Python to close own CMD shell window on exit

Question

I am running multiple processes (hundreds), each of which is in python and invoked using:

command = 'start cmd /k call python %s' % (some_py_prog)
os.system(command)

where the /k leaves the cmd window open after execution. This is good to inspect for errors. However, as I call hundreds of jobs, my screen gets cluttered.

How then to make python close its own host cmd window on successful completion only? I need the errored jobs to remain visible.

Answer 1

Short answer: just use /c instead of /k will cause the cmd script to exit as soon as the command terminates, which is what you ask for:

command = 'start cmd /c call python %s' % (some_py_prog)
os.system(command)

But you are stacking some unnecessary cmd.exe here: one for the os.system call, one for the explicit cmd.c. You could simply use the subprocess module:

subprocess.call('python %s' % (some_py_prog), 
    creationflags = subprocess.CREATE_NEW_CONSOLE)

The creation flag is enough to ask the system to start the new process in a new console that will be closed as soon as the command will be terminated. Optionaly, you can add the shell=True option if you need it to pre-process some cmd goodies like io redirection.

(more details in that other answer from mine, specially in eryksun's comment)