From: nobu.nokada@...
Date: 2004-06-22T08:32:06+09:00
Subject: Re: Cleaning up IO#popen

Hi,

At Mon, 21 Jun 2004 22:02:32 +0900,
evanm@frap.net wrote in [ruby-talk:104243]:
> > > * can't bypass the shell
> > 
> > In 1.9, it can as well as Kernel#system.
> 
> Really? I went and grabbed ruby-1.9-rodc-20040114.tgz to check it out, and
> the docs say it's the same. Is there a better place to find this information?

Sorry, I've forgotten to update the document.

> Is the mode argument gone? Is the magic "-" value gone?

Both are still there.

You can give arguments as an Array. e.g.:

  IO.popen(%w[echo |arguments| contain shell's <meta> "chars"], "r")

> > > While looking around for ways to improve on it I came across the Open3
> > > module in the stdlib, which has a much more "ruby" interface. Based mostly on
> > > that, I redid some methods that could replace IO.popen (and put popen3 in IO
> > > at the same time, which is where it probably belongs)
> > 
> > I don't feel that Open3 is more ruby-like, but it's rather
> > perlish.
> 
> To me, magic values in a string are hackish. popen('-') logically is and should
> be an entirely separate function. I can't really comment on the new version of
> popen that you're referencing as I can't find any information on it. How does
> it work? What is its args? Does it drop the '-' and mode arguments?

I'm not sure they are really evil.

At Mon, 21 Jun 2004 06:06:02 +0900,
evanm@frap.net wrote in [ruby-talk:104194]:
> * takes a "mode string" arg for what really should be a separate function
> * takes a "-" as a magic value for what really should be a separate function

Do you suggest to provide all possible combinations?

-- 
Nobu Nakada