@c This file is part of the MIT/GNU Scheme Reference Manual.
@c $Id: os-interface.texi,v 1.4 2008/01/30 20:06:11 cph Exp $

@c Copyright (C) 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994,
@c     1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
@c     2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
@c See file scheme.texinfo for copying conditions.

@node Operating-System Interface, Error System, Input/Output, Top
@chapter Operating-System Interface
@cindex Operating-System Interface

The Scheme standard provides a simple mechanism for reading and writing
files: file ports.  MIT/GNU Scheme provides additional tools for
dealing with other aspects of the operating system:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@dfn{Pathnames} are a reasonably operating-system independent tool for
manipulating the component parts of file names.  This can be useful for
implementing defaulting of file name components.
@cindex pathname

@item
Control over the @dfn{current working directory}: the place in the file
system from which relative file names are interpreted.
@cindex current working directory

@item
Procedures that rename, copy, delete, and test for the existence of
files.  Also, procedures that return detailed information about a
particular file, such as its type (directory, link, etc.) or length.

@item
Procedures for reading the contents of a directory.

@item
Procedures for obtaining times in various formats, converting between
the formats, and generating human-readable time strings.

@item
Procedures to run other programs as subprocesses of Scheme, to read
their output, and write input to them.

@item
A means to determine the operating system Scheme is running under.
@end itemize

@menu
* Pathnames::                   
* Working Directory::           
* File Manipulation::           
* Directory Reader::            
* Date and Time::               
* Machine Time::                
* Subprocesses::                
* TCP Sockets::                 
* Miscellaneous OS Facilities::  
@end menu

@node Pathnames, Working Directory, Operating-System Interface, Operating-System Interface
@section Pathnames

@comment **** begin CLTL ****
@cindex file name
MIT/GNU Scheme programs need to use names to designate files.  The main
difficulty in dealing with names of files is that different file systems
have different naming formats for files.  For example, here is a table
of several file systems (actually, operating systems that provide file
systems) and what equivalent file names might look like for each one:

@example
@group
System          File Name
------          ---------
TOPS-20         <LISPIO>FORMAT.FASL.13
TOPS-10         FORMAT.FAS[1,4]
ITS             LISPIO;FORMAT FASL
MULTICS         >udd>LispIO>format.fasl
TENEX           <LISPIO>FORMAT.FASL;13
VAX/VMS         [LISPIO]FORMAT.FAS;13
UNIX            /usr/lispio/format.fasl
DOS             C:\USR\LISPIO\FORMAT.FAS
@end group
@end example

@cindex filename (defn)
@cindex pathname (defn)
It would be impossible for each program that deals with file names to
know about each different file name format that exists; a new operating
system to which Scheme was ported might use a format different from any
of its predecessors.  Therefore, MIT/GNU Scheme provides @emph{two} ways to
represent file names: @dfn{filenames} (also called @dfn{namestrings}),
which are strings in the implementation-dependent form customary for the
file system, and @dfn{pathnames}, which are special abstract data
objects that represent file names in an implementation-independent way.
Procedures are provided to convert between these two representations,
and all manipulations of files can be expressed in machine-independent
terms by using pathnames.

@cindex host, in filename
In order to allow MIT/GNU Scheme programs to operate in a network
environment that may have more than one kind of file system, the
pathname facility allows a file name to specify which file system is to
be used.  In this context, each file system is called a @dfn{host}, in
keeping with the usual networking terminology.@footnote{This
introduction is adapted from @cite{Common Lisp, The Language}, second
edition, section 23.1.}
@comment **** end CLTL ****

Note that the examples given in this section are specific to unix
pathnames.  Pathnames for other operating systems have different
external representations.

@menu
* Filenames and Pathnames::     
* Components of Pathnames::     
* Operations on Pathnames::     
* Miscellaneous Pathnames::     
@end menu

@node Filenames and Pathnames, Components of Pathnames, Pathnames, Pathnames
@subsection Filenames and Pathnames

Pathname objects are usually created by parsing filenames (character
strings) into component parts.  MIT/GNU Scheme provides operations that
convert filenames into pathnames and vice versa.

