Question

I am a C++ beginner.

I’d like to create small programs that interact with the operating system (using Kubuntu Linux). So far, I have not been able to locate any tutorial or handbook to get C++ to interface with the OS.

In PHP, I can use the command exec() or the backtick operator to launch commands typically executed in a console.
How can I do similar things in C++?
How can I get my C++ program to execute any other command?
How can I get the output of such commands?

Thanks.

Answer 1

You can use the system() command in stdlib to execute system commands:

#include <stdlib.h>
int main() {
    system("ls -l");
}

system() returns an int as its return value, but the value of the int is system-dependent. If you try and use a command that doesn’t exist, you’ll get the standard “no such command” output back, and usually a non-zero return value. (For example, running system("ls -l"); on my Windows XP machine here returns a value of 1.