How to start an application in the background using "oscmd" on windows

Question

Is there any way to launch a windows application using oscmd without suspending xmath?
From a "cmd" window one can use the start command:
> start notepad
Which starts the application without suspending the "cmd" window.
From xmath command line, one may use:
> oscmd("start notepad")
This starts the application. However, the user cannot interact with xmath as long as the application is running.
Thanks
Xmath715, windows xp version 5.1 SP2

Answer 1

Hi Farshid,
There is a command in the Shell API of Windows that runs an executable:
#include <utility.h>
#include <ansi_c.h>
#include <shellapi.h>
#include <windows.h>
int main (int argc, char *argv[])
    int res;
    if (InitCVIRTE (0, argv, 0) == 0)
        return -1;    /* out of memory */
    HINSTANCE stuff;
    stuff = ShellExecute(NULL, "open", "notepad.exe", NULL,NULL, SW_SHOW);
    printf("%i",stuff);
    return 0;
You can build a similar program into an executable and since the Parent
executable will finish executing, control will return to XMath even
while notepad is still open.
Richard
Field Sales Engineer, New Jersey
National Instruments