Accessing external file output from script?

[PWR]

Platform: Windows
Python: 2.3
Python Skill: Reading, Learning, but still newbie.

Mission:  My mission is writing a script that is triggered from my mail 
server.  The script will execute and download a file.  The email that 
triggered the message has a file size which is compared to the 
downloaded file to make sure the bytes match.  Once that is accomplished 
there is a small program (.exe) that I can run against the file.  The 
.exe has two outputs...

If the file that was downloaded is intact is returns nothing

If the file is damaged or not correct it returned ERROR_XXX

Those are the only things it will return.

Is there a way to call this program to run from my script and then 
parse? the output to see if either state is returned?

The good news is the script runs and does everything but the external 
file check (woo) so I am making progress.


-P.
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c y r a t (a_t) f r o n t i e r n e t (d o t) n e t