Need help folks: Generating a DOS window.

[Darrin Smith]

A Java application of mine is being started from an MFC (Microsoft C++) application using a Windows system command ::ShellExecute(..., "open", "thejavaapplication.jar", ...).

Doing this causes (I think) javaw.exe to execute instead of java.exe which means that no DOS window gets brought up.

Well, I need a DOS window in order to get a thread dump so I need to have the ShellExecute point to java.exe instead of javaw.exe.

Anyone know how to do this?

Sorry, I know this isn't a pure Java question, but it is Java related.

[Lionel Badiou]

Hi Darrin,

I don't know the ShellExecute() syntax but... can't you ask for excuting "java -jar thejavaapp.jar" rather than asking the OS to open a jar file ?

I hope that could help,
Best regards

[Jeroen Wenting]

You can't get a DOS window in any Windows version newer than Windows 95.

ShellExecute can be used to load an arbitrary executable, the only reason it takes javaw on your machine is because that's set up to launch jar files by default.
Give the complete commandline and that's what gets executed in a command window.

[Darrin Smith]

Yes, that would work, but the process of using the ShellExecute is already in place.

I might just rename javaw.exe to something else then copy java.exe to javaw.exe and give that a try.

[Darrin Smith]

Originally posted by Jeroen Wenting:
You can't get a DOS window in any Windows version newer than Windows 95.

ShellExecute can be used to load an arbitrary executable, the only reason it takes javaw on your machine is because that's set up to launch jar files by default.
Give the complete commandline and that's what gets executed in a command window.

Are you saying that there is a way to send the complete command line to ShellExecute?

[Darrin Smith]

OK, here is the way it is done...simple association in Windows!

Interactively: Double click My Computer. Choose Tools->Folder Options->File
Types from the menu. Scroll down to JAR, click Advanced, click Edit.

Programmatically:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/shellcc/platform/shell/programmersguide/shell_basics/shell_basics_extending/fileassociations/fileassoc.asp