Extending Icecast 2.4.X against Ezstream (Run External Script or Integrate Ezstream Source)

Good evening,

I am extending Icecast 2.4.x in a project that intends to use ezstream 
many times during the Icecast execution life cycle. At the point when I 
"start up" ezstream, I am faced with a dilemma of whether I should just 
integrate the ezstream source code into my project and program directly 
to the procedures, or whether I should just use shell scripts to control 
ezstream. The ezstream processes will just be fired up for a couple of 
minutes then dropped, but on a regular basis. Firing up shell scripts 
would make my coding life a lot easier, but a gut feeling tells me that 
this is not the right way,

If anyone has got any experience within this, it would be greatly useful.

Cheers

Glenn