@deffn procedure ->pathname object
@cindex construction, of pathname
Returns a pathname that is the equivalent of @var{object}.  @var{Object}
must be a pathname or a string.  If @var{object} is a pathname, it is
returned.  If @var{object} is a string, this procedure returns the
pathname that corresponds to the string; in this case it is equivalent
to @code{(parse-namestring @var{object} #f #f)}.

@example
@group
(->pathname "foo")          @result{}  #[pathname 65 "foo"]
(->pathname "/usr/morris")  @result{}  #[pathname 66 "/usr/morris"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn


@deffn procedure parse-namestring thing [host [defaults]]
@cindex construction, of pathname
This turns @var{thing} into a pathname.
@var{Thing} must be a pathname or a string.
If @var{thing} is a pathname, it is returned.  If @var{thing} is a
string, this procedure returns the pathname that corresponds to the
string, parsed according to the syntax of the file system specified by
@var{host}.

This procedure @emph{does not} do defaulting of pathname components.

The optional arguments are used to determine what syntax should be used
for parsing the string.  In general this is only really useful if your
implementation of MIT/GNU Scheme supports more than one file system,
otherwise you would use @code{->pathname}.  If given, @var{host} must be
a host object or @code{#f}, and @var{defaults} must be a pathname.
@var{Host} specifies the syntax used to parse the string.  If @var{host}
is not given or @code{#f}, the host component from @var{defaults} is
used instead; if @var{defaults} is not given, the host component from
@code{*default-pathname-defaults*} is used.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure ->namestring pathname
@cindex conversion, pathname to string
@code{->namestring} returns a newly allocated string that is the
filename corresponding to @var{pathname}.
@example
@group
(->namestring (->pathname "/usr/morris/minor.van"))
     @result{}  "/usr/morris/minor.van"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn


@deffn procedure pathname-simplify pathname
@cindex simplification, of pathname
Returns a pathname that locates the same file or directory as
@var{pathname}, but is in some sense simpler.  Note that
@code{pathname-simplify} might not always be able to simplify the
pathname, e.g.@: on unix with symbolic links the directory
@file{/usr/morris/../} need not be the same as @file{/usr/}.  In cases
of uncertainty the behavior is conservative, returning the original or a
partly simplified pathname.

@example
@group
(pathname-simplify "/usr/morris/../morris/dance")
     @result{}  #[pathname "/usr/morris/dance"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@node Components of Pathnames, Operations on Pathnames, Filenames and Pathnames, Pathnames
@subsection Components of Pathnames
@cindex components, of pathname
@cindex pathname components

@comment **** begin CLTL ****
A pathname object always has six components, described below.  These
components are the common interface that allows programs to work the
same way with different file systems; the mapping of the pathname
components into the concepts peculiar to each file system is taken care
of by the Scheme implementation.

@table @var
@item host
The name of the file system on which the file resides.  In the current
implementation, this component is always a host object that is filled in
automatically by the runtime system.  When specifying the host
component, use either @code{#f} or the value of the variable
@code{local-host}.
@cindex host, pathname component

@item device
Corresponds to the ``device'' or ``file structure'' concept in many host
file systems: the name of a (logical or physical) device containing
files.  This component is the drive letter for PC file systems, and is
unused for unix file systems.
@cindex device, pathname component

@item directory
Corresponds to the ``directory'' concept in many host file systems: the
name of a group of related files (typically those belonging to a single
user or project).  This component is always used for all file systems.
@cindex directory, pathname component

@item name
The name of a group of files that can be thought of as conceptually the
``same'' file.  This component is always used for all file systems.
@cindex name, pathname component

