假设是POSIX，捕获stdout的简单代码:

#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

std::string qx(const std::vector<std::string>& args) {
  int stdout_fds[2];
  pipe(stdout_fds);

  int stderr_fds[2];
  pipe(stderr_fds);

  const pid_t pid = fork();
  if (!pid) {
    close(stdout_fds[0]);
    dup2(stdout_fds[1], 1);
    close(stdout_fds[1]);

    close(stderr_fds[0]);
    dup2(stderr_fds[1], 2);
    close(stderr_fds[1]);

    std::vector<char*> vc(args.size() + 1, 0);
    for (size_t i = 0; i < args.size(); ++i) {
      vc[i] = const_cast<char*>(args[i].c_str());
    }

    execvp(vc[0], &vc[0]);
    exit(0);
  }

  close(stdout_fds[1]);

  std::string out;
  const int buf_size = 4096;
  char buffer[buf_size];
  do {
    const ssize_t r = read(stdout_fds[0], buffer, buf_size);
    if (r > 0) {
      out.append(buffer, r);
    }
  } while (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR);

  close(stdout_fds[0]);

  close(stderr_fds[1]);
  close(stderr_fds[0]);

  int r, status;
  do {
    r = waitpid(pid, &status, 0);
  } while (r == -1 && errno == EINTR);

  return out;
}

为获得更多功能，欢迎代码贡献:

https://github.com/ericcurtin/execxx

假设是POSIX，捕获stdout的简单代码:

#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

std::string qx(const std::vector<std::string>& args) {
  int stdout_fds[2];
  pipe(stdout_fds);

  int stderr_fds[2];
  pipe(stderr_fds);

  const pid_t pid = fork();
  if (!pid) {
    close(stdout_fds[0]);
    dup2(stdout_fds[1], 1);
    close(stdout_fds[1]);

    close(stderr_fds[0]);
    dup2(stderr_fds[1], 2);
    close(stderr_fds[1]);

    std::vector<char*> vc(args.size() + 1, 0);
    for (size_t i = 0; i < args.size(); ++i) {
      vc[i] = const_cast<char*>(args[i].c_str());
    }

    execvp(vc[0], &vc[0]);
    exit(0);
  }

  close(stdout_fds[1]);

  std::string out;
  const int buf_size = 4096;
  char buffer[buf_size];
  do {
    const ssize_t r = read(stdout_fds[0], buffer, buf_size);
    if (r > 0) {
      out.append(buffer, r);
    }
  } while (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR);

  close(stdout_fds[0]);

  close(stderr_fds[1]);
  close(stderr_fds[0]);

  int r, status;
  do {
    r = waitpid(pid, &status, 0);
  } while (r == -1 && errno == EINTR);

  return out;
}

为获得更多功能，欢迎代码贡献:

https://github.com/ericcurtin/execxx

#include <cstdio>
#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <string>
#include <array>

std::string exec(const char* cmd) {
    std::array<char, 128> buffer;
    std::string result;
    std::unique_ptr<FILE, decltype(&pclose)> pipe(popen(cmd, "r"), pclose);
    if (!pipe) {
        throw std::runtime_error("popen() failed!");
    }
    while (fgets(buffer.data(), buffer.size(), pipe.get()) != nullptr) {
        result += buffer.data();
    }
    return result;
}

Pre-C + + 11版:

#include <iostream>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string>

std::string exec(const char* cmd) {
    char buffer[128];
    std::string result = "";
    FILE* pipe = popen(cmd, "r");
    if (!pipe) throw std::runtime_error("popen() failed!");
    try {
        while (fgets(buffer, sizeof buffer, pipe) != NULL) {
            result += buffer;
        }
    } catch (...) {
        pclose(pipe);
        throw;
    }
    pclose(pipe);
    return result;
}

对于Windows，用_popen和_pclose替换popen和pclose。

获得stdout和stderr(也写入stdin，这里没有显示)与我的pstreams头很容易，它定义了iostream类的工作方式像popen:

#include <pstream.h>
#include <string>
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
  // run a process and create a streambuf that reads its stdout and stderr
  redi::ipstream proc("./some_command", redi::pstreams::pstdout | redi::pstreams::pstderr);
  std::string line;
  // read child's stdout
  while (std::getline(proc.out(), line))
    std::cout << "stdout: " << line << '\n';
  // if reading stdout stopped at EOF then reset the state:
  if (proc.eof() && proc.fail())
    proc.clear();
  // read child's stderr
  while (std::getline(proc.err(), line))
    std::cout << "stderr: " << line << '\n';
} 

对于Windows, popen也可以工作，但它会打开一个控制台窗口-它会在你的UI应用程序上快速闪烁。如果你想成为一个专业人士，最好禁用这种“闪烁”(特别是如果最终用户可以取消它)。

下面是我自己的Windows版本:

(此代码部分重组自代码项目和MSDN示例中编写的想法。)

#include <windows.h>
#include <atlstr.h>
//
// Execute a command and get the results. (Only standard output)
//
CStringA ExecCmd(
    const wchar_t* cmd              // [in] command to execute
)
{
    CStringA strResult;
    HANDLE hPipeRead, hPipeWrite;

    SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES saAttr = {sizeof(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES)};
    saAttr.bInheritHandle = TRUE; // Pipe handles are inherited by child process.
    saAttr.lpSecurityDescriptor = NULL;

    // Create a pipe to get results from child's stdout.
    if (!CreatePipe(&hPipeRead, &hPipeWrite, &saAttr, 0))
        return strResult;

    STARTUPINFOW si = {sizeof(STARTUPINFOW)};
    si.dwFlags     = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW | STARTF_USESTDHANDLES;
    si.hStdOutput  = hPipeWrite;
    si.hStdError   = hPipeWrite;
    si.wShowWindow = SW_HIDE; // Prevents cmd window from flashing.
                              // Requires STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW in dwFlags.

