A program that launches console applications and captures their output.

EDIT: See my latest post for the most recent version of the code.

Console Shell is a program that demonstrates how to capture the output of a console application. It uses the CreateProcess API function to launch a console application. The input/output is redirected by specifying handles to an output file and a console created by my program in the STARTUPINFO structure.

Dear Peter Swinkels
Thanks for the post.But I am getting this error.
"Can't Find DLL Entry Point GetConsoleprocessList in Kernel32.dll"

What version of Windows are you using? Yours might not support that API... Windows Vista and XP support it.

Or, are you trying to write your own program using a declaration for GetConsoleprocessList ? If so, watch the capitalisation, because it should be GetConsoleProcessList. API function names are case sensitive.

I am using Windows2000 server Edition :)

That probably is the problem. Perhaps you should check the MSDN, just to be sure.

can this code refresh each second to reflect changes to the captured console? and only capture lines (not the whole console content) and lastly, we can cancel (or shutdown) the captured console app?

I'm not sure whether the code I attached to this thread is suitable for your purposes. Could you explain what kind of an application you are trying to make and what exactly it needs to do with the captured console output?

ok, I have quite number of console apps that launches after each another... I can just run them, but it doesn't seems nice if it shows on the screen, so I figure it would be better to show the output on a textbox object.

I just wish that the captured console can be terminated because some console apps that I have run for a long period of time... and it can refresh the console output each second without locking the app. I found out when a console app output is captured, it locked the calling app until the console is done with what it was doing...

EDIT: See my latest post for the attachment.

Thanks, i'll try it later

Uploaded a major update. Attachment: Console Shell.zip.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Peter Swinkels

Uploaded a major update. Attachment: Console Shell.zip.

---

Hi, sorry for bringing up an old post...
I cant find the attach :/

thanks

https://github.com/peterswinkels/console-shell

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Peter Swinkels

https://github.com/peterswinkels/console-shell

---

thanks!!
I tried it, I have the same problem, like my code...

I must wait for the end of executed software, to get the output...

can it be readed in real time?

thanks again

@nicogalan:
You already have your own code? Could you post it so I can look at it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Peter Swinkels

@nicogalan:
You already have your own code? Could you post it so I can look at it?

---

Hi, yes, I have this:

Code:

---

Function ejecutar_Dos(Comando As String) As String
    Dim oShell As WshShell
    Dim oExec As WshExec
    Dim Ret As String
     
    Set oShell = New WshShell
    DoEvents
     
    ' ejecutar el comando
    Set oExec = oShell.Exec("%comspec% /c " & Comando)
    Ret = oExec.StdErr.ReadAll()
     
    ' retornar la salida y devolverla a la función
    ejecutar_Dos = Ret ' Replace(ret, Chr(10), vbNewLine)
     
    DoEvents
    Me.SetFocus
End Function
Function ejecutar_Dos2(Comando As String) As String
    Dim oShell As WshShell
    Dim oExec As WshExec
    Dim Ret As String
     
    Set oShell = New WshShell
    DoEvents
     
    ' ejecutar el comando
    Set oExec = oShell.Exec("%comspec% /c " & Comando)
    Ret = oExec.StdOut.ReadAll()
     
    ' retornar la salida y devolverla a la función
    ejecutar_Dos2 = Ret ' Replace(ret, Chr(10), vbNewLine)
     
    DoEvents
    Me.SetFocus
End Function




Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim Exec As String

    Exec = ("myexecutedsoft.exe")
   
    'txt_resultado.Text = ejecutar_Dos(Trim(Exec))
    txt_resultado.Text = ejecutar_Dos2(Trim(Exec))
End Sub

---

this code, executes the exe I need, and returns the result on my txt, but, I must wait for the whole process to be finished...
I need to see it in real time, or, be able to see whats happening on the executed exe...
this way, myexecutedsoft.exe seems not responding, only cmd screen, but I cant see whats happening, until it ends...
thanks

ps: I also tried with "shell" but I cant log to textbox what myexecutedsoft.exe returns

I think that is a DOS/cmd.exe restriction.
Linux and Unix use pipes that create a stream in memory and feeds the output of one program to the other directly.
DOS and the cmd.exe version implement pipes using temporary files. The output of one executable is redirected to a file. When that program ends then that file is fed into the piped executable. I assume this was because DOS and cmd.exe were not designed to be multi-threaded so didn't have an easy way to implement parallel running executables to allow "true" piping between simultaneous running programs.

