[Biopython-dev] subprocess and calling application wrappers

Eric Talevich eric.talevich at gmail.com
Thu Jun 10 19:18:38 UTC 2010


On Wed, Jun 2, 2010 at 7:59 AM, Peter <biopython at maubp.freeserve.co.uk>wrote:

>
> Even if the Python documentation seems to be discouraging it,
> using os.system() seems simple, robust, and cross platform. We
> could even update the tutorial now and post it online - it should
> make some people's lives a little easier.
>

The Python docs claim os.system(cmd) is equivalent to subprocess.call(cmd,
shell=True):
http://docs.python.org/library/subprocess.html#replacing-os-system

As I understood it, the reason for usually skipping the shell on Unix
systems was for additional security -- the called program sees the same
thing either way.

Should we use this as a "teachable moment" involving the subprocess module
in the tutorial?

-Eric



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