Execute a DOS application from a Windows application.

[Edwin Knoppert]

By default PowerBASIC handles synchronious shell's.
For executing DOS applications, this is really a good feature.
The following code creates a console window and executes a DOS application and closes the console again.
When it returns the output of the DOS application is grabbed from the console window wich you may wish to analyse.
There's no need for PIF files to close the window afterwards.

#Compile Exe
#Include "win32api.inc"
 
Declare Function ConsoleToBuffer() As String
 
Function PbMain()
 
    '// Prepare a console window
    AllocConsole
 
#If 0   '< Put to 1 if you wish to see the Edit example instead.
 
    '// Run your DOS application now.
    '// Note, we make use of the synchronious Shell.
    Shell "EDIT.COM"
 
    '// For testing purposes only.
    MsgBox "STOP (This message should be shown AFTER closing EDIT)"
 
#Else
 
    Shell "Attrib"
 
    '// Now let's get the results by grabbing it of the console window.
    MsgBox Left$( ConsoleToBuffer(), 300 )
 
#EndIf
 
    '// Remove the console.
    FreeConsole
 
End Function
 
'// Retrieves all textlines from the current console window.
Function ConsoleToBuffer() As String
 
    Dim a       As Long
    Dim hCons   As Long
    Dim Result  As Long
    Dim nBytes  As Long
    Dim sScreen As String
    Dim sBuffer As String
    Dim SBI     As CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO
 
    '// Get handle to console.
    hCons = GetStdHandle( %STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE )
    If hCons = 0 Then Exit Function
 
    '// Get console size
    Call GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo( hCons, SBI )
 
    '// Loop through all lines.
    For a = 0 To SBI.dwSize.Y - 1
 
        '// Prepare buffer for this line.
        sBuffer = Space$( SBI.dwSize.X )
 
        '// Read the line.
        Result = ReadConsoleOutputCharacter( _
          hCons _
        , ByVal StrPtr( sBuffer ) _
        , Len( sBuffer ) _
        , ByVal MakLng( 0, a ) _
        , nBytes )
 
        If Result Then sScreen = sScreen & Rtrim$( sBuffer ) & $CRLF
 
    Next a
 
    '// Return lines.
    Function = sScreen
 
End Function

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