Retrieving Unix Environment Variables (on Solaris 9)

[cptk]

I'm having "brain freeze" ...

I just want to see the contents of some of my unix environment variables within tcl - what's the correct syntax?

Tried ...
> puts [exec {echo $USER}]


...I don't recall if this can be done?!?

 

[Bong]

Environment variables are available in Tcl by means of the env array. So to get the value of the USER variable, if there is one, you would access $env(USER). To get the path, you would use $env(PATH). And so on.

_________________
Bob Rashkin
rrashkin@csc.com

 

[cptk]

Bong, I knew you'd be listening out there.

I've tried
> puts [exec echo $env(USER)]
but it says "no such variable".

The $USER variable is "out there" in my unix environment, but how do I get it in tcl - I mean syntax-wise, what am I missing?

BTW - When you say "...if there is one", you do mean in unix ...right?

 

[Bong]

What I mean is, if it's an environment variable. Try this, in a Tcl shell use array get to turn the entire envrionment array into a list: set envlist [array get env]. Now, envlist will have pairs of elements in the form "variable name" "value".

If "USER" is there, try puts $env(USER). I think you're trying to use Tcl syntax in a UNIX command (with exec) and that might be your problem.

_________________
Bob Rashkin
rrashkin@csc.com

 

[marsd]

There is no need for any execs. Tcl has a copy of your user
environment in the array env. Try parray env.

 

[cptk]

Well ....

When I interactively run wish, at the prompt I enter "parray env" and it gives me all my variables ... goooood ...

BUT ....

When running a script, which uses the same wish exe, I'm getting error msg's:

> puts [parray env]
MSG: env isn't an array

> puts [parray $env]
MSG: "can't read env , no such varaible" ...

Am I forgetting to set something globally in my script?

 

[Bong]

puts" and "parray" may be redundant.

Anyway, in your Tcl script, try settng a variable to $env(USER). Then see if you can work with that variable.

_________________
Bob Rashkin
rrashkin@csc.com

 

[cptk]

Bong --

Yep, U R right ... puts and parray are redundant ...

Anyway, I tried your quick check and sure enough that worked:

>set env(USER) "DOGGY"
>parray env


So I'm back to my original problem, why can't I get to my env variables when running my script? What am I not including in my script? Why am I able to see all my env variables when running interactively?

Just for background info. - I'm starting wish like this in my script:

#! /bin/ksh
# blah blah \
exec /somedir/somedir/wish "$0" "$@"

Note: I just tried running script w/o the lines above and running via the command line - no difference, same results!!

but I'm not setting any tcl-like variables within my script ..

 

[Bong]

I'm not sure but I think you may be still in the Korn shell when you think you're giving commands in the Tk shell. I don't know how it is on UNIX, but on Windows, if I invoke Wish from a command console, I will now have 2 consoles: 1 DOS and 1 Wish. I don't know the syntax but I think you need to pass a script to Wish when you call it up from the Kshell.

_________________
Bob Rashkin
rrashkin@csc.com

 

[cptk]

... I've always been passing a script to wish when I call it up from a ksh. I was just explaining my start-up environment in case that provided any hints to the problem ...


So I'm still stuck !!!!

 

[cptk]

It was a global thing ...

I need to either :

1.) In my proc, I need to define "env" as global, or
2.) reference the "env" variables individually - e.g. -$::env(PATH)