<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--
 * Scilab ( http://www.scilab.org/ ) - This file is part of Scilab
 * Copyright (C) XXXX-2008 - INRIA
 * Copyright (C) 2018 - Samuel GOUGEON
 *
 * Copyright (C) 2012 - 2016 - Scilab Enterprises
 *
 * This file is hereby licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL v2.0,
 * pursuant to article 5.3.4 of the CeCILL v.2.1.
 * This file was originally licensed under the terms of the CeCILL v2.1,
 * and continues to be available under such terms.
 * For more information, see the COPYING file which you should have received
 * along with this program.
 *
 -->
<refentry xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
          xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
          xmlns:db="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xmlns:scilab="http://www.scilab.org"
          xml:lang="en" xml:id="host">
    <refnamediv>
        <refname>host</refname>
        <refpurpose>executes a Windows, Linux, or MacOS command</refpurpose>
    </refnamediv>
    <refnamediv xml:id="unix">
        <refname>unix</refname>
        <refpurpose>alias of host()</refpurpose>
    </refnamediv>
    <refsynopsisdiv>
        <title>Syntax</title>
        <synopsis>status = host(commands)</synopsis>
        <para/>
        <synopsis>status = unix(commands)</synopsis>
    </refsynopsisdiv>
    <refsection>
        <title>Arguments</title>
        <variablelist>
            <varlistentry>
                <term>commands</term>
                <listitem>
                    <para>
                        Single text containing Windows, Linux, or MacOS instructions sent to the
                        OS command interpreter.
                    </para>
                </listitem>
            </varlistentry>
            <varlistentry>
                <term>status</term>
                <listitem>
                    <para>
                      integer flag: -1 if the <varname>commands</varname> can't be executed
                      (for instance due to unsufficient memory). If <varname>commands</varname>
                      is executed (successfully or not) : exit code number returned by the Operating
                      System (OS) interpreter.
                    </para>
                    <note>
                       With Windows, 0 is most often returned in case of successful execution.
                    </note>
                </listitem>
            </varlistentry>
        </variablelist>
    </refsection>
    <refsection id="host_description">
        <title>Description</title>
        <para>
            <literal>host(…)</literal>
            <itemizedlist>
                <listitem>
                    creates a session of the OS command interpreter (<emphasis>sh</emphasis>
                    with Linux, or <emphasis>cmd.exe</emphasis> with Windows).
                </listitem>
                <listitem>
                    sends the given <literal>commands</literal> to it,
                </listitem>
                <listitem>
                    lets them be executed by the OS interpreter,
                </listitem>
                <listitem>
                    receives all the messages normally displayed in the OS interpreter terminal,
                </listitem>
                <listitem>
                    and closes the OS interpreter session.
                </listitem>
            </itemizedlist>
        </para>
        <important>
            The opened session of the OS interpreter is a fork of the session homing the current
            Scilab session. As a consequence, it has the following properties:
            <itemizedlist>
                <listitem>
                    Its starting current working directory (CWD) is the current one in the Scilab
                    session when running <literal>host(…)</literal>.
                </listitem>
                <listitem>
                    Its starting environment variables are copied from the OS interpreter session
                    homing the current Scilab session. They can be modified using
                    <link linkend="setenv">setenv</link>, before calling host().
                </listitem>
                <listitem>
                    Changing the CWD or/and the environment variables with instructions in
                    <varname>commands</varname> does not change them in the Scilab session or/and
                    in the underlying OS interpreter session homing it.
                </listitem>
            </itemizedlist>
        </important>
        <para>
            The host(…) results as standard output and standard errors are written in the terminal
            from which the Scilab session has been launched (a.k.a. the
            <link linkend="consolebox">consolebox</link> for MS Windows)..
        </para>
        <note>
            host() shall be preferred to its unix() alias, whose name is misleading.
        </note>
        <note>
            On MS Windows, <literal>host("cls")</literal> CLears the consolebox Screen.
        </note>
    </refsection>
    <refsection>
        <title>Examples</title>
        <refsect3>
            <title>For Windows users:</title>
            <para>
                Current working directory in the host() and Scilab OS interpreter respective sessions:
            </para>
            <programlisting role="example"><![CDATA[
pwd     // Current working directory of the Scilab session
if getos()=="Windows"
    host cls;
    consolebox on;
    host cd;        // Starting working directory in the OS interpreter session
else
    host pwd;
end
// The paths in the OS terminal/consolebox and in the Scilab console are the same  <<==
     ]]></programlisting>
        <para>Display in the OS terminal (consolebox):</para>
            <programlisting role="example"><![CDATA[
host cls;
host "echo Scilab host() function";
host "echo A & echo BC";
host("echo DEF"+ascii(10)+"echo G");
host("echo Current working directory: & cd");
host dira;   // => error: unknown command
     ]]></programlisting>
        <screen><![CDATA[
Scilab host() function
A
BC
DEF
Current working directory:
C:\Scilab\tests
'dira' is not a known internal or external command, executable program, or batch file.
]]></screen>
        <para>Environment variables in the Scilab and host() sessions:</para>
            <programlisting role="example"><![CDATA[
setenv TEST AAAA;
getenv NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS
host cls;
host "echo %TEST%";
host "echo %USERNAME% %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%";
host "set TEST=BBBB";
getenv TEST
     ]]></programlisting>
        Display: Rows starting with ":" are displayed in the consolebox, other ones in the Scilab console:
        <screen><![CDATA[
--> setenv TEST AAAA;
--> getenv NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS
 ans  =
 2

--> host cls;
--> host "echo %TEST%";
: AAAA

--> host "echo %USERNAME% %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%";
: Samuel 2

--> host "set TEST=BBBB"  // well done:
 ans  =
   0.

--> getenv TEST
 ans  =
 AAAA
]]></screen>
        </refsect3>
        <refsect3>
            <title>Application example:</title>
            <para>Portable openURL() function based on host():</para>
            <programlisting role="example"><![CDATA[
    function openURL(url)
        if getos()=="Windows"
            winopen(url)
        elseif getos()=="Linux"
            host("xdg-open """+url+"""")
        elseif getos()=="Darwin"         // Mac OS
            host("open """+url+"""")
        else
            warning("openURL: unknown OS")
        end
    endfunction

    // call it:
    openURL("https://help.scilab.org/docs/current/en_US/host.html")
        ]]></programlisting>
        </refsect3>
    </refsection>
    <refsection role="see also">
        <title>See also</title>
        <simplelist type="inline">
            <member>
                <link linkend="consolebox">consolebox</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="getos">getos</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="setenv">setenv</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="unix_g">unix_g</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="unix_s">unix_s</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="unix_w">unix_w</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="unix_x">unix_x</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="dos">dos</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <link linkend="powershell">powershell</link>
            </member>
            <member>
                <ulink url="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms681382.aspx">List of MS Windows exit codes</ulink>
            </member>
        </simplelist>
    </refsection>
</refentry>
