Re: Executing / Retrieving Output from Command

dir likely is not an external program but a shell built-in. Thus your backticks fail, and thus $newTest is undef. You can inspect $? and $! for the error(s). Maybe you meant to run cmd /c dir, or maybe you wanted readdir, glob or File::Find?

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Re^2: Executing / Retrieving Output from Command by ikegami (Patriarch) on Mar 15, 2010 at 18:29 UTC
Perl automatically tries `cmd /c $command` is executing `$command` fails (or something like that), so `dir` actually does work on Windows. I consider that a bug since it harms error reporting. >perl -e"print `dir /b`" bar foo Windows: >perl -le"`nonexistant`; print $?; print $! if $?==-1" 'nonexistant' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. 256 unix: $ perl -le'`nonexistant`; print $?; print $! if $?==-1' -1 No such file or directory [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]

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Re^2: Executing / Retrieving Output from Command
by ikegami (Patriarch) on Mar 15, 2010 at 18:29 UTC

cmd /c $command

$command

`dir`

I consider that a bug since it harms error reporting.

>perl -e"print `dir /b`"
bar
foo

Windows:
>perl -le"`nonexistant`; print $?; print $! if $?==-1"
'nonexistant' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
256

unix:
$ perl -le'`nonexistant`; print $?; print $! if $?==-1'
-1
No such file or directory
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