Req #43908 [Com]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output

From:	dwake at box dot com	Date:	Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:24:38 +0000
Subject:	Req #43908 [Com]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output
References:	1	Groups:	php.bugs
Request:	Send a blank email to php-bugs+get-175325@lists.php.net to get a copy of this message

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=43908&edit=1

 ID:                 43908
 Comment by:         dwake at box dot com
 Reported by:        Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot com
 Summary:            Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim
                     whitespace from output
 Status:             Wont fix
 Type:               Feature/Change Request
 Package:            *General Issues
 Operating System:   Windows 2000
 PHP Version:        5.2.5
 Block user comment: N
 Private report:     N

 New Comment:

If I use shell_exec(), is there any way to get the exit code?


Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-12-12 23:18:52] rasmus@php.net

If you want the raw unaltered output from the command use shell_exec() not 
exec(). By definition exec() has to use a delimiter in order to create the array. 
If you don't want it to do that, just grab the raw via shell_exec() and do your 
own parsing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-12-12 23:08:08] dwake at box dot com

I've just run into this "feature", writing a tool that needs to be able to read in a
file from a given commit repo.  Because of the "feature", every line in the resulting file
is stripped of trailing whitespace, creating a lot of spurious diffs.

I am at a loss to see the motivation for this behavior.  Information is being discarded, with no
possibility of recovering it.  The only workaround I can think of is to
1. Use sed, or a comparable utility, to add a non-whitespace character to the end of every line
2. Make the PHP exec() call
3. In PHP, strip the spurious character from the end of each line.

Please put in the extra flag to turn this behavior off.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2008-07-18 16:02:08] jani@php.net

Reclassified.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2008-07-18 14:28:05] Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot com

This is most certainly not expected behaviour, and furthermore, it is dataloss.

If you must preserve backwards compatibility, which is certainly fair, then I recommend you add a
new boolean option to the exec() call to preserve the whitespace. Either way, this bug is not bogus.

I have an application whose output may or may not contain lines that contain only whitespace. I need
for this whitespace to be preserved as otherwise I cannot parse the output correctly.

Please note that I'm not talking about the trailing "\n" which is mentioned in the
documentation. I'm referring to all other whitespace, especially spaces and tabs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2008-07-17 23:43:21] jani@php.net

Expected behaviour and can not be changed. RTFM: http://php.net/exec

------------------------------------------------------------------------


The remainder of the comments for this report are too long. To view
the rest of the comments, please view the bug report online at

    https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=43908


-- 
Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=43908&edit=1


   

Thread (17 messages)

• Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot comTue, 22 Jan 2008 16:51:56 +0000
  • davidc@php.netThu, 24 Jan 2008 02:53:34 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • felipe@php.netThu, 24 Jan 2008 10:35:40 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot comThu, 24 Jan 2008 15:46:45 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • felipe@php.netThu, 24 Jan 2008 20:37:30 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot comFri, 25 Jan 2008 17:59:47 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • felipe@php.netFri, 25 Jan 2008 18:24:43 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot comFri, 25 Jan 2008 18:43:54 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot comMon, 02 Jun 2008 13:26:52 +0000#43908 [Opn]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • jani@php.netThu, 17 Jul 2008 23:43:22 +0000#43908 [Opn->Bgs]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • Arne dot Heizmann at csr dot comFri, 18 Jul 2008 14:28:05 +0000#43908 [Bgs]: exec() swallows whitespace in output
  • jani@php.netFri, 18 Jul 2008 16:02:09 +0000#43908 [Bgs->Opn]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output
  • dwake at box dot comWed, 12 Dec 2012 23:08:09 +0000Req #43908 [Com]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output
  • rasmus@php.netWed, 12 Dec 2012 23:18:52 +0000Req #43908 [Opn->Wfx]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output
  • dwake at box dot comWed, 12 Dec 2012 23:24:38 +0000Req #43908 [Com]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output
  • dwake at box dot comWed, 12 Dec 2012 23:30:48 +0000Req #43908 [Com]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output
  • rasmus@php.netThu, 13 Dec 2012 00:11:42 +0000Req #43908 [Wfx]: Add an optional parameter to exec() to not trim whitespace from output