Open an .exe file and give it input parameters in Python

Question

I'm trying to open an .exe file from Python and give it some instructions. This .exe file has its own "language" so, for example, in order to launch a model I should type "call ". Because I have thousands models to run I need to automatize the process.

Here on Stackoverflow I found several options that I tried. Even though I don't get any error, my .exe file doesn't run (actually a window opens and closes immediately). I'm writing one of these solutions. [I'm using Python3]:

from subprocess import Popen, PIPE

p = Popen(["my_file.exe"], stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE)  
output = p.communicate(input=b"call test.m")      # "call test.m" is the way to run a model in my_file.exe

From this simple code I want "just" 'type' in an automatic way in my program "call .m", but it doesn't work.

Can anyone help me? Thanks

Answer 1

Try This:

from subprocess import Popen, check_output, check_call, PIPE, call


get_input = input("What Should I do?")

if get_input.strip().lower() == "run":

    your_exe_file_address = r'"C:\Users\you\Desktop\my_file.exe"' # example
    your_module_address = r'"C:\Users\you\Desktop\test.m"' # example
    your_command = "call"

    process = Popen([your_exe_file_address, your_command, your_module_address], stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, shell=True)
    stdout, stderr = process.communicate()

    # < Other Ways >
    # process = check_output([your_exe_file_address, your_command, your_module_address])
    # process = check_call([your_exe_file_address, your_command, your_module_address], shell=True)
    # process = call([your_exe_file_address, your_command, your_module_address], stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, shell=True)

    print(stdout, stderr)

else:
    print("Invalid Input")

Another Way :

import os

get_input = input("What Should I do?")

if get_input.strip().lower() == "run":

    your_exe_file_address = r'"C:\Users\you\Desktop\my_file.exe"' # example
    your_module_address = r'"C:\Users\you\Desktop\test.m"' # example
    your_command = "call"

    last_shell = your_exe_file_address + " " + your_command + " " + your_module_address
    os.system(last_shell)

else:
    print("Invalid Input")

Third Way ( On Windows, install pywin32 package ):

import win32com.client

get_input = input("What Should I do?")

if get_input.strip().lower() == "run":

    your_exe_file_address = r'"C:\Users\you\Desktop\my_file.exe"' # example
    your_module_address = r'"C:\Users\you\Desktop\test.m"' # example
    your_command = "call"

    last_shell = your_exe_file_address + " " + your_command + " " + your_module_address
    shell = win32com.client.Dispatch("WScript.Shell")
    shell.Run(last_shell)

else:
    print("Invalid Input")

Fourth way :

Save your commands in a .bat file like this:

"C:\Users\you\Desktop\my_file.exe" call "C:\Users\you\Desktop\test.m"

Then try to launch this bat file and get its output:

import os

get_input = input("What Should I do?")

if get_input.strip().lower() == "run":

    your_bat_file_address = r'"C:\Users\you\Desktop\my_bat.bat"' # example
    os.startfile(your_bat_file_address)

else:
    print("Invalid Input")

Good Luck ...