Module

load system.process

This module provides classes and functions to manage external processes.

Packages

• System

Classes

System.Process

This class is used to start external programs and to communicate with them.

This type is not copyable

Public members

Modifiers	Member	Description
@ const	current	Returns an instance of System.Process managing the current process.
const	delete	Cleans up the process instance.
const	exec	Starts the configured process and blocks until the process has finished. Retu...
const	getArguments	Returns a list containing the command line arguments of the managed process.
const	getCommand	Returns the command (application path) of the managed process.
const	getEnvironment	Returns an hash containing the environment variables of the managed process (...
const	getExitCode	Returns the exit code returned by the la execution of the process. A return c...
const	getExitStatus	Returns false if the last execution was terminated abnormally; otherwise re...
const	getPid	Returns the PID of the managed process or none if the process has no PID (i...
const	getWorkingDirectory	Returns the working directory assigned to the managed process as an instance ...
const	isRunning	Returns true if the managed process is running; otherwise returns false. ...
const	kill	Kills the managed process, causing it to exit immediately. Returns true if ...
@ const	list	Returns an iterator on each running process PID as a number. The returned val...
const	new	Creates a new object managing the process identified by ident. If the ide...
const	read	Reads all the data on the standard output of the called process.
const	readError	Reads all the data on the error output of the called process.
const	setEnvironment	Sets the environment variables to environment. The process will be started ...
const	setWorkingDirectory	Sets the working directory to workingDirectory. The process will be started...
const	start	Starts the configured process and return immediately. Returns true if the p...
const	terminate	Attempts to terminate the managed process. The process may not exit as a resu...
const	wait	Blocks until the process has finished. Returns true if the process was corr...
const	write	Writes the content of data to the standard input of the called process. If ...

Private members

Modifiers	Member	Description
final	args	Internal arguments list.
const	clone	Disable object copy.
final	command	Internal commande.
final	environment	Internal environment.
final	exitCode	Internal last exit code.
final	exitStatus	Internal last exit status.
@	g_current	Global instance of current process.
@	g_lib	Global library handle.
final	handle	Internal process handle.
final	pipes	Internal pipes for communication between processes.
final	workingDirectory	Internal working directory.

Functions

• System.exec
• System.getpid

Descriptions

System.Process.args

[]

Internal arguments list.

System.Process.clone

none

Disable object copy.

System.Process.command

''

Internal commande.

System.Process.current

def ()

Returns an instance of System.Process managing the current process.

System.Process.delete

def (self)

Cleans up the process instance.

System.Process.environment

none

Internal environment.

System.Process.exec

def (self, ...)

Starts the configured process and blocks until the process has finished. Returns true if the process was correctly started and executed; otherwise returns false. The exit code can then be retrived by the function getExitCode and the messages and errors by the read and readError functions. The started process can be configured using the setEnvironment and setWorkingDirectory functions. The parameters passed to this method are used as command line arguments for the started process.

An instance of Exception.SystemError is raised on error.

System.Process.exitCode

0

Internal last exit code.

System.Process.exitStatus

true

Internal last exit status.

System.Process.g_current

none

Global instance of current process.

System.Process.g_lib

lib ('libmint-system')

Global library handle.

System.Process.getArguments

def (const self)

Returns a list containing the command line arguments of the managed process.

System.Process.getCommand

def (const self)

Returns the command (application path) of the managed process.

System.Process.getEnvironment

def (const self)

Returns an hash containing the environment variables of the managed process (name to value).

System.Process.getExitCode

def (const self)

Returns the exit code returned by the la execution of the process. A return code of 0 is returned for process that were never executed.

System.Process.getExitStatus

def (const self)

Returns false if the last execution was terminated abnormally; otherwise returns true. A return value of true can either mean that the execution was successfull, never started or not terminated.

System.Process.getPid

def (const self)

Returns the PID of the managed process or none if the process has no PID (i.e. is not running).

System.Process.getWorkingDirectory

def (const self)

Returns the working directory assigned to the managed process as an instance of System.Directory.

System.Process.handle

none

Internal process handle.

System.Process.isRunning

def (const self)

Returns true if the managed process is running; otherwise returns false. The process is not running if it was not correctly started or has finished. The getExitStatus and getExitCode can used to get extra informations on non running processes.

System.Process.kill

def (self)

Kills the managed process, causing it to exit immediately. Returns true if the request was successfully sent to the process; otherwise returns false. The process must be running.

An instance of Exception.SystemError is raised on error.

System.Process.list

def ()

Returns an iterator on each running process PID as a number. The returned values can be used as the parameter to create an instance of System.Process to manage the associated process.

System.Process.new

def (self, ident)

Creates a new object managing the process identified by ident.

If the ident parameter is an instance of System.Process, the given value is returned by the function as the new instance.

If the ident parameter is a number, this value is used as a process identifier (PID) to find the associated process. The process must be already runing.

If ident rovides a toProcess method, this method is used to create the returned value; otherwise desc is cast to string to get a path to an application. The process must then be started using the exec or start method.

System.Process.pipes

[]

Internal pipes for communication between processes.

System.Process.read

def (self)

Reads all the data on the standard output of the called process.

System.Process.readError

def (self)

Reads all the data on the error output of the called process.

System.Process.setEnvironment

def (self, environment)

Sets the environment variables to environment. The process will be started using this environment. The parameter must be an hash (name to value) and the function must be called before start or exec. By default, the environment is copied from the current process.

System.Process.setWorkingDirectory

def (self, workingDirectory)

Sets the working directory to workingDirectory. The process will be started in this directory. This function must be called before start or exec. By default, the working directory is copied from the current process.

System.Process.start

def (self, ...)

Starts the configured process and return immediately. Returns true if the process was correctly started; otherwise returns false. On success, the wait function can be used to wait until the process has finished. The started process can be configured using the setEnvironment and setWorkingDirectory functions. The parameters passed to this method are used as command line arguments for the started process.

An instance of Exception.SystemError is raised on error.

System.Process.terminate

def (self)

Attempts to terminate the managed process. The process may not exit as a result of calling this function (it is given the chance to prompt the user for any unsaved files, etc). Returns true if the request was successfully sent to the process; otherwise returns false. The process must be running.

An instance of Exception.SystemError is raised on error.

System.Process.wait

def (self)

Blocks until the process has finished. Returns true if the process was correctly executed; otherwise returns false. The exit code can then be retrived by the function getExitCode and the messages and errors by the read and readError functions.

System.Process.workingDirectory

null

Internal working directory.

System.Process.write

def (self, data)

Writes the content of data to the standard input of the called process. If the process is not running, the data will be sent once started.

System.exec

def (command)

Executes the commande line command as if passed to a terminal. Returns the exit code of the command.

System.getpid

def ()

Returns the PID of the current process.