OS interface

call

Executes a shell command. In most cases, is the same as writing to the command prompt (CLI), but there are a few quirks.

The following code opens Windows Explorer:

>> call "explorer.exe"
== 11272        ; this is the number of the process opened.

This also works:

>> str: "explorer.exe"
== "explorer.exe"
>> call str
== 11916

However, the following code creates the process, but does not open Notepad on screen:

>> call "notepad.exe"
== 4180

If you want a behavior more similar to typing a command on the shell, you must use the refinement /shell:

>> call/shell "notepad.exe"     ;opens notepad on screen
== 6524

Other refinements:

/wait

Runs command and waits until the command you executed is finished to continue. Be careful: If you use /wait on a command that you can't finish (like call "notepad.exe" above), Red will wait... and wait.. indefinetly.

/input - we provide a string! a file! or a binary!, which will be redirected to stdin.

I don't understand this one. Seems as the same as simply call , as we provide string or a file anyway.

/output

We provide a a string! a file! or a binary! which will receive the redirected stdout from the command. Note that the output is appended.

The following code will create a text file with the shell output for "dir" (a list of files and folders from current path):

>> call/output "dir" %mycall.txt
== 0

This will create a (long) string with the results from "dir":

>> a: ""
== ""
>> call/output "dir" a
== 0
>> a
== { Volume in drive C has no label.^/ Volume Serial Number is BC5   ;...

/show

Force the display of system's shell window (Windows only). Your program will run with windows command prompt open.

>> call/shell/show "notepad.exe"
== 12372

/console

Runs command with I/O redirected to console (CLI console only at present, does not work with Red's normal GUI console).

write-clipboard & read-clipboard

Writes to and reads from the OS clipboard:

>> write-clipboard "You could paste this somewhere you find useful"
== true
>> print read-clipboard
You could paste this somewhere you find useful