EXIT

[Bruce Easton]

Almost a week ago, Ken's response was:

"Use the new SYSTEM() function in 5.6 instead, as it returns the exit 
value. "

I see nothing opaque about that.  I was able to find it without problem 
in the release notes.  Had I been needing it for something under the 
current version, it would clearly be there via F10 help.  That single 
answer also made it clear that I would not be able to use the new 
function when working on systems with a filepro version earlier than 5.6.

Bruce

On 3/9/15 3:27 PM, Fairlight wrote:
> No, actually, I think Jay is right in what he told me privately...that the
> terms being used are in the context of classical interpretive language
> nomenclature.
>
> The reality is that there are about 5-6 of us on the list who would have
> the background to actually know that.  I was picking it up correctly via
> semantical usage.  Ken insists on being opaque on the issue, rather than
> simply stating where he's lifting the terms from, and spelling it out
> clearly.
>
> Your average, "I have zero clue what I'm doing outside of filePro, nor
> do I care to," programmer will have zero idea what the distinction is
> unless Ken decides to -stop- being opaque, and/or the tiny minority of
> broader-experienced programmers here educate everyone else.
>
> m->
>
> On Mon, Mar 09, 2015 at 03:16:44PM -0400, Bruce Easton thus spoke:
>> Occasionally I have wondered about the use of those terms just
>> within filepro documentation.  For instance, the online manual at
>> fptech.com refers to "HTML Functions" which really seem like
>> commands in the filepro sense. But by and large filepro "functions"
>> seem to be commands that return a value.  Whether the categorization
>> within filepro makes sense outside of filepro or not is not as
>> important as consistency of documentation within filepro, imho.
>> When a command or function is discussed here, people should simply
>> be on the same page with regard to the command/function being
>> discussed.   Since the earliest printed filepro manuals, commands
>> and functions have been labeled one way or the other within the
>> filepro programming language.    When Ken differentiates between a
>> "command" versus a "function", I do believe he is strictly speaking
>> of such within the filepro programming language.  This helps  avoid
>> confusion and enforces how those are referenced in the documentation
>> (or should).
>>
>> I was able to find in the online manual the description of the
>> system *function* in the 5.6 release notes.  I was not able to find
>> it there looking just for "System".  However, "SYSTEM()" is
>> searchable and well documented with an example in the latest-version
>> help available via F10 in Define Processing.
>>
>> Bruce
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/9/15 2:14 PM, Fairlight wrote:
>>> You say that like it has some meaning, Ken.  Given the utterly shallow
>>> documentation filePro has (-rw .. -rz are still documented as deeply as
>>> mirror plating, and about as transparently - as witnessed by an exchange
>>> I had with a client this week), saying *COMMAND* and *FUNCTION* in the
>>> context of filePro's API to any underlying system functionality is
>>> laughable.
>>>
>>> What are you meaning, -exactly-, by "*COMMAND*"?  Because I've -always-
>>> considered the damned thing a function which is a wrapper around system(2).
>>> If it points to an underlying system function, I consider it a function
>>> itself.  Full stop.
>>>
>>> You apparently have some seemingly arbitrary (but differing) definitions
>>> of the two which are not clearly presented, and which appear to follow
>>> arbitrary rules which you have yet to properly and concisely explain.
>>> Apparently it's not represented by the syntax, as I'd queried...
>>>
>>> So enlighten me/us...
>>>
>>> mark->
>>>
>>> On Mon, Mar 09, 2015 at 01:08:09PM -0400, Kenneth Brody thus spoke:
>>>> On 3/9/2015 11:49 AM, Fairlight wrote:
>>>>> What's there difference between invoking the two?  Using a variable for the
>>>>> return value, or using parentheses?  Or both?
>>>> The difference is that one is a *COMMAND*:
>>>>
>>>>      SYSTEM command_to_execute
>>>>
>>>> and the other is a *FUNCTION*:
>>>>
>>>>      status = SYSTEM( command_to_execute )
>>>>
>>>>> m->
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Mar 09, 2015 at 09:06:05AM -0400, Kenneth Brody thus spoke:
>>>>>> The SYSTEM *command* was never "redone".  Rather, as I wrote in my
>>>>>> original reply (quoted above), 5.6 introduced the SYSTEM()
>>>>>> *function*.
>>>> -- 
>>>> Kenneth Brody
>>>>
>>
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