using ExecuteScriptText

Hi,

I am trying to write an Igor function which: (i) reads some input from Igor, (ii) launches an external program (a plain DOS-type application with no GUI) which reads the input generated by Igor (from a file) and produces an output file (containing a trace/two columns of real numbers), and (iii) uses Igor to read the output of this external program and plot it on some existing or new window. 

Toward this aim, I wrote the function listed below which incorporates all these elements but which unfortunately does not work. In this example, in the first step (i), Igor reads a number from a prompt and saves it in the "input_ba19.txt" file. In the second step (ii), the Igor starts the program trialprog.exe which is supposed to read the number from the input file, multiply it by some value, and save the result in a (new) output file, output_ba19.txt. In the last step, (iii), Igor is supposed to read the result and in, this case, print it out.

This code fails in step two, (ii), while running the "ExecuteScriptText" command because the test application "trialprogram.exe" cannot find the input file. From what I understand this is not surprising because Igor runs this application not in the folder where it is located but rather it redirects its input/output to a selected folder which, according to the documentation should be the "Igor Pro User Files". However, in my case input/output is directed to: C:\Users\CurrentUser\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\WaveMetrics\Igor Pro 9 Folder\IgorBinaries_x64.

In this example I had the test application and its input file in the "C:\tryEST" folder. I have tried different locations and the specific folder used is not the problem.The actual location is important only in the sense that, to keep track of it, I would like to hard-code it in the final function. I have also tried different arguments and options for the ExecuteSriptText command for example, without including the input file name, and this did not solve the issue I encountered. I have also tried using a batch file with the the ExecuteSriptText  command, an relevant example is included below, but that did not work either.

Finally, as I tried to work my way around this problem I have also looked at the ExecuteDOSCommand included in the help file and listed on the exchange forum. This function fails to run as advertised but the reason for this failure is that the dosCommand string it produces and places into the batchFilePath batch file which is subsequently submitted to ExecuteSriptText  is truncated. Specifically, in this case the string produced is   "C: ryEST rialprog.exe > "C:\Users\CurrentUser\Documents\WaveMetrics\Igor Pro 9 User Files\igorBatchOutput.txt". Please note the missing "t"s and ":" in this string.

I would appreciate any help or advice that you can provide which could help me solve this issue.

Thank you!

contents of the trialprog.bat file used to test ExecuteScriptText command

ECHO "program start"
START "TRIAL PROG" C:\tryEST\trialprog.EXE
ECHO "program exit"
EXIT