Problem with exec() and outputStream

[er.raj]

Hello
I am trying to plot a graph (say sinx) using gnuplot through a java program. For this I'm trying to pipe a command into the pgnuplot application.
The code is working fine but the only problem is that, when the pgnuplot.exe runs, it displays the result window with the sin graph for 10-20ms and then closes automatically. I want the result window to stay till the time i press a key or give a command for it to close.

the code is as follows:

import java.io.*;
 
public class Runex2
{
 
       public static void main(String args[]) {
 
            try {
                Runtime rt = Runtime.getRuntime();
                Process proc = rt.exec("C:\\Program Files\\gnuplot\\bin\\pgnuplot.exe");    
		OutputStream opStream = proc.getOutputStream();
		PrintWriter gp=new PrintWriter(new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(opStream))); 
		gp.println("plot sin(x)\n");   
		gp.close(); 
		int exitVal=proc.waitFor();
                System.out.println("Exited with error code "+exitVal);
 
            } catch(Exception e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
}

Any sort of help will be appreciated.
PS this is my first post.

[Norm]

pgnuplot.exe runs, it displays the result window with the sin graph for 10-20ms and then closes automatically

What happens when you run that command from the command line without the java program?
How do you keep the display open then?

[er.raj]

What happens when you run that command from the command line without the java program?
How do you keep the display open then?

Well pgnuplot has a command-line interface, and when I write a command such as "plot [-3.14:3.14] sin(x)" over there, it will open a new separate window with the required graph. It can be closed like any other GUI window.

[Tolls]

What happens if you don't close the output stream?
Pause the thread dor a few seconds before calling the close().
Does that delay the plot window closing?

[er.raj]

What happens if you don't close the output stream?

When i comment the line "gp.close();" and run the program, pgnuplot opens with a blank screen and it hangs thereafter. No graph is generated even for a fraction of a second.

Pause the thread dor a few seconds before calling the close().
Does that delay the plot window closing?

Good point.
I tried to place a "Thread.sleep(4000);" after Line 13 in my code i.e before the command "gp.close()".
Result : It opens pgnuplot with a blank screen and then goes in a sleep state. After 4secs the graph is generated again for a fraction of a second and then everything terminates.

[Tolls]

I should have also said "do a flush()".

    OutputStream opStream = proc.getOutputStream();
    PrintWriter gp=new PrintWriter(new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(opStream)));
    gp.println("plot sin(x)\n");
    gp.flush();
// Sleep.
// Eventually close

Anyway, it looks like closing the stream tells the plot window it's not needed anymore.
So keep the stream open until whatever event you want to close it happens?

[er.raj]

I should have also said "do a flush()".

Wow...finally some relief to the eyes. The graph is showing up for 4 seconds. Thank you so much.

But I still wonder if it will solve my problem in general. This is only a segment of a larger code, and I will be aiming to generate graphs in parallel.
I will need the graphs to stay open for any time period.
And when the graph window which is generated is in itself a normal GUI with "min max close" buttons, why cant we just leave it on the user to close the graph window when he desires to do so ? There must be a way to leave the application running without keeping any dependencies from the source, isnt it ?

[Tolls]

I have no idea, but I suspect it is to do with child processes.
When your output stream closes (or possibly the app as a whole? you might want to try sleeping after the close) it's closing the parent/child tie.

That's a bit of a guess on my part, it has to be said.
When run from the cmd line are you able to still use the cmd terminal?

[er.raj]

When run from the cmd line are you able to still use the cmd terminal?

That was an interesting question. I checked it out and yes I am able to use the pgnuplot command line interface when run from the cmd i.e on executing the java program.
I am attaching a snapshot just for clarity. This is taken on running the java program (during the sleep time interval). Note: No additional command is written on the pgnuplot command line after execution.