Preventing a called exe file from writing to the console

[Holly_vi]

I have an application that needs to call an exe file a lot of times during its run.
Both appliactions (the caller, and the one being called) are Win32 console applications.
Now, here is my problem:
The exe file that my application calls write a lot of data to the console.
This data does not interest me, and it only messes with the data I write to the console.
Is there a simple way to prevent the called exe from writing to the console?
I heard something about pipes, but since I know nothing about them, I don't even know if this is the right direction for me.

Important points:
- I can't modify the called exe file.
- The data that the called exe writes to the console has no meaning for me, so I don't care if it goes nowehere, as long as I don't see it.
- I call the exe file a lot of times from my applications, and the whole thing needs to run fast.

Any tip would be appreciated.

[Hobson]

Invoke your exe files with following command line:

myfile.exe -parameters -if -needed >NUL


this will redirect standard output of executable to NUL pipe, which is pretty nowhere.

[Holly_vi]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hobson
Invoke your exe files with following command line:
myfile.exe -parameters -if -needed >NUL
I tried it, and it still prints the called exe data to the console.
Please help.

[Hobson]

What function you use to start exe files?

[Holly_vi]

I use CreateProcess.
The called exe file expects no arguments, so how should my command line look like?
(The command line is the 2nd parameter to CreateProcess).

[bms123]

Quote:

I tried it, and it still prints the called exe data to the console.
Please help.

I don't know whether this makes sense or not, if syntactically this is correct then give a try.

myfile.exe -parameters -if -needed 1>NUL

if this does not work then try below :

myfile.exe -parameters -if -needed 2>NUL

If I have posted some nonsense, then moderators, please delete it.

[Hobson]

Try following:

SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES proc, thread;
STARTUPINFO startup;
PROCESS_INFORMATION info;

ZeroMemory(&proc,sizeof(proc));
ZeroMemory(&thread,sizeof(thread));
ZeroMemory(&startup,sizeof(startup));
ZeroMemory(&info,sizeof(info));

//set all properties here, if needed...


CreateProcess(".\\..\\debug\\nooutput.exe","",&proc,&thread,false,DETACHED_PROCESS,NULL,".",&startup,&info);
//Another way:
CreateProcess(".\\..\\debug\\nooutput.exe","",&proc,&thread,false,CREATE_NO_WINDOW,NULL,".",&startup,&info);


For more info look at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dllproc/base/process_creation_flags.asp
or you can call

system(".\\..\\debug\\nooutput.exe > nul");

but it doesnt look too good for me, works well tho...

Both worked for me on WinXp, VC++ 6.0

Hob

[Holly_vi]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hobson
system(".\\..\\debug\\nooutput.exe > nul");
but it doesnt look too good for me, works well tho...
Calling system does the job.
The CreateProcess example with "CREATE_NO_WINDOW' does not work for me for some reason. (I tried it before).
I still have to try the one with DETACHED_PROCESS, but at least now I have something that works.
So..... lots of thanks for the speedy help. :)