@item type
Corresponds to the ``filetype'' or ``extension'' concept in many host
file systems.  This says what kind of file this is.  Files with the same
name but different type are usually related in some specific way, such
as one being a source file, another the compiled form of that source,
and a third the listing of error messages from the compiler.  This
component is currently used for all file systems, and is formed by
taking the characters that follow the last dot in the namestring.
@cindex type, pathname component

@item version
Corresponds to the ``version number'' concept in many host file systems.
Typically this is a number that is incremented every time the file is
modified.  This component is currently unused for all file systems.
@cindex version, pathname component
@end table

Note that a pathname is not necessarily the name of a specific file.
Rather, it is a specification (possibly only a partial specification) of
how to access a file.  A pathname need not correspond to any file that
actually exists, and more than one pathname can refer to the same file.
For example, the pathname with a version of @code{newest} may refer to
the same file as a pathname with the same components except a certain
number as the version.  Indeed, a pathname with version @code{newest}
may refer to different files as time passes, because the meaning of such
a pathname depends on the state of the file system.  In file systems
with such facilities as ``links'', multiple file names, logical devices,
and so on, two pathnames that look quite different may turn out to
address the same file.  To access a file given a pathname, one must do a
file-system operation such as @code{open-input-file}.

Two important operations involving pathnames are @dfn{parsing} and
@dfn{merging}.  Parsing is the conversion of a filename (which might be
something supplied interactively  by the users when asked to supply the
name of a file) into a pathname object.  This operation is
implementation-dependent, because the format of filenames is
implementation-dependent.  Merging takes a pathname with missing
components and supplies values for those components from a source of
default values.

Not all of the components of a pathname need to be specified.  If a
component of a pathname is missing, its value is @code{#f}.
Before the file system interface can do anything interesting with a
file, such as opening the file, all the missing components of a pathname
must be filled in.  Pathnames with missing components are used
internally for various purposes; in particular, parsing a namestring
that does not specify certain components will result in a pathname with
missing components.

Any component of a pathname may be the symbol @code{unspecific}, meaning
that the component simply does not exist, for file systems in which such
a value makes no sense.  For example, unix, Windows, and OS/2 file
systems usually do not support version numbers, so the version component
for such a host might be @code{unspecific}.@footnote{This description is
adapted from @cite{Common Lisp, The Language}, second edition, section
23.1.1.}
@comment **** end CLTL ****

In addition to @code{#f} and @code{unspecific}, the components of a
pathname may take on the following meaningful values:

@table @var
@item host
An implementation-defined type which may be tested for using the
@code{host?} predicate.

@item device
On systems that support this component (Windows and OS/2), it may be
specified as a string containing a single alphabetic character, for
which the alphabetic case is ignored.

@item directory
A non-empty list, which represents a @dfn{directory path}: a sequence of
directories, each of which has a name in the previous directory, the
last of which is the directory specified by the entire path.  Each
element in such a path specifies the name of the directory relative to
the directory specified by the elements to its left.  The first element
of the list is either the symbol @code{absolute} or the symbol
@code{relative}.  If the first element in the list is the symbol
@code{absolute}, then the directory component (and subsequently the
pathname) is @dfn{absolute}; the first component in the sequence is to
be found at the ``root'' of the file system.  If the directory is
@dfn{relative} then the first component is to be found in some as yet
unspecified directory; typically this is later specified to be the
@dfn{current working directory}.
@cindex root, as pathname component
@cindex directory path (defn)
@cindex path, directory (defn)

@cindex up, as pathname component
@cindex parent, of directory
Aside from @code{absolute} and @code{relative}, which may only appear as
the first element of the list, each subsequent element in the list is
either: a string, which is a literal component; the symbol @code{wild},
meaningful only when used in conjunction with the directory reader; or
the symbol @code{up}, meaning the next directory is the ``parent'' of
the previous one.  @code{up} corresponds to the file @file{..} in unix
and PC file systems.

