[RESOLVED] Communicate two executables through the console

[LeandroA]

Hello, I am using a code that calls a console executable with command lines, reads its data and tells me when it ends, fragments of the code that I use so that you have an idea

' Call this sub to execute and capture a console app.
' Ex: Call ExecAndCapture("ping localhost", Text1)
Public Sub ExecAndCapture(ByVal sCommandLine As String, _
                          cTextBox As TextBox, _
                          Optional ByVal sStartInFolder As _
                              String = vbNullString)
Const BUFSIZE         As Long = 1024 * 10
Dim hPipeRead         As Long
Dim hPipeWrite        As Long
Dim sa                As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
Dim si                As STARTUPINFO
Dim pi                As PROCESS_INFORMATION
Dim baOutput(BUFSIZE) As Byte
Dim sOutput           As String
Dim lBytesRead        As Long
    
    With sa
        .nLength = Len(sa)
        .bInheritHandle = 1    ' get inheritable pipe
            ' handles
    End With 'SA
    
    If CreatePipe(hPipeRead, hPipeWrite, sa, 0) = 0 Then
        Exit Sub
    End If

    With si
        .cb = Len(si)
        .dwFlags = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW Or _
            STARTF_USESTDHANDLES
        .wShowWindow = SW_HIDE          ' hide the window
        .hStdOutput = hPipeWrite
        .hStdError = hPipeWrite
    End With 'SI
    
    If CreateProcess(vbNullString, sCommandLine, ByVal 0&, _
        ByVal 0&, 1, 0&, ByVal 0&, sStartInFolder, si, pi) _
        Then
        Call CloseHandle(hPipeWrite)
        Call CloseHandle(pi.hThread)
        hPipeWrite = 0
        Do
            DoEvents
            If ReadFile(hPipeRead, baOutput(0), BUFSIZE, _
                lBytesRead, ByVal 0&) = 0 Then
                Exit Do
            End If
            sOutput = Left$(StrConv(baOutput(), vbUnicode), _
                lBytesRead)
            cTextBox.SelText = sOutput
        Loop
        Call CloseHandle(pi.hProcess)
    End If
    ' To make sure...
    Call CloseHandle(hPipeRead)
    Call CloseHandle(hPipeWrite)

End Sub

Now, my question is the following, I would like to make another program that makes vb6 that can send that information, that is, write the console and that can be read with the previous code, I want to communicate two executables but only "using this method"


I tried these two codes but they didn't work, I'm on window x64
https://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=5647
https://docs.microsoft.com/es-ES/tro...i-applications

[Peter Swinkels]

Blatant self-promotion: https://github.com/PeterSwinkels/Console-Shell - I believe this program does almost exactly what you need. If not, let me know and I will see what I can come up with. Okay?

[LeandroA]

Blatant self-promotion: https://github.com/PeterSwinkels/Console-Shell - I believe this program does almost exactly what you need. If not, let me know and I will see what I can come up with. Okay?

hello, the code you provide is something similar to what I already have, what I need is the other part, let's say create the console executable.
In the links that I published above it would seem to be the solution but for some reason they do not work for me

    sWriteBuffer = "Hola mundo"
    hStdOut = stdout()
    WriteFile hStdOut, sWriteBuffer, Len(sWriteBuffer) + 1, lBytesWritten

In windows 10x64bits hStdOut = 0
In windows 7x32bits hStdOut = 7 but lBytesWritten=0

[Peter Swinkels]

I am not sure what you mean, but try this: https://github.com/PeterSwinkels/Console. Why not pm me with an explanation of what you need in Spanish (your native language, correct?). I could read it using Google Translate.

[wqweto]

Try this function

Public Sub ConsolePrint(sText As String)
    Const InIde         As Boolean = False '-- make this a function
    Const StdOut        As Long = 1
    Static oStdOut      As Object
    
    If InIde Then
        Debug.Print sText;
    Else
        If oStdOut Is Nothing Then
            With CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
                Set oStdOut = .GetStandardStream(StdOut)
            End With
        End If
        oStdOut.Write sText
    End If
End Sub

This will work only if you project has

[VBCompiler]
LinkSwitches=/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE

. . . manually added to the .vbp file.

