From: ara.t.howard@...
Date: 2006-10-06T22:40:18+09:00
Subject: Re: getstatusoutput

On Fri, 6 Oct 2006, OliverMarchand wrote:

> Dear Ruby fellows,
>
> I am desperately trying to write a quite simple function (something
> similar to what I was acumstomed to with Python)
>
> status, stdout, stderr = getstatusoutput(somecmdstring)
>
> status is an integer, stdout and stderr are strings
>
> Now in principle I know how to write such a function, but I don't know
> what the best interface to spawn the process given in somecmdstring is.
> Here is my analysis of the situation:
>
> IO::popen --- mixes stdout and stderr
> Open3.popen3 --- no possibility to wait for the process to finish
> exec --- I would have to write "everything" by myself, double fork,
> etc.
> ...popen4 --- not a standard function
>
> Is my analysis right, or is there something I am not understanding
> about open3?

your analysis is correct, it's why i wrote open4.  however, you cannot wait on
the program with 'getstatusoutput' either - at least i don't see the child pid
in there?

do you mean you just need the exit_status?  i assume so given the interface
above.

the thing with using open4 is that you can also do things like

   status = spawn 'echo', :stdin => 'foobar'

you're free to steal the code too - the liscense is ruby's.  otherwise

   gem install open4

regards.

-a
-- 
in order to be effective truth must penetrate like an arrow - and that is
likely to hurt. -- wei wu wei