close cmd window after executable

I am running an external .bat file through matlab. The code is as follows:

fileName = uigetfile('*.*');
cmd = sprintf(program.bat "%s" &', fileName);
system(cmd);

The user gets to pick which file is run through the .bat file and then it runs. The problem I am trying to solve, which I am not even sure it's possible, is to close the cmd window after it is done autonomously. The reason this is difficult is because after the program is done running, if you press enter, it prompts excel to open and displays the results in excel which I am trying to avoid. Thus, I don't think I can write a simple exit command. I also do not have access to the batch file to rewrite that code.

[Jan]

How can you notice, that your external program is ready?

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

There are a few approaches:

1. Java Robot Class to position on top of the command window and send the key/mouse sequence to close it;
2. call taskmanager to kill the process
3. instead of using system() use one of the activex / DCOM methods to create a process and send it a command line; you can then also kill off the process. I know this is possible, and I know someone showed how to create a process not long ago, but I am having difficulty finding the appropriate sequence at the moment.

[Tyler Murray]

Thanks for the start! Glad to know its possible haha I'll keep giving it a shot. If you remember the sequence please post it here!

[Tyler Murray]

Do you have any experience with Java Robot Class? I can't find anything online with how to position the cursor over the command window or any program?

[Walter Roberson]

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/100545-how-can-i-programmatically-control-mouse-motion-and-clicks-with-matlab shows an example of move movement.

Finding the location of the command window might be tricky. You need to find a HWMD .

The contribution http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/3407-showwindow/content/showwindow.m might help

Or see https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/newsreader/view_thread/9440

Answer 2

[Mikhail]

Much easier:

fileName = uigetfile('*.*');
cmd = sprintf('start program.bat "%s"', fileName);
system(cmd);

[Walter Roberson]

That does not automatically close the command window after the program is done autonomously. It does not return to MATLAB until the program finishes.

[Mikhail]

It does do both of these.

my.bat:

REM exit after 5 seconds
@ping 127.0.0.1 -n 5 -w 1000 > nul
exit

Then:

system('start my.bat')

[Walter Roberson]

Your example exits after a few seconds. Until it does that, MATLAB is not given back control. The user is using a program that they want to run independently until it is time to kill it, and does not want the program to run to completion

[Mikhail]

Have you tried that? The system('start my.bat') returns control to MATLAB immediately. The black cmd window does its stuff, and then closes cleanly. I think this is what the user wanted.

[Walter Roberson]

I did overlook the start. But your solution assumes that the process ends nicely by itself. In the user's case the process hangs around waiting for return to be pressed. Though I am not sure how it would read that if input is disconnected as I would expect when & is used, unless it is opening a graphics window.

[Mikhail]

It the process doesn't exit by itself, wrap it in another bat file like that:

my.bat:

REM exit after 5 seconds
@ping 127.0.0.1 -n 5 -w 1000 > nul

my_wrapper.bat:

call my.bat
exit

Then:

system('start my_wrapper.bat')

That is all to it.

[Walter Roberson]

Now try again with a process that does not exit by itself -- for example a ping that would go on forever until it is interrupted.

The user wants to be able to start an asynchronous process of indefinite duration and kill it at some later time before it has finished. The solutions I gave are various methods of killing asynchronous processes.