Python, Windows and the command line

[bixtool]

My last post disappeared. Here again:
Hi,
Great program. i've only discovered it recently, so i'm still learning.

i'm having problems running a windows program (therenamer) from the command line using a python script. The arguement string i'm sending to therenamer ( -ftech -ff="c:\xxx" -af="c:\yyy") appears to be formatted correctly by python, but it fails to work and only opens therenamer program as if no arguements were given.

Here is my code:

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import os
import subprocess

fetchfolder = "C:\\temp\\bones"
archivefolder = "C:\\smr"
args = '-fetch -ff="%s" -af="%s"' % (fetchfolder, archivefolder)
#args = '-fetch -ff="C:\\temp\\bones" -af="C:\\smr"' 
print args
try:
 retcode = subprocess.call(["C:\\Program Files (x86)\\theRenamer\\theRenamer.exe",args]) 

except:
 pass

Ive tried splitting the parameters:

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retcode = subprocess.call(["C:\\Program Files (x86)\\theRenamer\\theRenamer.exe", arg1, arg2, arg3]) 

Using os.system(xxx) failed.

Am I using the subprocess call corectly?
Can anyone suggest another Python process that will run a windows executable with commanmd line parameters?

[jitterjames]

there is probably a way to do it in pure python but you can also do this:

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args = u'arg1 arg2 "and maybe arg3 in quotes"'
eg.plugins.System.Execute(u'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\theRenamer\\theRenamer.exe', args, 0, False, 2, u'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\theRenamer', False)

[bixtool]

Damn, that worked great. Thanks. It was soo frustrating. I had to modify your solution slightly to get it to work

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args = u'arg1 arg2 "and maybe arg3 in quotes"'
eg.plugins.System.Execute(u'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\theRenamer\\theRenamer.exe', args)

But it worked. I'm using it for two other windows programs as well.

Would you know if I can determine when the windows program I executed has closed/ended in Python? I'm using sleep timers to permit the windows program to finish before I execute other python commands. But this is inefficient. Sometimes therenamer completed in 20s other times it may take minutes.

[jitterjames]

Yes, I think if you take my original example, and change false, to true it will wait until execution is finished. Eventghost will probably be frozen until that time though.

[eatmeimadanish]

You can also run subprocess.Popen to pass complete strings.