Writing to the standard input of a process

[A1exander_Z]

I am trying to run a small program written in C# from my Qt application and exchange the data with it using standard input and output. I can create a process, start it and read its output by calling QProcess::readAllStandardOutput() in a slot connected to the 'finished' signal of the process. However, I cannot write to the program's standard input. I have tried to do it from a slot connected to the 'started' signal of the process in the following way:

qDebug() << process->write("test\n");

The code executes and the correct number of bytes written is printed to the output, but my C# program does not read any data using Console.Read() or Console.ReadLine() functions. I have tried to write "test\r", "test\r\n", test\n\r" - nothing works. Is it a problem with C# program or am I doing something wrong in my Qt code?

[A1exander_Z]

I forgrot to mention that the C# program is a Windows console application and it works as expected when run from the console.

[SGaist]

Hi,

Does your C# application work like this:

start

do something

end

?

Or is it waiting for an input on stdin ?

On the former case, you should directly provide the parameters when starting your QProcess

Hope it helps

[A1exander_Z]

It does wait for an input from stdin. In the simplest case, it has only two following lines in its Main method:

string command = Console.ReadLine();
Console.WriteLine(command);

When run from the console it works as expected, but when I run it from my Qt application using QProcess, it waits indefinitely. Passing command line parameters works.

[SGaist]

Then can you show the code where you use QProcess ?

[A1exander_Z]

Process creation ('QProcess* process' declaration is in a header file):

@process = new QProcess();
connect(process, SIGNAL(finished(int, QProcess::ExitStatus)),
this, SLOT(finished(int, QProcess::ExitStatus)));
connect(process, SIGNAL(started()), this, SLOT(started()));
process->setProgram("test.exe");
process->open();@

Slots:

@void MainWindow::started()
{
qDebug() << process->write("test\n");
}@

@void MainWindow::finished(int exitCode, Process::ExitStatus status)
{
qDebug() << "Finished";
qDebug() << exitCode;
}@

[SGaist]

You are using QProcess in an unusual way (at least to me)

Since its a command line application, I would rather use the synchronous approach described "here":http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-5/qprocess.html#synchronous-process-api

[A1exander_Z]

Thank you, it helped - at least now I can get the response. I tried the following code:

@process = new QProcess();
connect(process, SIGNAL(finished(int, QProcess::ExitStatus)), this, SLOT(finished(int, QProcess::ExitStatus)));
process->setProgram("test.exe");
process->start();
process->write("test\n");
process->waitForFinished();
@

Slot:

@void MainWindow::finished(int exitCode, QProcess::ExitStatus status)
{
qDebug() << "Finished";
qDebug() << exitCode;
qDebug() << process->readAllStandardOutput();
}@

The code in the 'finished' slot is executed and prints the output produced by the called program (echoed "test"). The actual difference seems to be in the 'process->waitForFinished()' call. If I remove it, the C# program does not terminate (the created process remains in the list of processes).

The problem is than I need to execute it asynchronously from my GUI application, with a possibility for user to terminate it, so the GUI should remain responsive.

[SGaist]

Does it also happen if you add waitForStarted before writing to it ?

[A1exander_Z]

Yes, adding process->waitForStarted() before process->write("test\n") does not change anything, the process does not terminate if there is no process->waitForFinished() line in the end. Closing (or not closing) the write channel has no effect in all cases.

[SGaist]

I just forgot one basic question… What version of Qt are you using on what version of Windows ?

[A1exander_Z]

Qt 5.2.0 on Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, Service Pack 1.

I have tried to build my program using two compilers, MinGW 32 bit and MSVC2012 64 bit. The behavior is the same in both cases.

[SGaist]

Does it also happen if you call a standard cmd command ?

[A1exander_Z]

I am not sure how to call a standard cmd command from a Qt application (I have tried process->setProgram("dir"), it runs but produces no output to stdout), but I did further research.

I wrote a simple program in C++ and compiled it with MinGW:

@#include <iostream>
#include <string>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
std::string s;
std::cin >> s;
std::cout << s << std::endl;
}@

It works both with and without process->waitForFinished() call, my Qt application can write to its standard input and retreive echoed string from its output. Writing from a slot connected to the 'QProsess::started' signal also works. It seems that the problem is with my C# program after all.

[SGaist]

Did you try with a similar minimal application written in C# ?

[A1exander_Z]

Yes, I have tried this:

@class Program
{
static int Main(string[] args)
{
string s;
s = Console.ReadLine();
Console.WriteLine(s);
return 0;
}
}@

Works if I place waitForFinished() call after writing to the standard input of the process, but never terminates without it. Changing configuration of the C# program from Debug to Release in Visual Studio does not help.

[SGaist]

Maybe a silly question (I don't know much about C#) but aren't you missing a "\n" here ?

[A1exander_Z]

No, Console.WriteLine() method inserts it automatically. And with waitForFinished() call it works even when I change Console.WriteLine() to Console.Write(), which does not insert a newline symbol.

[SGaist]

Could there be some subtle difference on how the C# runtime uses stdin/stdout ?

[A1exander_Z]

Yes, it seems that there is some difference, but I am not a C# expert and I have no idea what it is. I will try a simple program compiled using Mono but for now, I think it is easier to send all data as command line parameters.