Thread: chdir (mystring); changing DIR but not staying there.

Hello,

In my code if I use chdir (".."); then issue system ("dir"); it shows a list of the previous directory which is what I want.

However if I pass chdir my built string chdir (message) it will go to that and then go back to the original dir. How can I make it remain in that directory?

P.S. I know message is working because if I concatenate DIR to it and pass it to system (message) then it will list the contents of the directory from message.

Also directorylist.txt has path names in it C:\Program Files\hi after message is created it, messages value is C:\"Program files"\"hi"

Here is the code.

Code:

 
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <dos.h>
#include <string.h>
int changedir();

int main(){
	
	changedir();
	
	return 0;
}

int changedir(){
  char buffer[200] = "";  /* declare a char array */
  char message[200] = "";
  char field[200] = "";
  char result[200] = "";
  int n, first_run = 1;
  FILE *file;  /* declare a FILE pointer  */
  file = fopen("directorylist.txt", "r"); 
  /* open a text file for reading */
  
  if(file==NULL) {
    printf("Error: can't open file.\n");
    /* fclose(file); DON'T PASS A NULL POINTER TO fclose !! */
    return 1;
  }
  else {
	fgets(buffer, 200, file);
	const char *ptr = buffer;
	while ( sscanf(ptr, "%31[^\\]%n", field, &n) == 1 ){ //delimiters
		ptr += n; /* advance the pointer by the number of characters read */
        if ( *ptr != '\\' ){
            break; /* didn't find an expected delimiter, done? */
        }else{    
			if (first_run) //so message isn't C:"\" but instead C:\"
				;
			else
				strcat(field, "\"");
			
			strcat(message, field);
		    strcat(message, "\\\"");
		}
		 ++ptr; /* skip the delimiter */
		 first_run = 0;
	}
	//sprintf (result, "cd %s", message); // append CD to message
	//printf ("%s", message);
	//system (result);
	chdir (message);
	//system ("chdir c:\\");
	system ("dir");
	
    fclose(file);
    return 0;
  }
}

well if i do a dir with message it lists all the files of the dir in message.

even if i type system ("cd c:\fun"); it won't stay there. not even chdir ("c:\fun"); will stay there, it just enters and leaves.

the only time it remains in the directory is when I use chdir ("..");

so how to stay in that directory using my message which is equivalent to chdir ("C:\fun");


so basically the code works but i want it to stay in the directory.

so without all my code. how can i change to a specified directory and stay their. then do a dir to see the contents of that directory?

while i'm in the program.

so if i change the directory to C:\fun
i can then list the directory and write something there.
then go to C:\happy
then move a text file in there etc...

i want the directory changes to last for the life of my program.

your right.
great thanks. That code is better than mine.
Just out of curiousity how can I edit the code below so chdir (buffer); will work?

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <dos.h>
#include <string.h>
int changedir();

int main(){
	
	changedir();
	
	return 0;
}

int changedir(){
  char buffer[200] = "";  /* declare a char array */
 
  FILE *file;  /* declare a FILE pointer  */
  file = fopen("directorylist.txt", "r"); 
  /* open a text file for reading */
  
  if(file==NULL) {
    printf("Error: can't open file.\n");
    /* fclose(file); DON'T PASS A NULL POINTER TO fclose !! */
    return 1;
  }
  else {
	fgets(buffer, 200, file);
	
	chdir (buffer);
	system ("dir");
    
	fclose(file);
    return 0;
  }
}