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;
  }
}

---

> chdir (message);
It seems to me like message is full of \\ and "
It doesn't need them.

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.

Depending on the OS, you can't. For security reasons (mostly), the OS gives your process a copy of the environment variables to play with. You can't change the shell's environment from within your program.

chdir(), if you're doing it right will change the directory and stay there until you chdir() again.

I would suggest that chdir() returns a status value, which you should check. My guess is that the string you're passing is junk, so it appears to do nothing (when in fact it is complaining).

> even if i type system ("cd c:\fun"); it won't stay there
That's because it doesn't change the directory of the current process. It runs another process, which changes it's own directory, then promptly exits, leaving you where you are.

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?

When you say "stay there" do you mean after your program exits or while you're still in the program?

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.

They do. As Salem suggested check the return value of chdir().

chdir() works spiffy in this FAQ

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;
  }
}

---

You need to strip off the \n that fgets() returns in the buffer.

What compiler are you using? On all compilers that I can find, chdir() is in <unistd.h> (for POSIX) or <direct.h> (for Borland and Watcom, etc), never in <dos.h>.