Running UNIX commands from Perl

[MJAZ]

How can I run UNIX commands from Perl and store the results? I have tried Google but it was unhelpful.

 

[stevexff]

my @files = qx{ls -al};
print $_ foreach (@files);

Steve

[small]"Every program can be reduced by one instruction, and every program has at least one bug. Therefore, any program can be reduced to one instruction which doesn't work." (Object:erlDesignPatterns)[/small]

 

[MJAZ]

so ls -al is the UNIX command? so can I just replace that with the command that I want?

 

[MillerH]

Yes, but instead of asking why not just try it? (just curious) You can also use the more common backticks operator.

my @results = `your_unix_command`;

http://perldoc.perl.org/perlop.html

- Section "Quote and Quote-like Operators

 

[MJAZ]

Sorry. My server (the machine that will be using this) is a while away, and is hard to get to. It is also broken, so I can't try it. Thanks for all your help!

 

[stevexff]

Yes. The 'lines' of output that are usually printed by the unix command will end up as elements in the array lvalue. Typically you'd use this for query-type commands, where you want to get the output into variables in your program.

Steve

[small]"Every program can be reduced by one instruction, and every program has at least one bug. Therefore, any program can be reduced to one instruction which doesn't work." (Object:erlDesignPatterns)[/small]

 

[MJAZ]

Thanks again!

 

[max1x]

you can also back ticks `` or SYSTEM to run UNIX commands, depending on what outcome ur looking for.