SPAWN

Ref Sec34.

SPAWN

Executes a command line (Unix shell) command from within Ferret.

yes? SPAWN unix_shell_command

Example:

yes? SPAWN rm -f file.dat

Also, "SPAWN shell_name" allows the user to fork into an interactive shell. For example:

yes? SPAWN csh

enters the user into a c-shell. Use EXIT to return to Ferret.

To assign results from a SPAWN command to a variable in Ferret, see the examples in the chapter on String Variables.

Example:

LET file_list = {SPAWN:"ls *.nc"}

SPAWN is disallowed when Ferret was started in secure mode with

> ferret -secure