Using quotes and double quotes in Java Runtime.getRuntime().exec(...)

Question

I am trying to start a Lisp Image from Java in Mac OSX. Using the Image from my console I type the following:

lisp_image --eval '(package::method "some_argument")'

everything runs fine.

In Java I have the problem to pass the quotes and double quotes using the Runtime.getRuntime().exec("lisp_image --eval '(package::method \"some_argument\")'").

I also tried to use :

Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"lisp_image", "--eval ", "\'(package::method ", 
           "--eval ", "\"", "some_argument", "\")", "\'"});

and various things with escaping using the backslash. Nothing works.... Using String Array seems to work only for Unix (or Windows) commands.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance, Sven

Did you look at: http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-12-2000/jw-1229-traps.html?page=1 ? — Adriaan Koster, Dec 07 '11 at 09:57

score 12 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 07 '11 at 09:55

12

As I understand it you want to invoke the list_image with two arguments, --eval and '(package::method \"some_argument\")' where the single quotes is just there to prevent the shell from breaking it up into multiple arguments.

Then you should use

Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"lisp_image", "--eval", "(package::method \"some_argument\")"});

answered Dec 07 '11 at 09:55

Roger Lindsjö

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GREAT ! It's the single quotes :-) Thank you so much ! – svendeswan Dec 07 '11 at 10:08
@svendeswan, you may want to accept the answer if its worked for you :-) – aishwarya Dec 07 '11 at 15:43

Using quotes and double quotes in Java Runtime.getRuntime().exec(...)

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