[unix-history] / usr / man / man3 / system.3f

.TH SYSTEM 3F "18 July 1983"
.UC 4
.SH NAME
system \- execute a \s-2UNIX\s0 command
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B integer function system (string)
.br
.B character*(*) string
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I System
causes
.I string
to be given to your shell
as input as if the string had been typed as a command.
If environment variable
.B SHELL
is found, its value will be used as the command interpreter (shell);
otherwise
.IR sh (1)
is used.
.PP
The current process waits until the command terminates.
The returned value will be the exit status of the shell.
See
.IR wait (2)
for an explanation of this value.
.SH FILES
.ie \nM /usr/ucb/lib/libU77.a
.el /usr/lib/libU77.a
.SH "SEE ALSO"
exec(2), wait(2), system(3)
.SH BUGS
.I String
can not be longer than NCARGS\-50 characters, as defined in
.RI < sys/param.h >.
Commit	Line	Data
5463bb6a C	1	.TH SYSTEM 3F "18 July 1983"
	2	.UC 4
	3	.SH NAME
	4	system \- execute a \s-2UNIX\s0 command
	5	.SH SYNOPSIS
	6	.B integer function system (string)
	7	.br
	8	.B character() string
	9	.SH DESCRIPTION
	10	.I System
	11	causes
	12	.I string
	13	to be given to your shell
	14	as input as if the string had been typed as a command.
	15	If environment variable
	16	.B SHELL
	17	is found, its value will be used as the command interpreter (shell);
	18	otherwise
	19	.IR sh (1)
	20	is used.
	21	.PP
	22	The current process waits until the command terminates.
	23	The returned value will be the exit status of the shell.
	24	See
	25	.IR wait (2)
	26	for an explanation of this value.
	27	.SH FILES
	28	.ie \nM /usr/ucb/lib/libU77.a
	29	.el /usr/lib/libU77.a
	30	.SH "SEE ALSO"
	31	exec(2), wait(2), system(3)
	32	.SH BUGS
	33	.I String
	34	can not be longer than NCARGS\-50 characters, as defined in
	35	.RI < sys/param.h >.