Python: Executing the windows command in windows command prompt from python script

Question

I have to execute python script in windows command prompt

I am using the following command to run the command, so that the script opens the command prompt execute it

os.system("start /wait cmd /c {c:\\python27\\python.exe C:\\examples\\xml2html.py --dir c:\\Temp\\abcd c:\\tmp\\results.xml}")

I will be expecting a new directory called "abcd" created at that location and some output files created inside that.

When I run this command normally in the windows command prompt it works. I am not able to execute this in the script. Windows command prompt opens and terminates quickly.

Could any one let me know where exactly is it going wrong with the command please?

Should be fine. Did you check to see if the abcd directory was created? — sshashank124
– sshashank124, Commented May 4, 2014 at 8:15
What are curly braces for ? Just tried in windows prompt cmd.exe /c echo foo correctly outputs foo. But cmd.exe /c { echo foo } gives an error (in a Vista box). — Serge Ballesta
– Serge Ballesta, Commented May 4, 2014 at 8:24
@sshashank124 I have checked for that directory, it didn't create one — srp
– srp, Commented May 4, 2014 at 8:54
@SergeBallesta I am giving the complete command in that curly braces stackoverflow.com/questions/11615455/… — srp
– srp, Commented May 4, 2014 at 8:56
@srp ; I'm afraid the curly braces in ref'ed post were just a typografic décoration. You should try to remove them. By the way do you really need so many interpretors ? Could'ny you just import second script and directly call a python function ? — Serge Ballesta
– Serge Ballesta, Commented May 4, 2014 at 9:32

jfs · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-04 14:26:17Z

2

Unless you want to open a new console window you don't need to run cmd.exe (%COMSPEC%) in order to run another Python script as a subprocess:

import sys
from subprocess import check_call

check_call([sys.executable, "C:\\examples\\xml2html.py",
            "--dir", "c:\\Temp\\abcd", "c:\\tmp\\results.xml"])

edited May 4, 2014 at 14:26

answered May 4, 2014 at 9:56

jfs

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3 Comments

srp Over a year ago

Thank you Sebastian. I don't need to open a new console window. It worked.

jfs Over a year ago

@eryksun: you can use cmd to open a new console window e.g., see this answer that opens two new console windows, namely new_window_command (start is a shell command)

jfs Over a year ago

@eryksun: you are right: it was ambiguous. I've updated the answer. The meaning is: you don't need a shell to run a Python script as a subprocess.

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