function. Logically it should unsuspend 2nd child process (B.exe in it)

..Maybe I just should move CloseHandle()´s to the very end of code....

But like I said earlier if I remove IF () function ResumeThread won´t unsusped 2nd child process. Even if moved to end of code..it would be enough if I would be positive that Resuming would work then I would work on that IF () function more..

Am I even close?

I don't think you're particularly close, given what you've posted, no. How do you propose to unsuspend the second child process when you haven't even created it yet?

I...got it WORKING!!

yeeah NOW I can be sure that all my functions work, final thing would be insert taht conditional IF () struct in, I had to shuffle lines a bit....order of code lines are MORE strict than I thought.

Thanks Tabstop your hints gave the right path, I´ll be back if I can´t make IF function work right.

I managed to simplify that code, no suspending needed after all
Just removed IF(!) structs from code (which was copy/pasted from msdn and then worked)

after that WaitForSingleObject () did the work fine BUT

now after final child process, before program is closed, console windows appears, blank.
Why is it appearing? I tried CREATE_NO_WINDOW, and moved A and B.EXE as 1st parameter in CreateProcess() function, didn´t help.

Any hints how to fix this?

> Why is it appearing?
Your program is a console program, so it momentarily displays a console before disappearing

> Any hints how to fix this?
Make it a GUI program.
GUI programs begin at WinMain(), not main()

huh huh, When I was learning about native c++ I thought main function is the only one constant in program but obviously it isn´t.

1st I tried longer version:

int wmain(int argc, wchar_t* argv[ ], wchar_t* envp[ ])

then just

int wmain ()

and that´s it, now it´s native windows program...live and learn..

thanx again