DEPRECATED - use the runCommand function - see runCommand().
Actions may invoke command-line scripts. An alternate, and better way to access command lines is to use the runCommand() operator. The latter also benefits from not requiring a left side to the expression and allows more scope for control of whitespace and use of quotes.
When accessing the command line this way the current working directory this is '/', i.e. the root of the current volume.
The action
$MyString=`"perl -v"
runs the command
perl -v
and copies its standard output to the user string attribute $MyString.
The command is interpreted by /bin/sh.
The ` operator is not handled as a conventional unary operator, like negate (-). Tinderbox will do full variable interpolation, and the command may be assembled from other attributes and references:
$MyString=`$Command(parent)
So, the ` operator applies to everything up to the succeeding semicolon or the end of the command.
$MyString=`"ls -l;"$Color="red";$BorderColor="white";
The command may thus contain spaces. The command begins with the first non-white-space character following the `, and continues to the first semicolon. For example:
$MyString=`"perl -v;"$Color="red";$MyDir=`"pwd"
Attribute interpolation is applied to the entire command line
$Delivered=`myQuery $TrackingID $UserName(parent)
If you need to include the $ character in a command, escape it with backslash.
Interpolated attribute names are terminated when Tinderbox reaches the end of the command, a character that can't be part of an attribute name (e.g. white space), or a second $. Thus, if $AccountNumber holds the string "3716",
$Delivered=`myDatebaseQuery $AccountNumber$x31
would create the command:
myDatabaseQuery 3716x31
From v5.8.0, the older method of evaluating $References within quoted strings has been discontinued.
