notif.c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

void pHelp();
char* createString(int len);
void notif(char *command);

int main (int argc, char *argv[]) {

    if(argc !=2 || strcmp(argv[1], "--help") == 0) {
        pHelp();
    } else {
        notif(argv[1]);
    }
    return 0;
}

void notif (char* command) {
    int commLen = strlen(command);
    if(system(command) == 0) { //zero is success for _most_ UNIX binaries, but evaluates to false in C. so == 0 is necessary
        char* buff = createString(commLen +29);
        strcat(buff, "notif finished\" \"Command: '");
        strcat(buff, command);
        strcat(buff, "'\"");
        system(buff);
    } else {
        char* buff = createString(commLen +56);
        strcat(buff, "notif failed\" \"Command: '");
        strcat(buff, command);
        strcat(buff, "' did not execute as expected.\"");
        system(buff);
    }
}

char* createString(int len) {
    char* str = malloc(len +14); //Size of len, plus 1 for the string terminator plus the length of the string added in this method (13 currently)

        if (!str) { //if malloc returned NULL
            printf("notif couldn't free enough memory,\nterminating");
            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
        }
        str[0] = '\0';
        strcat (str, "notify-send \""); //specific, because both times this function is used need this as start of the string
        return str;
}

void pHelp () {
    printf("usage: notif [CMND...]\n\tCMND being the command to loop over.\n\tCMND shoud be quoted if it contains whitespace characters.\n\n(note that command aliases are currently ignored.)\n\n'notif --help' displays this message\n");
}