How to connect from C++ app to Wolfram Engine using WSTP

Questions
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1

Hello,

I’m trying to hookup an existing C++ application to the Wolfram Engine. I’ve been reading the C API docs[1], the Windows dev guide[2], and the example C code bundled with the Engine.

I’m stuck trying to launch the Wolfram Engine in the background, when the C++ app starts. The only way I’ve been able to create a link is using the following code:

WSEnvironmentParameter eParams = WSNewParameters(WSREVISION, WSAPIREVISION);
WSInitialize(eParams);
std::string linkInfo = "-linkname foo -linkprotocol SharedMemory -linkmode launch"; 
link = WSOpenString(ep, linkInfo.c_str(), &err);
if (link == nullptr) {
	return false;
}

However, this causes a Windows Prompt to pop up to select the MathKernel.exe, when the C++ app starts.

I would like the C++ application to run the MathKernel in the background, and to shut it down when the C++ application exits.

How can the C++ application launch the MathKernel app in the background, without having the prompt to select the app?

[1] WSTP C Language Functions—Wolfram Documentation

[2] WSTP Development in C—Wolfram Documentation

2

Maybe you could use windows functions to check running processes and see if wolfram engine is running, and manually start mathkernel as new process if it is not?