(The following note does not refer to any file system currently
supported by MIT/GNU Scheme, but is included for completeness.)  In file
systems that do not have ``hierarchical'' structure, a specified
directory component will always be a list whose first element is
@code{absolute}.  If the system does not support directories other than
a single global directory, the list will have no other elements.  If the
system supports ``flat'' directories, i.e.@: a global set of directories
with no subdirectories, then the list will contain a second element,
which is either a string or @code{wild}.  In other words, a
non-hierarchical file system is treated as if it were hierarchical, but
the hierarchical features are unused.  This representation is somewhat
inconvenient for such file systems, but it discourages programmers from
making code depend on the lack of a file hierarchy.

@item name
A string, which is a literal component; or the symbol @code{wild},
meaningful only when used in conjunction with the directory reader.

@item type
A string, which is a literal component; or the symbol @code{wild},
meaningful only when used in conjunction with the directory reader.

@item version
An exact positive integer, which is a literal component; the symbol
@code{newest}, which means to choose the largest available version
number for that file; the symbol @code{oldest}, which means to choose
the smallest version number; or the symbol @code{wild}, meaningful only
when used in conjunction with the directory reader.  In the future some
other possible values may be added, e.g.@: @code{installed}.  Note that
currently no file systems support version numbers; thus this component
is not used and should be specified as @code{#f}.
@cindex newest, as pathname component
@cindex oldest, as pathname component
@cindex installed, as pathname component
@end table

@deffn procedure make-pathname host device directory name type version
@cindex construction, of pathname
Returns a pathname object whose components are the respective arguments.
Each argument must satisfy the restrictions for the corresponding
component, which were outlined above.

@example
@group
(make-pathname #f
               #f
               '(absolute "usr" "morris")
               "foo"
               "scm"
               #f)
     @result{}  #[pathname 67 "/usr/morris/foo.scm"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure pathname-host pathname
@deffnx procedure pathname-device pathname
@deffnx procedure pathname-directory pathname
@deffnx procedure pathname-name pathname
@deffnx procedure pathname-type pathname
@deffnx procedure pathname-version pathname
Returns a particular component of @var{pathname}.

@example
@group
(define x (->pathname "/usr/morris/foo.scm"))
(pathname-host x)       @result{}  #[host 1]
(pathname-device x)     @result{}  unspecific
(pathname-directory x)  @result{}  (absolute "usr" "morris")
(pathname-name x)       @result{}  "foo"
(pathname-type x)       @result{}  "scm"
(pathname-version x)    @result{}  unspecific
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure pathname-new-device pathname device
@deffnx procedure pathname-new-directory pathname directory
@deffnx procedure pathname-new-name pathname name
@deffnx procedure pathname-new-type pathname type
@deffnx procedure pathname-new-version pathname version
Returns a new copy of @var{pathname} with the respective component
replaced by the second argument.  @var{Pathname} is unchanged.
Portable programs should not explicitly replace a component with
@code{unspecific} because this might not be permitted in some
situations.

@example
@group
(define p (->pathname "/usr/blisp/rel15"))
p
     @result{}  #[pathname 71 "/usr/blisp/rel15"]
(pathname-new-name p "rel100")
     @result{}  #[pathname 72 "/usr/blisp/rel100"]
(pathname-new-directory p '(relative "test" "morris"))
     @result{}  #[pathname 73 "test/morris/rel15"]
p
     @result{}  #[pathname 71 "/usr/blisp/rel15"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure pathname-default-device pathname device
@deffnx procedure pathname-default-directory pathname directory
@deffnx procedure pathname-default-name pathname name
@deffnx procedure pathname-default-type pathname type
@deffnx procedure pathname-default-version pathname version
These operations are similar to the @code{pathname-new-@var{component}}
operations, except that they only change the specified @var{component}
if it has the value @code{#f} in @var{pathname}.
@end deffn

@node Operations on Pathnames, Miscellaneous Pathnames, Components of Pathnames, Pathnames
@subsection Operations on Pathnames

