VB annoying problem!!!!

The bearded one

How do you call up text outputted by a c executed program onto a label on a form in vb6?

The following is the code we used to send information entered into a text box on a vb form to input into a c executable program.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Open "c:\input.txt" For Output As #1
Print #1, txtSign.Text
Print #1, txtHeight.Text
Print #1, txtName.Text
Print #1, vbCrLf
Close #1

Shell "c:\generate.exe < c:\input.txt "
End Sub

After clicking the command button this code sends the information entered into the text boxes to a text file called input.txt it then runs the generate.exe program entering the information in the text boxes to the program.

What we would like to know using a similar program how we would receive text outputed by a program called commun.exe to a label in the vb form.

Note this program does not require information to be entered into it, when run it just outputs the following text "no communication" or "there is communication".

Does anybody know?

phaxx

Have the C program write it's output to a file, and then have VB read it. The only other way I know of would be DDE, or sockets, but using a file would be the easiest.

The bearded one

We don't have access to the c files, we just have the executables.
Anyway have you the code for what you suggest? we would be interested in seeing it

phaxx

Redirect the output to a file.

Modify this line:

Shell "c:\generate.exe < c:\input.txt "

to be

Shell "c:\generate.exe < c:\input.txt > c:\output.txt"

Then open c:\output.txt, and off you go.

[edit] Oh, and put some error handling in there. [/edit]

The bearded one

Thanks, I think that may solve the problem. But I am a beginner in VB and I would be greatful If you could give the full code including reading the output from the text file in VB.

phaxx

Yeah sure no problem, but I'll need an example of the output the C program produces.

Hobbes

Private Sub Command1_Click() 
Const stdoutFile = "c:\input.txt"
Const stdinFile = "c:\output.txt"
Const GenerateEXE = "c:\generate.exe"
Const PIPEfrom = " < " 
Const PIPEto = " > "

ff = Freefile
Open  stdoutFile For Output As #ff
    Print #ff, txtSign.Text 
    Print #ff, txtHeight.Text 
    Print #ff, txtName.Text 
    Print #ff, vbCrLf 
Close #ff 

cmdline$ = GenerateEXE + PIPEfrom + stdoutFile + PIPEto + stdinFile 
Shell cmdline$

ff = freefile
open stdinFile for input as #ff
  do while not eof(ff) 
      line input #ff, a$

      ' Add code to process lines here.  
      ' If it's a fixed set of lines, just use line inputs and remove
      ' do while/loop 
  loop
close #ff

End Sub 

(you can see I'm bored. )

The bearded one

Thanks Hobbes it worked the finest!