Re: Using !/bin/command inside a loop
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg5328] Re: Using !/bin/command inside a loop
- From: "David B. Wagner" <dbwagner at princon.com>
- Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 01:47:43 -0500
- Organization: Principia Consulting
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Sergio Rojas wrote:
>
> Hello folks;
>
> As a single line in any MMa file the line: !/bin/rm filename
> does its job. However when that line is included in a loop, a
> While loop for example:
>
> While[ (Otherset = InputString["New set (no to end)? "]) != "no",
> !/bin/rm filename ;
> n = Input["How many random numbers ?"];
> Print[Table[Random[],{n}]];
> % >> filename]
>
> the following error message is issued:
>
> Syntax::sntxf: " !" cannot be followed by "/bin/rm filename;".
>
> Could somebody explain the correct use of ! for this particular situation?
>
> Rojas
> e-mail: sergio at scisun.sci.ccny.cuny.edu
This is because the "!command" syntax is a hack, not a real Mathematica
expression. It only works if the ! is the first character in a line,
and probably doesn't work at all when nested inside of another
command. You should be using the Run or RunThrough commands.
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