CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javabatch-file
Anto
Anto

Reputation: 4305

Problem executing a batch file in Java

I am trying to execute a batch file in my Java application. The code is the following:

Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cmd /C start C:/Documents and Settings/Zatko/My Documents/Project-Workspace/IUG/external/apps/archive/run-server.bat");

When it executes, a error dialog appear telling "Windows cannot find 'C:/Documents'. make sure you typed the name corretly...."

When I execute with the same code another batch file, named file.bat and located in the C:/Temp folder, it works perfectly....

Does anyone know where the problem may be? Is it about spacing characters?

Thanks in advance

Upvotes: 0

Views: 3587

Answers (4)

Joey
Joey

Reputation: 354854

Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cmd /C start \"\" \"C:/Documents and Settings/Zatko/My Documents/Project-Workspace/IUG/external/apps/archive/run-server.bat\"");

should work.

You need to quote arguments with spaces or shell metacharacters in them. And start expects the first quoted argument to be a window title, so give it an empty one so it's happy.

Upvotes: 2

coding_idiot
coding_idiot

Reputation: 13734

This works :

List<String> templst = new ArrayList<String>();

templst.add("cmd");

templst.add("/C");

templst.add("start");

templst.add("backup.bat");

Process p = rt.exec(templst.toArray(new String[]{}), null, new File(path));

Upvotes: 0

Thomas Mueller
Thomas Mueller

Reputation: 50147

It's much better to use an array:

String[] array = { ... };
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(array);

as in

String[] array = { "cmd", "/C", "start", 
    "C:/Documents and Settings/Zatko/My Documents/.../run-server.bat" };
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(array);

Using an array is specially important if you have spaces in one of the parameters, like you do.

Upvotes: 2

GHad
GHad

Reputation: 9641

Edit:

It seems the start command needs an extra parameter whenever the path to the executable to start is enclosed in ". As one must surround parameters which contains spaces by " this is a little bit confusing as the start comand works as excepted when one has a path without spaces and thus does not enclose it with ". That's what happened when I tested the code below for a folder c:/temp and it worked without an additional parameter.

The parameter in charge is a title for the window that is opened. It must come es second paramter and if it contains spaces must be surrounded by ".

I suggest to always use " for both title and path.

So here is the updated command:

You need to enclose

c:/Document and Settings/...

with " as the filename contains spaces. And you need to include a title when using the start command with a paramter with ".

For Java that would be:

Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cmd /C start \"Server\" \"C:/Documents and Settings/Zatko/My Documents/Project-Workspace/IUG/external/apps/archive/run-server.bat\"");

Greetz, GHad

Upvotes: 2

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