io.popen
Lua function io.popen Summary Creates a pipe and executes a command Prototype `f = io.popen (command, mode)` Description `Creates a pipe and executes a command. Mode can be one of: "r" - The calling process can read the spawned command’s standard output via the returned stream. This is the default. "w" - The calling process can write to the spawned command’s standard input via the returned stream. "b" - Open in binary mode. "t" - Open in text mode. However io.popen is not supported under the version compiled into MUSHclient, so don't get too excited. :) This is an example of using popen under the Linux Lua executable:
     f = assert (io.popen ("ls -l"))

     for line in f:lines() do
       print(line)
     end -- for loop

     f:close()
An alternative to using pipes, if you want to capture operating system output, is to redirect command output to a temporary file, like this:
    -- get a temporary file name
    n = os.tmpname ()

    -- execute a command
    os.execute ("dir > " .. n)

    -- display output
    for line in io.lines (n) do
      print (line)
    end

    -- remove temporary file
    os.remove (n)
` See Also ... Topics Lua base functions Lua bc (big number) functions Lua bit manipulation functions Lua coroutine functions Lua debug functions Lua io functions Lua math functions Lua os functions Lua package functions Lua PCRE regular expression functions Lua script extensions Lua string functions Lua table functions Lua utilities Scripting Lua functions f:close (Closes a file) f:flush (Flushes outstanding data to disk) f:lines (Returns an iterator function for reading the file line-by-line) f:read (Reads the file according to the specified formats) f:seek (Sets and gets the current file position) f:setvbuf (Sets the buffering mode for an output file) f:write (Writes to a file) io.close (Closes a file) io.flush (Flushes outstanding data to disk for the default output file) io.input (Opens filename for input in text mode) io.lines (Returns an iterator function for reading a named file line-by-line) io.open (Opens a file) io.output (Opens a file for output) io.read (Reads from the default input file) io.stderr (File handle for standard error file) io.stdin (File handle for standard input file) io.stdout (File handle for standard output file) io.tmpfile (Returns a handle to a temporary file) io.type (Returns type of file handle) io.write (Writes to the default output file) (Help topic: lua=io.popen) Documentation contents page