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Add OpenExternal, a function for opening files in the OS #4295

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Mar 25, 2021
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Add OpenExternal, a function for opening files in the OS #4295

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13 changes: 13 additions & 0 deletions doc/ref/streams.xml
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -298,6 +298,19 @@ separation character (usually a comma).
<#Include Label="PrintCSV">

</Section>

<!-- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% -->
<Section Label="Opening files in the Operating System">
<Heading>Opening files in the Operating System</Heading>

In some situations it can be desirable to open a file outside of &GAP;,
for example HTML files, PDFs, or pictures.

<#Include Label="OpenExternal">

</Section>


</Chapter>

<!-- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% -->
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18 changes: 18 additions & 0 deletions lib/streams.gd
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Expand Up @@ -1232,3 +1232,21 @@ DeclareGlobalFunction( "UnInstallCharReadHookFunc" );
## <#/GAPDoc>
##
DeclareGlobalFunction( "InputFromUser" );

#############################################################################
##
#F OpenExternal( <filename> )
##
## <#GAPDoc Label="OpenExternal">
## <ManSection>
## <Func Name="OpenExternal" Arg='filename'/>
##
## <Description>
## Open the file <A>filename</A> using the default application for this file
## in the operating system. This can be used to open files like HTML and PDF
## files in the GUI.
## </Description>
## </ManSection>
## <#/GAPDoc>
##
DeclareGlobalFunction( "OpenExternal" );
23 changes: 23 additions & 0 deletions lib/streams.gi
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Expand Up @@ -1388,6 +1388,29 @@ InstallGlobalFunction( InputFromUser,
end );


#############################################################################
##
#M OpenExternal(filename) . . . . . . . . . . . . open file in external GUI
##
InstallGlobalFunction( OpenExternal, function(filename)
local file;
if ARCH_IS_MAC_OS_X() then
Exec(Concatenation("open \"",filename,"\""));
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OK, I don't want to whine, but I have to repeat one of my pet mantras, namely that "Exec is a really bad function, we should never have added it like that". Besides not even allowing to check the return value, it also forces us to do silly quoting tricks like the above; and this is not even complete, a filename with a " in it will break it. We really should think about adding an alternative to Exec which is a bit better (doesn't go through a shell and hence has no quoting issues, and gives access to return value, and optionally allows for suppressing or redirecting output.

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(But of course none of this is required for this PR!)

elif ARCH_IS_WINDOWS() then
Exec(Concatenation("cmd /c start \"",filename,"\""));
elif ARCH_IS_WSL() then
# If users pass a URL, make sure if does not get mangled.
if ForAny(["https://", "http://"], {pre} -> StartsWith(filename, pre)) then
file := filename;
else
file := Concatenation("$(wslpath -a -w \"",filename,"\")");
fi;
Exec(Concatenation("explorer.exe \"", file, "\""));
else
Exec(Concatenation("xdg-open \"",filename,"\""));
fi;
end );


#############################################################################
##
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