@deffn procedure pathname? object
@cindex type predicate, for pathname
Returns @code{#t} if @var{object} is a pathname; otherwise returns
@code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure pathname=? pathname1 pathname2
@cindex equivalence predicate, for pathnames
Returns @code{#t} if @var{pathname1} is equivalent to @var{pathname2};
otherwise returns @code{#f}.
Pathnames are equivalent if all of their components are equivalent,
hence two pathnames that are equivalent must identify the same file or
equivalent partial pathnames.
However, the converse is not true: non-equivalent pathnames may specify
the same file (e.g.@: via absolute and relative directory components),
and pathnames that specify no file at all (e.g.@: name and directory
components unspecified) may be equivalent.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure pathname-absolute? pathname
Returns @code{#t} if @var{pathname} is an absolute rather than relative
pathname object; otherwise returns @code{#f}.  Specifically, this
procedure returns @code{#t} when the directory component of
@var{pathname} is a list starting with the symbol @code{absolute}, and
returns @code{#f} in all other cases.  All pathnames are either absolute
or relative, so if this procedure returns @code{#f}, the argument is a
relative pathname.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure directory-pathname? pathname
Returns @code{#t} if @var{pathname} has only directory components and no
file components.  This is roughly equivalent to

@example
@group
(define (directory-pathname? pathname)
  (string-null? (file-namestring pathname)))
@end group
@end example

@noindent
except that it is faster.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure pathname-wild? pathname
Returns @code{#t} if @var{pathname} contains any wildcard components;
otherwise returns @code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure merge-pathnames pathname [defaults [default-version]]
@cindex merging, of pathnames
@cindex defaulting, of pathname
Returns a pathname whose components are obtained by combining those of
@var{pathname} and @var{defaults}.  @var{Defaults} defaults to the value
of @code{*default-pathname-defaults*} and @var{default-version} defaults
to @code{newest}.

The pathnames are combined by components: if @var{pathname} has a
non-missing component, that is the resulting component, otherwise the
component from @var{defaults} is used.
The default version can be @code{#f} to preserve the information that
the component was missing from @var{pathname}.
The directory component is handled specially: if both pathnames have
directory components that are lists, and the directory component from
@var{pathname} is relative (i.e.@: starts with @code{relative}), then the
resulting directory component is formed by appending @var{pathname}'s
component to @var{defaults}'s component.
For example:

@example
@group
(define path1 (->pathname "scheme/foo.scm"))
(define path2 (->pathname "/usr/morris"))
path1
     @result{}  #[pathname 74 "scheme/foo.scm"]
path2
     @result{}  #[pathname 75 "/usr/morris"]
(merge-pathnames path1 path2)
     @result{}  #[pathname 76 "/usr/scheme/foo.scm"]
(merge-pathnames path2 path1)
     @result{}  #[pathname 77 "/usr/morris.scm"]
@end group
@end example

The merging rules for the version are more complex and depend on whether
@var{pathname} specifies a name.  If @var{pathname} does not specify a
name, then the version, if not provided, will come from @var{defaults}.
However, if @var{pathname} does specify a name then the version is not
affected by @var{defaults}.  The reason is that the version ``belongs
to'' some other file name and is unlikely to have anything to do with
the new one.  Finally, if this process leaves the version missing, then
@var{default-version} is used.

The net effect is that if the user supplies just a name, then the host,
device, directory and type will come from @var{defaults}, but the
version will come from @var{default-version}.  If the user supplies
nothing, or just a directory, the name, type and version will come over
from @var{defaults} together.
@end deffn

@defvr variable *default-pathname-defaults*
@cindex defaulting, of pathname
This is the default pathname-defaults pathname; if any pathname
primitive that needs a set of defaults is not given one, it uses this
one.  @code{set-working-directory-pathname!} sets this variable to a new
value, computed by merging the new working directory with the variable's
old value.
@end defvr

@deffn procedure pathname-default pathname device directory name type version
This procedure defaults all of the components of @var{pathname}
simultaneously.  It could have been defined by:

