launching a non java APP from a java APP

[Fred Abbot]

hi
I would like to write a program thta will launch another non-java program and then get a handle on that program so my program can push buttons on the second program
is this possible in JAVA where do i start
what java package supports this/
thanx
Fred

[Sean Casey]

This might be possible with some native calls. I'm not sure though. You might want to look at some information on the Java Native Interface (I think that's what it's called).

[Fred Abbot]

[Cindy Glass]

I don't know. Once you lauch the second program, when IT has focus your program is out of control.
What is it that you REALLY want to accomplish. Perhaps some more detail.

[Fred Abbot]

what i am trying to do is automate a program that my company uses
we have a program that once started up we push a series of buttons to get desired results.... we then take those results and write them to a file and do the same process again . . someone actually does this the whole day so I would like to write a program so that i can control the buttons
Thank You
Fred

[Suraj K]

if you want to launch a non-java app from windows use this:
Runtime().getRuntime().exec("non-java.exe");
thats all.. but i think u will need to enclose it in an exception handler.
hope that helped.

[Kaspar Dahlqvist]

Hi! The exec() method in Runtime returns a Process object, which can be used to perform IO on it. I think it should be possible to control the subprocess with the methods of this object. But I don't know how...

[Chris Camisa]

I would like to know how to do this as well...
I have wanted to control finding files on peer to peer networks like Napster and GNUtella (Limewire) for a long time.
I don't particularly like their interface and I want to change it...

If I could write code that allowed me to read textfields from within those programs and then have it push buttons for me and or fill in textfields then I could write a sorting method to act as AI for my connection to the network.
BTW, wouldn't Java need to open the program's window originally so that it didn't catch a security violation of somesort...?
--==]Chris Camisa[==--

[Fred Abbot]

Thank you all for your help -

[Cindy Glass]

There is a Robot class (that I have not played with) that might offer some opportunity for setting up scripts for "keystrokes" to help you.

[Zkr Ryz]

Im trying this code on my Windows "powered" pc
and nothig happens

public class RuntimeExample{
    public static void main( String [] args ){
        try{
            Runtime.getRuntime().exec("start explorer");
        }catch( java.io.IOException ioe ){
            ioe.getMessage();
        }
    }
}

What else should I do ?

[Fred Abbot]

I tried your code - take out the word start - and it works fine

[Fred Abbot]

Originally posted by Cindy Glass:
There is a Robot class (that I have not played with) that might offer some opportunity for setting up scripts for "keystrokes" to help you.

where can i find this robot class - what package is it in?
thanx

[Cindy Glass]

In 1.3 java.awt.Robot

[Fred Abbot]

thanx

[Ashish Jaiman]

This prog launches notepad
public class RuntimeDemo
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
Runtime r= Runtime.getRuntime();
Process p = null;
try
{
p = r.exec("notepad");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
}
}
}