How do I change directories from within a script?

Splatt has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I'm creating a Perl script that will compile java code and create a jar file from it. The script resides in

c:\Files\

My souce resides in:

c:\Files\splatt\src\

The hitch is that the class files are compiled to a different directory than the one the script resides in. For example:

   $MakeGistMain = "javac $java_opt $class_dir splatt\\src\\.java";
   system ($MakeGistMain);
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compiles to $class_dir. When it's time to create the jar I need to chage to the directory that contains the class files and jar them up:

   $cd_class_dir = "cd $class_dir";
   system($cd_class_dir);
   system("jar -cvf splatt.jar splatt");
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What this does is create a jar file containing the .java files, not the .class files, suggesting that the cd isn't actually executed properly. Is there something I'm not doing?

Comment on How do I change directories from within a script? Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: How do I change directories from within a script? by Hot Pastrami (Monk) on Dec 14, 2000 at 01:51 UTC
Use chdir() to change directories Alan "Hot Pastrami" Bellows	[reply]
Re: Re: How do I change directories from within a script? by Splatt (Initiate) on Dec 14, 2000 at 01:52 UTC
Ah...! Thanks! Learning a new language can be terribly embarassing at times! :) There's nothing more dangerous than a resourceful idiot. --- Dilbert	[reply]
Re: Re: Re: How do I change directories from within a script? by Fastolfe (Vicar) on Dec 14, 2000 at 03:43 UTC
The reason that `system("cd some_dir")` doesn't work is because the system call is spawning a new process (in this case a shell), so any changes made to that shell's environment (such as changing the current working directory) are lost when the sub-process exits. You end up creating a child process and sending it to a new directory, where it expectedly dies/exits of natural causes and returns control back to you. You didn't move anywhere.	[reply] [d/l]