@example
@group
(define (pathname-default pathname
                          device directory name type version)
  (make-pathname (pathname-host pathname)
                 (or (pathname-device pathname) device)
                 (or (pathname-directory pathname) directory)
                 (or (pathname-name pathname) name)
                 (or (pathname-type pathname) type)
                 (or (pathname-version pathname) version)))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-namestring pathname
@deffnx procedure directory-namestring pathname
@deffnx procedure host-namestring pathname
@deffnx procedure enough-namestring pathname [defaults]
@cindex conversion, pathname to string
These procedures return a string corresponding to a subset of the
@var{pathname} information.  @code{file-namestring} returns a string
representing just the @var{name}, @var{type} and @var{version}
components of @var{pathname}; the result of @code{directory-namestring}
represents just the @var{host}, @var{device}, and @var{directory}
components; and @code{host-namestring} returns a string for just the
@var{host} portion.

@code{enough-namestring} takes another argument, @var{defaults}.
It returns an abbreviated namestring that is just sufficient to identify
the file named by @var{pathname} when considered relative to the
@var{defaults} (which defaults to @code{*default-pathname-defaults*}).

@example
@group
(file-namestring "/usr/morris/minor.van")
     @result{}  "minor.van"
(directory-namestring "/usr/morris/minor.van")
     @result{}  "/usr/morris/"
(enough-namestring "/usr/morris/men")
     @result{}  "men"      @r{;perhaps}
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-pathname pathname
@deffnx procedure directory-pathname pathname
@deffnx procedure enough-pathname pathname [defaults]
@cindex selection, components of pathname
These procedures return a pathname corresponding to a subset of the
@var{pathname} information.
@code{file-pathname} returns a pathname with just the
@var{name}, @var{type} and @var{version} components of @var{pathname}.
The result of @code{directory-pathname} is a pathname containing the
@var{host}, @var{device} and @var{directory} components of @var{pathname}.

@code{enough-pathname} takes another argument, @var{defaults}.
It returns an abbreviated pathname that is just sufficient to identify
the file named by @var{pathname} when considered relative to the
@var{defaults} (which defaults to @code{*default-pathname-defaults*}).

These procedures are similar to @code{file-namestring},
@code{directory-namestring} and @code{enough-namestring}, but they
return pathnames instead of strings.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure directory-pathname-as-file pathname
@cindex file, converting pathname directory to
Returns a pathname that is equivalent to @var{pathname}, but in which
the directory component is represented as a file.
The last directory is removed from the directory component and converted
into name and type components.
This is the inverse operation to @code{pathname-as-directory}.

@example
@group
(directory-pathname-as-file (->pathname "/usr/blisp/"))
     @result{}  #[pathname "/usr/blisp"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure pathname-as-directory pathname
@cindex directory, converting pathname to
Returns a pathname that is equivalent to @var{pathname}, but in which
any file components have been converted to a directory component.  If
@var{pathname} does not have name, type, or version components, it is
returned without modification.  Otherwise, these file components are
converted into a string, and the string is added to the end of the list
of directory components.  This is the inverse operation to
@code{directory-pathname-as-file}.

@example
@group
(pathname-as-directory (->pathname "/usr/blisp/rel5"))
     @result{}  #[pathname "/usr/blisp/rel5/"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn


@node Miscellaneous Pathnames,  , Operations on Pathnames, Pathnames
@subsection Miscellaneous Pathname Procedures
@cindex directory, reading

This section gives some standard operations on host objects, and some
procedures that return some useful pathnames.

@defvr variable local-host
This variable has as its value the host object that describes the local
host's file system.
@end defvr

@deffn procedure host? object
@cindex type predicate, for pathname host
Returns @code{#t} if @var{object} is a pathname host; otherwise returns
@code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure host=? host1 host2
@cindex equivalence predicate, for pathname host
Returns @code{#t} if @var{host1} and @var{host2} denote the same
pathname host; otherwise returns @code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure init-file-pathname [host]
@cindex home directory, as pathname
Returns a pathname for the user's initialization file on @var{host}.
The @var{host} argument defaults to the value of @code{local-host}.  If
the initialization file does not exist this procedure returns @code{#f}.

