Man Page system.3f

NAME

     system - execute operating system command

SYNOPSIS

     integer function system (string)
     character*(*) string

DESCRIPTION

     The function system gives string to your shell as input,  as
     if  the string had been typed as a command.  If the environ-
     ment variable SHELL is found, its value is used as the  com-
     mand interpreter (shell); otherwise, sh(1) is used.

     The current process waits until the command terminates.  The
     returned value is the exit status of the shell.  See wait(2)
     for an explanation of this value.

     Historically, cc and f77 developed  with  different  assump-
     tions:
       If cc calls system, the shell is always the Bourne shell.
       If f77 calls system, which shell is called depends on  the
       environment variable SHELL.

     The system function flushes all open files.

     For output files, the buffer is flushed to the actual file.

     For input files, the position of the pointer  is  unpredict-
     able.

     The system function is not MT-safe.  Do  not  call  it  from
     FORTRAN MP programs.

FILES

     libF77.a

SEE ALSO

     execve(2), wait(2), system(3c)

BUGS

     string cannot be longer than 1023 characters.

SEE ALSO

     sh(3F)