so exec always invokes the shell? 
#!/usr/bin/perl --

use strict;
use warnings;

my $perl = 'perl'; # $^X;

my @args ;
if( @ARGV ){
# no output from exec/systemx
    @args = ( qw! -l -e !, q!print for @ARGV!, "1 2" );
} else {
# output from exec/systemx, but on 2 lines, wrong output
    @args = ( qw! -l -e !, q!"print for @ARGV"!, '--',"1 2" );
}

warn "$perl @args \n";

warn 'system ';
system $perl, @args;

{
    use IPC::System::Simple qw' systemx ';
    warn 'systemx ';
    systemx $perl, @args;
}

warn 'exec ';
exec $perl, @args; # bug
warn " $!  $^E ";

__END__

[download]
$ perl junk.pl 1
perl -l -e print for @ARGV 1 2
system  at junk.pl line 24.
1 2
systemx  at junk.pl line 29.

exec  at junk.pl line 33.

$

[download]
$ perl junk.pl
perl -l -e "print for @ARGV" -- 1 2
system  at junk.pl line 24.
1 2
systemx  at junk.pl line 29.
1
2
exec  at junk.pl line 33.

$ 1
2

[download]
Huuuh?

In reply to exec always invokes the shell? win32 by Anonymous Monk

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