How do I execute a program from Python os system fails due to spaces in path

Question

I have a Python script that needs to execute an external program  but for some reason fails   If I have the following script   import os  os system  C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe    raw input      Then it fails with the following error       C  Temp a  is not recognized as an internal or external command  operable program or batch file    If I escape the program with quotes   import os  os system   C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe     raw input      Then it works  However  if I add a parameter  it stops working again   import os  os system   C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe   C   test txt     raw input      What is the right way to execute a program and wait for it to complete  I do not need to read output from it  as it is a visual program that does a job and then just exits  but I need to wait for it to complete   Also note  moving the program to a non-spaced path is not an option either     This does not work either   import os  os system   C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe     raw input      Note the swapped single double quotes   With or without a parameter to Notepad here  it fails with the error message     The filename  directory name  or volume label syntax is incorrect

User · Accepted Answer

subprocess call will avoid problems with having to deal with quoting conventions of various shells  It accepts a list  rather than a string  so arguments are more easily delimited  i e   import subprocess subprocess call   C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe    C   test txt

User · Answer

The outermost quotes are consumed by Python itself  and the Windows shell doesn t see it  As mentioned above  Windows only understands double-quotes   Python will convert forward-slashed to backslashes on Windows  so you can use  os system   C   Temp a b c Notepad exe      The   is consumed by Python  which then passes  C   Temp a b c Notepad exe   as a Windows path  no double-backslashes needed  to CMD EXE

User · Answer

Suppose we want to run your Django web server  in Linux  that there is space between your path  path   home  lt you gt   lt first-path-section gt   lt second-path-section gt     so do the following   import subprocess  args        manage py  format   home  lt you gt   lt first-path-section gt   lt second-path-section gt      runserver   res   subprocess Popen args  stdout subprocess PIPE  output  error    res communicate    if not error       print output  else      print error        Note      Do not forget accessing permission  chmod 755 -R  lt  yor path  gt  manage py is exceutable  chmod  x manage py

User · Answer

No need for sub-process  It can be simply achieved by GitPath  quot C   Program Files  Git  git-bash exe quot   Application File Path in mycase its GITBASH os startfile GitPath

User · Answer

I suspect it s the same problem as when you use shortcuts in Windows    Try this   import os  os system    C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe   C   test txt

User · Answer

For Python 3 7  use subprocess call  Use raw string to simplify the Windows paths   import subprocess subprocess call  r C  Temp Example Notepad exe    C  test txt

User · Answer

No need for sub-process  It can be simply achieved by GitPath  quot C   Program Files  Git  git-bash exe quot   Application File Path in mycase its GITBASH os startfile GitPath

User · Answer

import win32api   if active state python is installed or install pywin32 package seperately  try  win32api WinExec  NOTEPAD exe     Works seamlessly except  pass

User · Answer

For python    3 5 subprocess run should be used in place of subprocess call  https   docs python org 3 library subprocess html older-high-level-api  import subprocess subprocess run   notepad exe    test txt

User · Answer

Here s a different way of doing it   If you re using Windows the following acts like double-clicking the file in Explorer  or giving the file name as an argument to the DOS  start  command  the file is opened with whatever application  if any  its extension is associated with   filepath    textfile txt  import os os startfile filepath    Example   import os os startfile  textfile txt     This will open textfile txt with Notepad if Notepad is associated with  txt files

User · Answer

At least in Windows 7 and Python 3 1  os system in Windows wants the command line double-quoted if there are spaces in path to the command  For example     TheCommand        C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe        os system TheCommand    A real-world example that was stumping me was cloning a drive in VirtualBox  The subprocess call solution above didn t work because of some access rights issue  but when I double-quoted the command  os system became happy     TheCommand        C   Program Files  Sun  VirtualBox  VBoxManage exe                            clonehd       OrigFile             NewFile            os system TheCommand

User · Answer

Suppose we want to run your Django web server  in Linux  that there is space between your path  path   home  lt you gt   lt first-path-section gt   lt second-path-section gt     so do the following   import subprocess  args        manage py  format   home  lt you gt   lt first-path-section gt   lt second-path-section gt      runserver   res   subprocess Popen args  stdout subprocess PIPE  output  error    res communicate    if not error       print output  else      print error        Note      Do not forget accessing permission  chmod 755 -R  lt  yor path  gt  manage py is exceutable  chmod  x manage py

User · Answer

For python    3 5 subprocess run should be used in place of subprocess call  https   docs python org 3 library subprocess html older-high-level-api  import subprocess subprocess run   notepad exe    test txt

User · Answer

Here s a different way of doing it   If you re using Windows the following acts like double-clicking the file in Explorer  or giving the file name as an argument to the DOS  start  command  the file is opened with whatever application  if any  its extension is associated with   filepath    textfile txt  import os os startfile filepath    Example   import os os startfile  textfile txt     This will open textfile txt with Notepad if Notepad is associated with  txt files

User · Answer

I suspect it s the same problem as when you use shortcuts in Windows    Try this   import os  os system    C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe   C   test txt

User · Answer

Here s a different way of doing it   If you re using Windows the following acts like double-clicking the file in Explorer  or giving the file name as an argument to the DOS  start  command  the file is opened with whatever application  if any  its extension is associated with   filepath    textfile txt  import os os startfile filepath    Example   import os os startfile  textfile txt     This will open textfile txt with Notepad if Notepad is associated with  txt files

User · Answer

import win32api   if active state python is installed or install pywin32 package seperately  try  win32api WinExec  NOTEPAD exe     Works seamlessly except  pass

User · Answer

I suspect it s the same problem as when you use shortcuts in Windows    Try this   import os  os system    C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe   C   test txt

User · Answer

At least in Windows 7 and Python 3 1  os system in Windows wants the command line double-quoted if there are spaces in path to the command  For example     TheCommand        C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe        os system TheCommand    A real-world example that was stumping me was cloning a drive in VirtualBox  The subprocess call solution above didn t work because of some access rights issue  but when I double-quoted the command  os system became happy     TheCommand        C   Program Files  Sun  VirtualBox  VBoxManage exe                            clonehd       OrigFile             NewFile            os system TheCommand

User · Answer

For Python 3 7  use subprocess call  Use raw string to simplify the Windows paths   import subprocess subprocess call  r C  Temp Example Notepad exe    C  test txt

User · Answer

The outermost quotes are consumed by Python itself  and the Windows shell doesn t see it  As mentioned above  Windows only understands double-quotes   Python will convert forward-slashed to backslashes on Windows  so you can use  os system   C   Temp a b c Notepad exe      The   is consumed by Python  which then passes  C   Temp a b c Notepad exe   as a Windows path  no double-backslashes needed  to CMD EXE

User · Answer

I suspect it s the same problem as when you use shortcuts in Windows    Try this   import os  os system    C   Temp  a b c  Notepad exe   C   test txt

User · Answer

Here s a different way of doing it   If you re using Windows the following acts like double-clicking the file in Explorer  or giving the file name as an argument to the DOS  start  command  the file is opened with whatever application  if any  its extension is associated with   filepath    textfile txt  import os os startfile filepath    Example   import os os startfile  textfile txt     This will open textfile txt with Notepad if Notepad is associated with  txt files

[python] How do I execute a program from Python? os.system fails due to spaces in path

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