diff -r e17be189a448 Doc/library/os.rst --- a/Doc/library/os.rst Fri Oct 08 18:46:17 2010 +0200 +++ b/Doc/library/os.rst Fri Oct 08 19:54:49 2010 +0200 @@ -1929,26 +1929,26 @@ Execute the command (a string) in a subshell. This is implemented by calling the Standard C function :c:func:`system`, and has the same limitations. - Changes to :data:`sys.stdin`, etc. are not reflected in the environment of the - executed command. + Changes to :data:`sys.stdin`, etc. are not reflected in the environment of + the executed command. If *command* generates any output, it will be sent to + the interpreter standard output stream. On Unix, the return value is the exit status of the process encoded in the - format specified for :func:`wait`. Note that POSIX does not specify the meaning - of the return value of the C :c:func:`system` function, so the return value of - the Python function is system-dependent. - - On Windows, the return value is that returned by the system shell after running - *command*, given by the Windows environment variable :envvar:`COMSPEC`: on - :program:`command.com` systems (Windows 95, 98 and ME) this is always ``0``; on - :program:`cmd.exe` systems (Windows NT, 2000 and XP) this is the exit status of - the command run; on systems using a non-native shell, consult your shell - documentation. - - The :mod:`subprocess` module provides more powerful facilities for spawning new - processes and retrieving their results; using that module is preferable to using - this function. See the - :ref:`subprocess-replacements` section in the :mod:`subprocess` documentation - for some helpful recipes. + format specified for :func:`wait`. Note that POSIX does not specify the + meaning of the return value of the C :c:func:`system` function, so the return + value of the Python function is system-dependent. + + On Windows, the return value is that returned by the system shell after + running *command*, given by the Windows environment variable + :envvar:`COMSPEC`: on :program:`command.com` systems (Windows 95, 98 and ME) + this is always ``0``; on :program:`cmd.exe` systems (Windows NT, 2000, XP, + Vista and 7) this is the exit status of the command run; on systems using a + non-native shell, consult your shell documentation. + + The :mod:`subprocess` module provides more powerful facilities for spawning + new processes and retrieving their results; using that module is preferable + to using this function. See the :ref:`subprocess-replacements` section in + the :mod:`subprocess` documentation for some helpful recipes. Availability: Unix, Windows.