How to Open Programs with a Python Script on Windows

Learn how to use Python to successfully open the Stellarium application on Windows and troubleshoot common issues such as missing executable files. --- This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68887993/ asked by the user 'Calvin' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/16724037/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68888085/ provided by the user 'H. Doebler' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/9096264/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions. Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Opening A Program With A Python Script Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l... The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license. If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com. --- How to Open Programs with a Python Script on Windows If you're looking to open a specific application like Stellarium from a Python script, you may encounter errors that make the process frustrating. One common error message you might see is: “Windows cannot find 'stellarium.exe.' Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.” This issue often arises from incorrect syntax in your script. In this post, we will walk you through how to fix this problem and successfully open the Stellarium application using Python. Understanding the Problem When trying to execute a command to launch a program, the syntax of the command can cause Windows to fail in locating the specified executable. In the example you provided, it seems there may be errors in how the executable file path and command are formatted. Given the file locations: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] We want to launch the application located at C:\Stellarium\Stellarium.exe with the option to use a specific startup script. Here’s the code you provided that you suspect may be causing the issue: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Analyzing the Code In the line where you define prog, the concatenation of strings seems to lack proper quotation marks and spacing, leading to an improper command string. Here's what happens: The command actually executed becomes malformed: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] This format will not work correctly, which is why you receive the error message. Steps to Resolve the Issue Fixing the Syntax Error The first step is ensuring that the command string is concatenated correctly. You can modify the prog string like so: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] This correctly embeds the path in quotes, ensuring it is recognized by the command line. Using subprocess for Better Execution For a more robust solution, it's recommended to use the subprocess module, which provides greater flexibility and error handling than os.system. Here’s how you can implement it: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Key Points Correct String Formatting: Always ensure the paths and commands are properly quoted. Use subprocess: This is the modern way to execute system commands in Python and helps avoid potential issues with path delimiters and quoting. Conclusion By following the adjustments mentioned above, you should be able to successfully launch the Stellarium application from your Python script without encountering errors. Remember, careful attention to syntax can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Happy coding!