Running batch files in series, part 3

Question

Hi,
I have 2 batch files called list1.bat & list2.bat which I execute using
runCmd( "list1.bat" )
runCmd( "list2.bat" )
Both of them contain the commands
dir d:\
dir c:\
echo endOfBatchFile
The idea is that the second one will not kick off before the first one is finished so I came up with the method below.
But what I expect to happen doesn't happen, usual stuff
ie I read a line from the proc input stream and stay in the loop until I read the line "endOfBatchFile"
but can't get this to work. Am I going about this the right way, or am I reading from the wrong stream
PS the method call proc.wait() doesn't work which is why I have to come up with another way to force the program to wait until the first batch file is done.
public static void runCmd( String cmd ){
     String s = null;
     try {
       Runtime rt = Runtime.getRuntime();
       Process proc = rt.exec(cmd);
       BufferedReader stdInput = new BufferedReader(new  InputStreamReader(proc.getInputStream()));
       while ((s = stdInput.readLine()) != "endOfBatchFile") {
          System.out.println(s);
     catch (Exception IOex) {
        System.out.println("Exception occured in runCmd method : "+IOex.getMessage());
  }

Answer 1

My guess is that the Process you create (let's call it process A) includes a command that spawns a second process (let's call it process B) and then returns immediately. This would be the case if you used "cmd /c something", for example, as the command for process A. So in this case, you can know by using Process.waitFor() that process A has completed. But you have no way of knowing anything about process B, in particular you don't get notified when it terminates.
Not unless process B is designed so that it produces some visible evidence that you could wait for. Examples: creating a file in a predetermined location. Sending you a message via e-mail or JMS or a socket. Writing a record into a database file.
PC²