[Python-3000] os.popen versus subprocess.Popen

[Facundo Batista]

2008/4/22, Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org>:

>  I still think os.popen() should be reimplemented on top of subprocess,
>  and add the same optional flags as the open() function has grown to
>  indicate encoding and buffering.

os.popen() is deprecated in 2.6, with the recommendation of using the
subprocess module.

In view of this, I'm always recommending to use os.system() for easy
execution (no control), and the subprocess.Popen() for full control
(not so easy to use).

I agree that it should appear a more easy to use function, and also
agree that it should be constructed over subprocess.Popen(). But, as
all os.popen* functions are deprecated, and it will be constructed
over subprocess.Popen(), I think that this easy-to-use function should
be in the subprocess module.

BTW, the top two complains about subprocess.Popen "complicated API" in
the Python Argentina mail list and the courses I give, are:

- Why can't I write "ls -l", instead of ["ls", "-l"] (people ends
writing "ls -l".split())

- The parameter stdout should default to subprocess.PIPE

Maybe we could use this feedback for the ease-to-use function.

Regards,

-- 
.    Facundo

Blog: http://www.taniquetil.com.ar/plog/
PyAr: http://www.python.org/ar/