shell command in python to run a specific windows executable

Question

I have been searching but I am so confused. I so appologize if this has been answered before but I have looked and I am even more confused. All I want to do is run an executable file from a python script.

I know to open notepad.exe (for instance) you do the following.

#opens notepad in windows
import os
print os.system('notepad.exe')

but what if I want to run something specific in a directory

How can I effectively run something like this (this is obviously going to fail)

#opens program in windows
import os
print os.system('c:\files\program.exe')

the more I read about it, the more confused I get.

I have been reading about sys.executable as well as surprocess but its confusing me more than helping. Could someone clarify how this can be done? An example, perhaps to run a "program.exe" file?

Fist thing is to make your path to the executable valid. Using backslashes in path is readable in code, but the real string in Python is using it as escacpe character. So you shall either use forward slashes (I recommend it even for Windows), or using "\\" instead of "\" — Jan Vlcinsky
– Jan Vlcinsky, Commented May 13, 2014 at 15:27
it's subprocess*, btw. that might clear up some of the confusion — mechanical_meat
– mechanical_meat, Commented May 13, 2014 at 15:30
@bernie what are you talking about? subprocess is another way (arguably better, although slightly more complicated) to accomplish what OP is asking — Joran Beasley
– Joran Beasley, Commented May 13, 2014 at 15:32

poke · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-13 15:29:03Z

3

You can use os.system like that. Note that strings require proper escaping though, so you might need to escape those backslash characters. Alternatively, you can also use a raw string to make it work:

os.system(r'c:\files\program.exe')

answered May 13, 2014 at 15:29

poke

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4 Comments

Joran Beasley Over a year ago

although to be honest python always understands linux style paths, and I would recommend that ... but meh +1

poke Over a year ago

@JoranBeasley I personally prefer to use the system’s native path separators. That’s what os.path.join uses and why os.sep exists. Also you won’t end up mixing the separators when using it, for example, as arguments to programs that do not support any separator.

Joran Beasley Over a year ago

@poke the downside is if you store them somewhere that is accessed by various machines or hardcode them into the program or something ... windows slashes only work in windows(afaik ... I might be wrong) while linux paths work in python regardless of OS

poke Over a year ago

@JoranBeasley Something called program.exe will rarely work on non-Windows machines though ;)

andmart · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-13 15:33:04Z

0

You can also use subprocess module https://docs.python.org/2/library/subprocess.html

import subprocess
subprocess.call('c:\files\program.exe')

answered May 13, 2014 at 15:33

andmart

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1 Comment

poke Over a year ago

If os.system fails with the path, it will fail with subprocess.call too.

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