Re: Examining the output of a shell command?

[Barry Margolin]

In article <mmpa5e$ma0$1@dont-email.me>, Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> 
wrote:

> Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen@web.de> writes:
> 
> > Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> writes:
> >
> >> Maybe the OP doesn't realize that some programs that output
> >> escape sequences won't do so when run as an Emacs shell command.
> >>
> >> /bin/ls being a good example.
> >>
> >> In that case, run:
> >>
> >> /bin/ls --color
> >>
> >> as an Emacs shell command.
> >
> > I guess programs like "ls" check the TERM environment variable.
> >
> > Try:
> >
> > (setenv "TERM" "xterm")
> 
> I doubt $TERM is the key.
> /bin/ls knows when it is interactive.

What they often check is whether stdout is connected to a terminal.

> > (shell-command-to-string "ls --color")
> 
> This will show escape sequences regardless of $TERM.
> It did for me with the Emacs default value "dumb".

-- 
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***