Under unix, the init file is called @file{.scheme.init}; under Windows
and OS/2, the init file is called @file{scheme.ini}.  In either
case, it is located in the user's home directory, which is computed by
@code{user-homedir-pathname}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure user-homedir-pathname [host]
@cindex home directory, as pathname
Returns a pathname for the user's ``home directory'' on @var{host}.  The
@var{host} argument defaults to the value of @code{local-host}.  The
concept of a ``home directory'' is itself somewhat
implementation-dependent, but it should be the place where the user
keeps personal files, such as initialization files and mail.

Under unix, the user's home directory is specified by the @code{HOME}
environment variable.  If this variable is undefined, the user name is
computed using the @code{getlogin} system call, or if that fails, the
@code{getuid} system call.  The resulting user name is passed to the
@code{getpwnam} system call to obtain the home directory.

Under OS/2, several heuristics are tried to find the user's home
directory.  First, if the environment variable @code{HOME} is defined,
that is the home directory.  If @code{HOME} is undefined, but the
@code{USERDIR} and @code{USER} environment variables are defined and
the directory @file{%USERDIR%\%USER%} exists, then it is used.  Failing
that, if the directory @file{%USER%} exists on the OS/2 system
drive, then it is used.  As a last resort, the OS/2 system drive is
the home directory.

Like OS/2, the Windows implementation uses heuristics based on
environment variables.  The user's home directory is computed by
examining several environment variables, in the following order:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@code{HOMEDRIVE} and @code{HOMEPATH} are both defined and
@file{%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%} is an existing directory.  (These variables
are automatically defined by Windows NT.)

@item
@code{HOME} is defined and @file{%HOME%} is an existing directory.

@item
@code{USERDIR} and @code{USERNAME} are defined and
@file{%USERDIR%\%USERNAME%} is an existing directory.

@item
@code{USERDIR} and @code{USER} are defined and
@file{%USERDIR%\%USER%} is an existing directory.

@item
@code{USERNAME} is defined and @file{%USERNAME%} is an existing
directory on the Windows system drive.

@item
@code{USER} is defined and @file{%USER%} is an existing directory on the
Windows system drive.

@item
Finally, if all else fails, the Windows system drive is used as the home
directory.
@end itemize
@end deffn

@deffn procedure system-library-pathname pathname
@cindex library, system pathname
Locates @var{pathname} in MIT/GNU Scheme's system library directory.  An
error of type @code{condition-type:file-operation-error} is signalled if
@var{pathname} cannot be located on the library search path.
@findex condition-type:file-operation-error

@example
@group
(system-library-pathname "compiler.com")
  @result{} #[pathname 45 "/usr/local/lib/mit-scheme/compiler.com"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure system-library-directory-pathname pathname
@cindex library, system pathname
Locates the pathname of an MIT/GNU Scheme system library directory.  An
error of type @code{condition-type:file-operation-error} is signalled if
@var{pathname} cannot be located on the library search path.

@example
@group
(system-library-directory-pathname "options")
     @result{} #[pathname 44 "/usr/local/lib/mit-scheme/options/"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@node Working Directory, File Manipulation, Pathnames, Operating-System Interface
@section Working Directory

@cindex absolute pathname (defn)
@cindex pathname, absolute (defn)
@cindex relative pathname (defn)
@cindex pathname, relative (defn)
@cindex directory, current working (defn)
@cindex current working directory (defn)
@cindex working directory (see current working directory)
When MIT/GNU Scheme is started, the @dfn{current working directory} (or
simply, @dfn{working directory}) is initialized in an operating-system
dependent manner; usually, it is the directory in which Scheme was
invoked.  The working directory can be determined from within Scheme by
calling the @code{pwd} procedure, and changed by calling the @code{cd}
procedure.  Each @acronym{REP} loop has its own working directory, and
inferior @acronym{REP} loops initialize their working directory from the
value in effect in their superior at the time they are created.

