Do and Die

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

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Do and Die by japhy (Canon) on Aug 15, 2005 at 18:54 UTC
The system() function returns zero on success and non-zero on failure (see the perlfunc documentation). And there's no reason to make a system call to 'mv' when you can use the rename() function or the move() function from File::Copy. Jeff `japhy` Pinyan, P.L., P.M., P.O.D, X.S.: Perl, regex, and `perl` hacker How can we ever be the sold short or the cheated, we who for every service have long ago been overpaid? ~~ Meister Eckhart	[reply]
Re: Do and Die by jhourcle (Prior) on Aug 15, 2005 at 18:56 UTC
system returns the status ~~of the command~~ returned by wait. Typical unix commands and C functions return '0' on success (ie, there was no error) See the following example: `$ perl -e '$var = system("true"); print "[$var]\n"' [0] $ perl -e '$var = system("false"); print "[$var]\n"' [256]` [download] Update: oops... shift 8 places to get the status of the command. 'false' should have returned '1': `$ false; echo $? 1` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Do and Die by Transient (Hermit) on Aug 15, 2005 at 18:57 UTC
system will return the return code from the OS. This will be 0 if it is successful, thus a successful "move" will return a false value. You want something like... `Die ("data load","YTSMSC","High","Could not move file: $filename for s +uccessful exit: $@") if system("mv $filename $localpath/archives/");` [download] or more readable `system("mv $filename $localpath/archives/"); Die ("data load","YTSMSC","High","Could not move file: $filename for s +uccessful exit: $@") if $?;` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Do and Die by Old_Gray_Bear (Bishop) on Aug 15, 2005 at 19:06 UTC
Something odd is happening to the command in the sys-call, and it passed the information back via the exit-code. You might want to consider a slight modification to your routine to capture the return-code and plug it into the string you pass to Die(), don't forget to divide by 256 .... Something like: `my $return_code = system(...); if ($return_code) { $return_code /= 256; Die(... "Return Code from system() was $return_code" ...); }` [download] (Not tested, usual disclaimers apply.) ---- I Go Back to Sleep, Now. OGB	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Do and Die by sk (Curate) on Aug 15, 2005 at 19:04 UTC
`#!/usr/bin/perl -w # system ('echo', 'hi 0') or die $@; # INCORRECT WAY TO CHECK FOR F +AILURES my $ret = system ('echo', 'hi 1'); die $@ if $ret; die $@ if system ('echo', 'hi 2'); # Works but i don't think it i +s clean __END__ hi 1 hi 2` [download]	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: Do and Die by Transient (Hermit) on Aug 15, 2005 at 19:10 UTC
To expand - you might want a special case for -1 (unable to start the program) `my $retval = system( 'cmd' ); if ( $retval == -1 ) { die "Unable to start cmd!\n$!\n"; } elsif ( $? ) { die "Error returned from cmd! (".($?>>8).")\n$@\n"; }` [download]	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Do and Die by jimbus (Friar) on Aug 15, 2005 at 19:25 UTC
So I guess this falls under the stupid newbie trick catagory... I swear this was working at one point grimaces as his head disemplodes This is what I'm talking about when I said in my last post, that I'm trying to write mature code when I'm still trying to learn all the little things that all you guys are matter of fact about. Anyhow, thanks for all the good input! Madman Jimbus howls, "Never moon a werewolf!"	[reply]
Re: Do and Die by BaldPenguin (Friar) on Aug 15, 2005 at 18:52 UTC
Is it possible that your $filename or $localpath could contain a space or othr illeagl character? I think I would try something like: `system('mv', "'$filename'", "'$localpath/archives/'") or Die ("data lo +ad","YTSMSC","High","Could not move file: $filename for successful ex +it: $@");` [download] Don WHITEPAGES.COM \| INC Everything I've learned in life can be summed up in a small perl script!	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: Do and Die by jimbus (Friar) on Aug 15, 2005 at 19:10 UTC
I tried the following to test for spaces and try your suggestion: `print "=$filename==$localpath/archives/=\n"; system('mv', "'$filename'", "'$localpath/archives/'") or Die ("data +load","YTSMSC","High","Could not move file: $filename for succ essful exit: $@");` [download] Running the code I got complaints from mv, but the or didn't kick in. but the files didn't move, wither. I did an ls with a cut and paste of one of the file names to proven that part is sound. [reports@clarkkent]/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test(11): ./t.pl >/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200200<>/home/ +reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/archives/< mv: cannot access '/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC. +0507200200' >/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200215<>/home/ +reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/archives/< mv: cannot access '/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC. +0507200215' >/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200230<>/home/ +reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/archives/< mv: cannot access '/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC. +0507200230' >/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200245<>/home/ +reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/archives/< mv: cannot access '/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC. +0507200245' [reports@clarkkent]/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test(12): ls archives sav2.pl SMSC_COU +NTERS_SMSC.0507200230 errors SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200200 SMSC_COU +NTERS_SMSC.0507200245 sav1.pl SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200215 t.pl [reports@clarkkent]/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test(13): ls /home/repor +ts/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200230 /home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200230 [reports@clarkkent]/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test(14): ls -l /home/re +ports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200230 -rw-r--r-- 1 reports staff 47472 Aug 12 12:08 /home/reports/ft +p/YTSMSC50/test/SMSC_COUNTERS_SMSC.0507200230 [reports@clarkkent]/home/reports/ftp/YTSMSC50/test(15): [download] Crazy Uncle Jimbus says, "Never moon a werewolf!"	[reply] [d/l] [select]

Brethern,