Btw, GetStandardStream returns a TextStream object which has a lot of methods/properties which can be used to read input too so you might want to call these directly and skip this wrapper function altogether.

Noticably the TextStream object is missing a Flush function and your problem with console I/O seems to be connected with buffering in some way.

cheers,
</wqw>

[Joe Caverly]

Here's a drop-in Console Class that I have been using for many years.

From the web site;

The whole enchilada. If you want to write a real console application, using Classic VB, this is the ticket. Create a new project, set it to start with Sub Main, drop the MConsole.bas file into your application, and you're almost ready to rock. This sample provides complete support for writing and testing console applications within the IDE.

Of course, redirection and pipes are fully supported as well. Here's a snippet showing how to read standard input, and send it directly to the clipboard. (This is the heart of a neat little utility I wrote that allows you to capture the output of any console application and place it on the clipboard.) This snippet also demonstrates output of debugging information, output to standard error, and the issuance of an exitcode upon completion:

Site: Karl E. Peterson's Classic VB Code: Console

Joe

[wqweto]

Here's a drop-in Console Class that I have been using for many years.

From the web site;


Site: Karl E. Peterson's Classic VB Code: Console

Joe

I was about to comment that it's impossible for a win32 subsystem executable to completely emulate console subsystem executable because cmd.exe will *not* wait for the win32 executable to finish execution unlike console subsystem executable which is waited upon for complete termination before continuing current command line or batch of execution and then I found out the "Required Modification of Executable" paragraph and realized what a total clutch this whole module of Karls has become actually!

Don't use it!

Karl himself would have *not* used it provided that he knew about the undocumented LinkSwitches option. This single options can mark every executable into a console subsystem straigh out of VBIDE linker already (and much more) and requires tons of *less* code with just a couple of API calls to operate on the now OS provided console and virtually no APIs when using the VBScript built-in TextStreams for everything console related.

Again, there is nothing this module brings that is not already available from the VBScript built-in TextStreams.

cheers,
</wqw>

[LeandroA]

Try this function

Public Sub ConsolePrint(sText As String)
    Const InIde         As Boolean = False '-- make this a function
    Const StdOut        As Long = 1
    Static oStdOut      As Object
    
    If InIde Then
        Debug.Print sText;
    Else
        If oStdOut Is Nothing Then
            With CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
                Set oStdOut = .GetStandardStream(StdOut)
            End With
        End If
        oStdOut.Write sText
    End If
End Sub

This will work only if you project has

[VBCompiler]
LinkSwitches=/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE

. . . manually added to the .vbp file.

Btw, GetStandardStream returns a TextStream object which has a lot of methods/properties which can be used to read input too so you might want to call these directly and skip this wrapper function altogether.

Noticably the TextStream object is missing a Flush function and your problem with console I/O seems to be connected with buffering in some way.

cheers,
</wqw>

Yes!!, That works perfect! Thank you very much, excellent trick, now trying the previous links adding those lines to the .vbp they also work, now that I read better again I realize that dilettante had suggested modifying the exe so that it works, but I like it more that it can be done do from the .vbp file.
thank you very much weqeto and peter swinkels

[xxdoc123]

Blatant self-promotion: https://github.com/PeterSwinkels/Console-Shell - I believe this program does almost exactly what you need. If not, let me know and I will see what I can come up with. Okay?

Strange. You can't control your console program(https://github.com/PeterSwinkels/Console-Shell) with your console shell (https://github.com/PeterSwinkels/Console-Shell).may be vb6 console program have some bugs?

[Peter Swinkels]

@xxdoc13: I am not sure what you mean by controlling my program with itself. It is possible my description of it is lacking. What it is supposed to do is allow you to launch console based programs and interact with them from inside a GUI. If it does that there are no bugs, but I will revise the description to avoid future misunderstandings.

[Peter Swinkels]

@xxdoc13: I updated Console Shell's description at Github and while the program worked as I had intended after testing it I did find there was room for improvement. If you have any suggestions I might be able to implement them. A new version should be available soon.

An updated version has been uploaded now.