From: "Fitzgerald,Greg" <GFITZGERALD@...>
Date: 2004-08-17T06:30:32+09:00
Subject: fork/exec ShellExecute


I am trying to launch a Windoze application and then wait for the app to
close before continuing.  If I were on a Unix variant I'd do this:

      fork { exec("myApp") }
      Process.wait

But unfortunately, fork is not implemented for Ruby on Windows.  A DOS
limitation I assume?

Using the raw Win32 API, I can do this (in C):

	SHELLEXECUTEINFO ShExecInfo = {0};
	ShExecInfo.cbSize = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
	ShExecInfo.fMask = SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
	ShExecInfo.hwnd = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.lpVerb = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.lpFile = "myApp.exe";	
	ShExecInfo.lpParameters = "";
	ShExecInfo.lpDirectory = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.nShow = NULL;
	ShExecInfo.hInstApp = NULL;
	ShellExecuteEx( &ShExecInfo );
	WaitForSingleObject( ShExecInfo );

Is there a way on Windows that I can wait for the app to close that's as
elegant as the Unix way?  I only need it to work on Windows but just out
of curiosity, is there a platform independent way? 

Thanks,
Greg

P.S. I apologize for the message at the bottom here.  It automatically
gets tacked onto the end of all outgoing mail, and I just love getting
Ruby email at work. 

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