Windows CMD Batch, START and output redirection

Question

I would like to run two programs simultaneously from a batch file, and redirect the first program's output into a text file like:

start python 1st.py arg1 arg2 > out.txt
start 2nd.exe %1 arg2 arg3

While the programs run as expected, all output is shown on stdout.

This ought to work. Without knowing anything, I wonder if 1st.py is doing something funny with output.
That's why—> only redirects stdout (I think). In any case, it looks like you already have what you need.

Tom Wijsman · Answer 1 · 2012-03-05 21:49:35Z

up vote 3 down vote accepted

You might need to do it this way:

start cmd /c python 1st.py arg1 arg2 ^> out.txt

answered Sep 21 '11 at 17:30

	Thank you, but it does not work for me (out.txt is not even created in the local directory) – none Sep 21 '11 at 17:52
	I tested it with CScript and a VBscript, so the idea is sound. Are you doing something "extra" in your command line that's not listed here, like double quotes? – Patrick S. Sep 21 '11 at 18:19
	Sorry, something went awfully wrong - it works! – none Sep 21 '11 at 18:27

feedback

grawity · Answer 2 · 2011-09-21 17:33:24Z

Redirection is applied to the start command, but somehow not to the cmd.exe instance it runs.

If the > operator is escaped, everything should work:

start 1st.py arg1 arg2 ^> out.txt

(If you want to redirect stderr as well, use 2^> for it.)

2 Answers