CODEWITHSUNDEEP
common-lispsbcl
AndyNagels
AndyNagels

Reputation: 61

How can you use parameters in sbcl (common-lisp), for sb-ext:run-program?

I'm trying to call an external shell command in common-lisp, via SBCL's sb-ext:run-program.

Documentation about this run-program command, can be found here: http://sbcl.org/manual/index.html in the section 7.7.3 Running external programs

That page, does not contain examples. I figured out how to use it, by checking this page: stackoverflow examples for sb-ext:run-program

This is what I'm trying to do...

First, I define a variable for a parameter:

(defconstant *a-argument* "-lh")

Then I call a command:

(sb-ext:run-program "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Gow\\bin\\ls.exe"
                    '(*a-argument*)
                    :output *standard-output*)

It gives me the following error:

debugger invoked on a TYPE-ERROR in thread
#<THREAD "main thread" RUNNING {100299C8F3}>:
  The value
    *A-ARGUMENT*
  is not of type
    SEQUENCE

However, if I call it like this:

(sb-ext:run-program "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Gow\\bin\\ls.exe"
                    '("-lh")
                    :output *standard-output*)

then it works. The only difference is using "-lh" directly, instead of *a-argument*.

So the question I have is:
What do I need to do, to make the run-program call work, with a variable in the parameter list?

Extra info:

windows32 2.6.1 7601 i686-pc Intel unknown MinGW
SBCL 1.3.8

But I also tested this on FreeBSD 10.1 and there I have the same problem.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 1043

Answers (1)

AndyNagels
AndyNagels

Reputation: 61

The answer was given by jkiiski:

I needed to change this call:

(sb-ext:run-program "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Gow\\bin\\ls.exe"
                    '(*a-argument*)
                    :output *standard-output*)

To this call:

(sb-ext:run-program "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Gow\\bin\\ls.exe"
                    (list *a-argument*)
                    :output *standard-output*)

Upvotes: 4

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