Trying to store system(command) Output

I have had two C++ classes now and have a decent amount of experience, but bear with me still.
I am trying to write code for a network monitor of sorts, initially in just C++ and then if I can get it to truly work, I'll utilize Visual C++.
Anyway, the only way that I can find to get current incoming and outgoing transfer information is by using the command line command "netstat -e".

Which gives:
<<<
C:\Documents and Settings\Jim>netstat -e
Interface Statistics

Received Sent

Bytes 153540201 7276711
Unicast packets 126359 85861
Non-unicast packets 173281 2197
Discards 0 0
Errors 0 0
Unknown protocols 4887

>>>
as DOS output. This command can be called in C++ by using
system("netstat -e") and the library <process.h>.
What I truly need is to store the received and sent bytes values from this output, but as of yet I haven't had any luck.
I have tried to store the output into a string, but only came out with a numerical value of 0, which I've read simply means the command was executed successfully.
I have also tried to send the output to a text file so that data can be taken from it, but I haven't had luck getting that to work either.

If anyone has any idea as to an easier way of getting network information, or of a way that information can be stored from a system output, it would be greatly appreciated.

You could use system("netstat -e > output.txt") and then read in output.txt.

How about redirecting the output of netstat to a temporary file and then opening up that file to read from it?

Code:

---

system("netstat -e > temp.out")
ifstream fin("temp.out");

---

edit: Damn, I'm beaten!

Ha...apparently neither one of us read the whole thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by punxworm

I have also tried to send the output to a text file so that data can be taken from it, but I haven't had luck getting that to work either.

---

However, it looks like it works to me.

Code:

---

int main()
{
        system("netstat -e > output.txt");
        std::ifstream infile("output.txt");
        std::string buffer;
        while(getline(infile,buffer))
        {
                std::cout << buffer << std::endl;
        }
        return 0;
}

---

I'm not too sure about my loop condition though. Is that while loop okay?

Yeah, getline will return false if an error or EOF is encountered. Actually, I think that's one of the best ways to get input from a file.

awesome thanks for the help guys. Now i can get my hands on that data.