How do I convert argv to lpCommandLine parameter of CreateProcess?

Question

Let I want to write an application, that launches another application. Like this:

# This will launch another_app.exe
my_app.exe another_app.exe 
# This will laun         


        

Answer 1

The definitive answer on how to quote arguments is on Daniel Colascione's blog:

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/twistylittlepassagesallalike/2011/04/23/everyone-quotes-command-line-arguments-the-wrong-way/

I am reluctant to quote the code here because I don't know the license. The basic idea is:

for each single argument:
    if it does not contain  \t\n\v\", 
        just use as is
    else
        output "
        for each character
            backslashes = 0
            if character is backslash
                count how many successive backslashes there are
            fi
            if eow
                output the backslashs doubled
                break
            else if char is "
                output the backslashs doubled
                output \"
            else
                output the backslashes (*not* doubled)
                output character
            fi
        rof
        output "
    fi // needs quoting
rof // each argument

If you need to pass the command line to cmd.exe, see the article (it's different).

I think it is crazy that the Microsoft C runtime library doesn't have a function to do this.