File names with spaces used as command line arguments

35 views (last 30 days)
I am trying to run an external program with command line arguments. The syntax is like this:
bertini <inputFile> <startpointFile>
The problem is, if one of the files in the command line has a space in its name, I can't get it to work. For example, if commandStr = 'bertini paramotopy.input /Users/my folder/start', then
[status,result] = system(str)
returns an error because bertini thinks the startpoint file is /Users/my.
I have not been able to make any of the usual suggestions involving backslashes or double quotes work for this example. I need it to work for both Windows and Unix-based systems.
Comment added: Bertini is not a Matlab executable; it is an entirely separate product that was written in C. Unfortunately, I don't have the option of altering its code. Sorry for the misunderstanding - it didn't occur to me that people would assume this.

Accepted Answer

Image Analyst
Image Analyst on 25 Jul 2014
Try this, where I was trying to accept a foldername, that contained images, via the command line of a compiled executable:
if isdeployed && ~isempty(varargin)
% For some reason, it won't take the command line as a single item, even if it's in double quotes.
% It splits it up and gets rid of leading and trailing spaces so that
% "D:\word1 word2\theUser\Images"
% becomes 2 cells:
% varargin{1} = "D:\word1
% varargin{2} = word2\theUser\Images"
% We need to join all these together.
numberOfCells = length(varargin);
if numberOfCells >= 1
commandLineArgument = varargin{1};
for k = 2 : numberOfCells
thisWord = varargin{k};
% fprintf(1, 'varargin{%d} = %s\n', k, thisWord);
commandLineArgument = sprintf('%s %s', commandLineArgument, thisWord);
end
% Get rid of any quotes.
commandLineArgument = strrep(commandLineArgument, '"', []);
fprintf(1, 'The argument passed in on the command line is %s\n', commandLineArgument);
% msgboxw(['The argument passed in on the command line is ', commandLineArgument]);
if exist(commandLineArgument, 'dir')
% If this folder exists, use it.
handles.imageFolder = commandLineArgument;
fprintf(1, 'Changed image folder to this: %s\n', handles.imageFolder);
else
fprintf(1, 'This folder does not exist, so we cannot change to it:\n %s\n', commandLineArgument);
end
end
fprintf(1, 'handles.imageFolder = %s\n', handles.imageFolder);
end
  1 Comment
Andrew Newell
Andrew Newell on 30 Jul 2014
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. It appears that the issue is with how Bertini interprets command line arguments, so I have re-designed my program to get around that. Image Analyst, I'm accepting your answer because it might be useful to someone who is creating a stand-alone program using MATLAB.

Sign in to comment.

More Answers (3)

Robert Cumming
Robert Cumming on 25 Jul 2014
Edited: Robert Cumming on 26 Jul 2014
try putting " around the command,
commandStr = '"bertini paramotopy.input /Users/my folder/start"'
edit
So the problem is running the bertin code - I would first try to get that working on its own from the command line the way you want it to (it might not be possible...) then transfer that methodology into the system command.
The input parser for your c code is space delimited - so it will be interpreting your 2 commands as 3 (since the 2nd has a space in it...).
  2 Comments
Andrew Newell
Andrew Newell on 25 Jul 2014
Nope. That is one of the usual suggestions that I mentioned. It works fine if I am trying to run a command like
/Users/my folder/bertini
but not for the command line arguments.
Robert Cumming
Robert Cumming on 25 Jul 2014
ah sorry misunderstood. try single quotes or can you pass a file in. Ultimately this is an issue with bertini api and not really matlab

Sign in to comment.


Sean de Wolski
Sean de Wolski on 25 Jul 2014
Perhaps try the ! operator:
!bertini paramotopy.input /Users/my folder/start
  2 Comments
Image Analyst
Image Analyst on 25 Jul 2014
Edited: Image Analyst on 25 Jul 2014
Did you try what I showed you? Assuming "bertini" is the MATLAB-code executable that you compiled into a standalone executable, and are trying to pass in arguments for, I know for a fact that this will work. I've been through what you're going through and basically I had to "rebuild" the command line from the parts. I know it works because I use it in my systems all the time.

Sign in to comment.


per isakson
per isakson on 25 Jul 2014
This should work at least on Windows
commandStr = 'bertini paramotopy.input "/Users/my folder/start"';
[status,result] = system( commandStr );
if not what does result say?
  5 Comments
per isakson
per isakson on 26 Jul 2014
Edited: per isakson on 26 Jul 2014
I would try
bertini paramotopy.input "/Users/my folder/start"
at Windows Command Prompt (the DOS window).
Image Analyst
Image Analyst on 26 Jul 2014
Good suggestion. If it fails, then we know it has nothing to do with MATLAB and it's all bertini's fault.

Sign in to comment.

Categories

Find more on Interactive Control and Callbacks in Help Center and File Exchange

Tags

Community Treasure Hunt

Find the treasures in MATLAB Central and discover how the community can help you!

Start Hunting!