This is for C# but may point you in the right direction:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...-application-c

Otherwise I have no idea.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nicogalan

this code, executes the exe I need, and returns the result on my txt, but, I must wait for the whole process to be finished...

---

This is because you use Ret = oExec.StdOut.ReadAll() to read *all* the output. The ReadAll method will wait for the program to finish so that it's sure *all* the output is captured.

Just use ReadLine or Read methods on the StdOut to read lines/chunks of output *while* the program is running.

StdOut is a TextStream object so you have a lot of other useful methods/properties there like SkipLine or AtEndOfStream -- check out the link for more.

cheers,
</wqw>

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by passel

I think that is a DOS/cmd.exe restriction.
Linux and Unix use pipes that create a stream in memory and feeds the output of one program to the other directly.
DOS and the cmd.exe version implement pipes using temporary files. The output of one executable is redirected to a file. When that program ends then that file is fed into the piped executable. I assume this was because DOS and cmd.exe were not designed to be multi-threaded so didn't have an easy way to implement parallel running executables to allow "true" piping between simultaneous running programs.

---

wow, this is a a pain....
sadly, the app wont run on linux :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Peter Swinkels

This is for C# but may point you in the right direction:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...-application-c

Otherwise I have no idea.

---

I'll check it, thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wqweto

This is because you use Ret = oExec.StdOut.ReadAll() to read *all* the output. The ReadAll method will wait for the program to finish so that it's sure *all* the output is captured.

Just use ReadLine or Read methods on the StdOut to read lines/chunks of output *while* the program is running.

StdOut is a TextStream object so you have a lot of other useful methods/properties there like SkipLine or AtEndOfStream -- check out the link for more.

cheers,
</wqw>

---

I tried readline, and same situation...
it waits for the programm to finish, to receive just 1 line of output.
will check the info you sent me too

thanks!

Look this https://www.vbforums.com/showthread....=1#post5494666
I got the ShellPipe control from dilettante and change it to a class with events, to use it for late binding in M2000 Interpreter.
I use this, without events, in a chess program, to send a FEN string (the current position in chess board), and to receive an answer. I use a loop every 50 ms, to call the ProcessLoop method, and to check if it is Active and if it has Line.

So this function GetMoves() return an array (tuple) when engine send a string which have bestmove. Because for my chess program there is no other job to do, this converted to a sync task. In this loop also I check if the exe is running. So after the function return, the exe waiting and not exit. When the Engine object (a ShellPipe) get out of scope then terminate the exe.

PHP Code:

---

Function GetMove$(Fen$)
    local aLine$
    method Engine, "SendLine" , "position fen "+Fen$
    method Engine, "SendLine" ,"go movetime"+str$(random(50, 200))
    every 50 {
        Method Engine, "ProcessLoop"
        if not Engine.Active then exit
          while  Engine.HasLine
            method Engine, "GetLine" as aLine$
            if left$(aLine$,8)="bestmove" then exit
          End While
        if left$(aLine$,8)="bestmove" then =piece$(aLine$," ", 2) : exit
    }        
End Function 


---

The implementation of Every statement is here:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M2...n/Mod_Text.bas
Open as raw and search "EVERY" (there is some characters not show correctly, because is the greek identifier for this statement). To compile the M2000.dll you have to set font to Courier New Greek, and the open the project.

Thanks everybody!
sadly, read the output lines, was impossible..... :/
I also tried C# code, the same result... always shelled app needed to finish to receive the output...

what was good to me was simply shell (cmd /k and my app to shell and arguments)

this way, I can read the output in real time, and app wont close after finish :)

thanks again!!