C++: Way to have System run in background?

dive · 08-17-2006, 05:22 PM

I'm using System() to play a sound file and make a xmesage box. Problem is that my program will wait until I have pressed the ok button before continuing. This is a calendar/reminder program and if I have 2 alarmed events the 2nd will not be processed because the main prog is waiting for the first to end.

So is there any way around this? I tried adding '&' to the end of the System call string but didn't work.

Code:

 void do_event_alarm(int ev)
 {
     string str="xmessage -center "+events[ev].summary+" 2>/dev/null";
     string sound_str="aplay -q "+soundfile;
     string start=events[ev].start;
     if ( soundfile!="" ) system(sound_str.c_str());
     if ( start!="" )
         cout<<start.substr(6,2)<<"/"<<start.substr(4,2)<<"/"<<start.substr(0,4)<<endl;
     cout<<events[ev].summary<<endl;
     cout<<events[ev].description<<endl;
     system(str.c_str());
 }

sirclif · 08-17-2006, 05:30 PM

have you tried putting a '&' at the end of your string?

dive · 08-17-2006, 07:15 PM

Yes I tried that but didn't have any effect

dive · 08-17-2006, 07:29 PM

Just tried it again and it works. There is a problem elsewhere in the code stopping 2 events at same time occuring.

Thanks