Weird output from echo called from a java application

[AnthonyGeorge]

The aim of this application is to translate a en Var such as $PATH into its path such as /usr/bin.

Before I give the code listing and environment can anyone think of any UNIX reason that given echo $PATH, the application will output back $PATH and not the path /usr/bin.

My java code works as a standalone application, it is when it is called from a Oracle Store procedure that it outputs back what was inputed in.

As a stand alone if I input $TONY it will throw an exception as there is no envar mapped to $TONY.

If I input TONY then it will output TONY, this is the same resault as from the application called the Oracle database.

Is there a problem with unix commands and Oracle.

Code listing below:

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

class translate
{
public static String translatePath(String envar)
{
Runtime rt = Runtime.getRuntime();
Process p = null;
String echoOutput = null;

int len = 0;

try
{
System.out.println("Calling echo "+envar);

p = rt.exec(new String[]{"/bin/echo",envar});

InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(p.getInputStream());
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(isr);
echoOutput = br.readLine();

br.close();
isr.close();
return echoOutput;
}
catch(Exception e)
{
System.out.println("Exception "+e);
return "ProcessProblem";
}

//path = "/rims/live/log";

}
}
Thanks for any advice or help

Tony

 

[PHV]

In unix, the $ expansion is done by a shell.
When you launch a program by exec family system call, the environment is passed as an array and it's the program responsability to retrieve the value of an environment variable.

Hope This Helps, PH.
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