    PROCESS_INFORMATION pi = { 0 };

    BOOL fSuccess = CreateProcessW(NULL, (LPWSTR)cmd, NULL, NULL, TRUE, CREATE_NEW_CONSOLE, NULL, NULL, &si, &pi);
    if (! fSuccess)
    {
        CloseHandle(hPipeWrite);
        CloseHandle(hPipeRead);
        return strResult;
    }

    bool bProcessEnded = false;
    for (; !bProcessEnded ;)
    {
        // Give some timeslice (50 ms), so we won't waste 100% CPU.
        bProcessEnded = WaitForSingleObject( pi.hProcess, 50) == WAIT_OBJECT_0;

        // Even if process exited - we continue reading, if
        // there is some data available over pipe.
        for (;;)
        {
            char buf[1024];
            DWORD dwRead = 0;
            DWORD dwAvail = 0;

            if (!::PeekNamedPipe(hPipeRead, NULL, 0, NULL, &dwAvail, NULL))
                break;

            if (!dwAvail) // No data available, return
                break;

            if (!::ReadFile(hPipeRead, buf, min(sizeof(buf) - 1, dwAvail), &dwRead, NULL) || !dwRead)
                // Error, the child process might ended
                break;

            buf[dwRead] = 0;
            strResult += buf;
        }
    } //for

    CloseHandle(hPipeWrite);
    CloseHandle(hPipeRead);
    CloseHandle(pi.hProcess);
    CloseHandle(pi.hThread);
    return strResult;
} //ExecCmd

我会使用popen() (++waqas)。

但有时你需要阅读和写作……

似乎没有人再用困难的方式做事了。

(假设是Unix/Linux/Mac环境，或者是带有POSIX兼容层的Windows…)

enum PIPE_FILE_DESCRIPTERS
{
  READ_FD  = 0,
  WRITE_FD = 1
};

enum CONSTANTS
{
  BUFFER_SIZE = 100
};

int
main()
{
  int       parentToChild[2];
  int       childToParent[2];
  pid_t     pid;
  string    dataReadFromChild;
  char      buffer[BUFFER_SIZE + 1];
  ssize_t   readResult;
  int       status;

  ASSERT_IS(0, pipe(parentToChild));
  ASSERT_IS(0, pipe(childToParent));

  switch (pid = fork())
  {
    case -1:
      FAIL("Fork failed");
      exit(-1);

    case 0: /* Child */
      ASSERT_NOT(-1, dup2(parentToChild[READ_FD], STDIN_FILENO));
      ASSERT_NOT(-1, dup2(childToParent[WRITE_FD], STDOUT_FILENO));
      ASSERT_NOT(-1, dup2(childToParent[WRITE_FD], STDERR_FILENO));
      ASSERT_IS(0, close(parentToChild [WRITE_FD]));
      ASSERT_IS(0, close(childToParent [READ_FD]));

      /*     file, arg0, arg1,  arg2 */
      execlp("ls", "ls", "-al", "--color");

      FAIL("This line should never be reached!!!");
      exit(-1);

    default: /* Parent */
      cout << "Child " << pid << " process running..." << endl;

      ASSERT_IS(0, close(parentToChild [READ_FD]));
      ASSERT_IS(0, close(childToParent [WRITE_FD]));

      while (true)
      {
        switch (readResult = read(childToParent[READ_FD],
                                  buffer, BUFFER_SIZE))
        {
          case 0: /* End-of-File, or non-blocking read. */
            cout << "End of file reached..."         << endl
                 << "Data received was ("
                 << dataReadFromChild.size() << "): " << endl
                 << dataReadFromChild                << endl;

            ASSERT_IS(pid, waitpid(pid, & status, 0));

            cout << endl
                 << "Child exit staus is:  " << WEXITSTATUS(status) << endl
                 << endl;

            exit(0);


          case -1:
            if ((errno == EINTR) || (errno == EAGAIN))
            {
              errno = 0;
              break;
            }
            else
            {
              FAIL("read() failed");
              exit(-1);
            }

          default:
            dataReadFromChild . append(buffer, readResult);
            break;
        }
      } /* while (true) */
  } /* switch (pid = fork())*/
}

您还可能希望使用select()和非阻塞读取。

fd_set          readfds;
struct timeval  timeout;

timeout.tv_sec  = 0;    /* Seconds */
timeout.tv_usec = 1000; /* Microseconds */

FD_ZERO(&readfds);
FD_SET(childToParent[READ_FD], &readfds);

switch (select (1 + childToParent[READ_FD], &readfds, (fd_set*)NULL, (fd_set*)NULL, & timeout))
{
  case 0: /* Timeout expired */
    break;

  case -1:
    if ((errno == EINTR) || (errno == EAGAIN))
    {
      errno = 0;
      break;
    }
    else
    {
      FAIL("Select() Failed");
      exit(-1);
    }

  case 1:  /* We have input */
    readResult = read(childToParent[READ_FD], buffer, BUFFER_SIZE);
    // However you want to handle it...
    break;

  default:
    FAIL("How did we see input on more than one file descriptor?");
    exit(-1);
}