Controlling legacy DOS program from linux

Hi,
As part of my final year project, I'm trying to control a camera mount automatically using stepper motors. This will then be used for robotic navigattion. Most of my code is written in Java, but I have been given some old C code to control the motors with. One loaded, it sits in an infinite loop that waits for keyboard input, resonds, loops, and so on ...
I'm trying desperately to find a way of issuing commands to this program from my Java programs. I tried to implement a listening server in the C code but got a bit bogged down. Now wonder if I can use the
exec and getOutputStream methods in Java to control the Dos program...?
Any ideas very very welcome. I've reached hair pulling out time!
Ben Barker

I can see a couple of ways to do this.
1. Using - as you suggested - exec and input stream/output stream.
I suggest you write a really tiny java control program to test this. You can simply never tell what kind of input or output assumptions are built into the C code. (What I mean is, sometimes it is very hard to find somethng in the output you can use to control your java-sideparsing.
2. An alternative is to turn the C code into a shared library (dll or so) with an appropriate Native interface and java object with methods declared "native". It sounds like your fundamental model is java calling C code, so if the interface only requires a few calls, then this could work well.

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Oops - meant to say "Controlling Legacy DOS program from Java ..."

Sorry - don't know what I wasn't thinking - muddled up my post title!
As part of my final year project, I'm trying to control a camera mount automatically using stepper motors. This will then be used for robotic navigattion. Most of my code is written in Java, but I have been given some old C code to control the motors with. One loaded, it sits in an infinite loop that waits for keyboard input, resonds, loops, and so on ...
I'm trying desperately to find a way of issuing commands to this program from my Java programs. I tried to implement a listening server in the C code but got a bit bogged down. Now wonder if I can use the
exec and getOutputStream methods in Java to control the Dos program...?
Any ideas very very welcome. I've reached hair pulling out time!
Ben Barker

Everything is now woeking...ish:
I can now make the below java program bring up, for instance, windows calculator or notepad.
I can't test it on the main code yet at I don't have the right computer in front of me. However, I decided to try to test it by runing cmd using ...exec("cmd"), then printing a command to the output stream to make windows calculator run. This caused precisely nothing to happen ...
Any ideas?
import java.io.*;
class java_test
public static void main(String[] args)
          try
          Process p= Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cmd");
          InputStream is= p.getInputStream();
          OutputStream os= p.getOutputStream();
          PrintStream printStr = new PrintStream(os);
          printStr.println("calc.exe");
          catch (Throwable t)
          t.printStackTrace();
}

Can't execute a DOS program from a Java one

Hi everyone !
I'm a student, working as an apprentice in a company, and I have to make a program to execute faster some daily routine.
Here's my problem : I'm trying to execute a DOS program (mkisofs.exe) whick takes numerous arguments and enables me to create an ISO file.
But, for now, I can't manage to make it work. I've used both Process and ProcessBuilder, but in vain (I'm a student, and not really a JavaProgrammingStar).
If I would manually execute the command, I'll have to type under DOS the following command :
"C:\Documents and Settings\myName\Desktop\Current\Local\mkisofs.exe"   -r -J -l -L -b "isolinux/isolinux.bin" -c "isolinux/isolinux.cat" -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info -table -graft-points -o D:\ISO\toto.iso "C:\Documents and Settings\myName\Desktop\Current\Local\Clonezilla"or (without spaces)
C:\docume~1\myName\Desktop\Current\Local\mkisofs.exe   -r -J -l -L -b "isolinux/isolinux.bin" -c "isolinux/isolinux.cat" -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info -table -graft-points -o D:\ISO\toto.iso C:\docume~1\myName\Desktop\Current\Local\ClonezillaTill now, I've only managed to execute windowed program such as MsPaint.exe or DOS program from System32 directory such as taskkill.exe, but I couldn't execute, for example, tasklist.exe, or at least, I couldn't see the result of this command.
Can anyone help me ?
If some code is needed, jsut tell me.
Thanks by advance !
Hubert

Ok guys, I'm French, so excuse me if I didn't use the correct terminology, but I'm quite sure you understood that I was talking about MS-DOS command prompt in Windows XP.
Then, of course I've STFW, but none on my tries was successful. So a little help would be appreciated.
I've first tried this :
ProcessBuilder pb = new ProcessBuilder("cmd.exe", "/K", "mspaint.exe");
                  pb.redirectErrorStream(true);
                  try {
                      Process p = pb.start();
                      BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(p.getInputStream()));
                      try {
                          String rep = in.readLine();
                          System.out.println(rep);
                      } finally {
                          in.close();
                  } catch (IOException e) {
                      e.printStackTrace();//repTF.setText("erreur");
                  }It worked.
But this :
String CMD = "C:\\docume~1\\myName\\Bureau\\Current\\Local\\mkisofs.exe";
String arg1 = "-r -J -l -L -b \"isolinux/isolinux.bin\" -c \"isolinux/isolinux.cat\" -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4";
String arg2 = "-boot-info -table -graft-points -o D:\\ISO\\toto.iso C:\\docume~1\\myName\\Bureau\\Current\\Local\\Clonezilla";
ProcessBuilder pb = new ProcessBuilder(CMD, arg1, arg2);
                  pb.redirectErrorStream(true);
                  try {
                      Process p = pb.start();
                      BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(p.getInputStream()));
                      try {
                          String rep = in.readLine();
                          System.out.println(rep);
                      } finally {
                          in.close();
                  } catch (IOException e) {
                      e.printStackTrace();//repTF.setText("erreur");
                  }does'nt.
What's wrong ? I should use a String table for args ?

Running DOS program from java

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Controlling a C program from Java

I'm developing a Cross Correlation Spectrum Analyser designed around a PCI ADC card. I've written some C code, which interfaces with the card, captures the data and performs the relevant signal processing. I've also written a Java front end that allows the user to input the parameters for the card, and plots the resultant spectrum.
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Using Runtime.getRuntime().exec(DOS Program) with Windows 2000.

I am trying to spawn a DOS Program from within Java.
On Win95/98/ME, I use
Process     p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("START /w command.com con /c myDOSProgram.exe");
This works on these platforms. On Win 2000, I use
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I have tried all combinations of using START, cmd.exe, con /c, etc.
I can spawn a Windows App using
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Hi. I recently wrote a java GUI that calls a DOS program with mixed success. Here's the code I used to make the call:String osName = System.getProperty("os.name" );
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http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-12-2000/jw-1229-traps.html
Hope this helps!

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Go to Solution.

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Open a Windows Explorer window to:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
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please help mewith this - thanks, froy
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Hello
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Dos is not supported in Windows 7. You need to install DOS virtual servers such as DOS Box to run the program.Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. ”

Controlling legacy DOS program from linux

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