@deffn procedure working-directory-pathname
@deffnx procedure pwd
Returns the current working directory as a pathname that has no name,
type, or version components, just host, device, and directory
components.  @code{pwd} is an alias for
@code{working-directory-pathname}; the long name is intended for
programs and the short name for interactive use.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure set-working-directory-pathname! filename
@deffnx procedure cd filename
@findex ->pathname
@findex pathname-as-directory
Makes @var{filename} the current working directory and returns the new
current working directory as a pathname.  @var{Filename} is coerced to a
pathname using @code{pathname-as-directory}.  @code{cd} is an alias for
@code{set-working-directory-pathname!}; the long name is intended for
programs and the short name for interactive use.

Additionally, @code{set-working-directory-pathname!} modifies the value
of@* @code{*default-pathname-defaults*} by merging the new working
directory into it.

When this procedure is executed in the top-level @acronym{REP} loop, it
changes the working directory of the running Scheme executable.

@example
@group
(set-working-directory-pathname! "/usr/morris/blisp")
     @result{}  #[pathname "/usr/morris/blisp/"]
(set-working-directory-pathname! "~")
     @result{}  #[pathname "/usr/morris/"]
@end group
@end example

This procedure signals an error if @var{filename} does not refer to an
existing directory.

If @var{filename} describes a relative rather than absolute pathname,
this procedure interprets it as relative to the current working
directory, before changing the working directory.

@example
@group
(working-directory-pathname)
     @result{}  #[pathname "/usr/morris/"]
(set-working-directory-pathname! "foo")
     @result{}  #[pathname "/usr/morris/foo/"]
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure with-working-directory-pathname filename thunk
This procedure temporarily rebinds the current working directory to
@var{filename}, invokes @var{thunk} (a procedure of no arguments), then
restores the previous working directory and returns the value yielded by
@var{thunk}.  @var{Filename} is coerced to a pathname using
@code{pathname-as-directory}.  In addition to binding the working
directory, @code{with-working-directory-pathname} also binds the
variable @code{*default-pathname-defaults*}, merging the old value of
that variable with the new working directory pathname.  Both bindings
are performed in exactly the same way as dynamic binding of a variable
(@pxref{Dynamic Binding}).
@end deffn

@node File Manipulation, Directory Reader, Working Directory, Operating-System Interface
@section File Manipulation

This section describes procedures that manipulate files and directories.
Any of these procedures can signal a number of errors for many reasons.
The specifics of these errors are much too operating-system dependent to
document here.  However, if such an error is signalled by one of
these procedures, it will be of type
@code{condition-type:file-operation-error}.
@findex condition-type:file-operation-error

@deffn procedure file-exists? filename
@deffnx procedure file-exists-direct? filename
@deffnx procedure file-exists-indirect? filename
@cindex existence, testing of file
These procedures return @code{#t} if @var{filename} is an existing file
or directory; otherwise they return @code{#f}.  In operating systems
that support symbolic links, if the file is a symbolic link,
@code{file-exists-direct?} tests for the existence of the link, while
@code{file-exists-indirect?} and @code{file-exists?} test for the
existence of the file pointed to by the link.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure copy-file source-filename target-filename
@cindex copying, of file
Makes a copy of the file named by @var{source-filename}.  The copy is
performed by creating a new file called @var{target-filename}, and
filling it with the same data as @var{source-filename}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure rename-file source-filename target-filename
@cindex renaming, of file
@cindex name, of file
Changes the name of @var{source-filename} to be @var{target-filename}.
In the unix implementation, this will not rename across file systems.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure delete-file filename
@cindex deletion, of file
Deletes the file named @var{filename}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure delete-file-no-errors filename
Like @code{delete-file}, but returns a boolean value indicating whether
an error occurred during the deletion.  If no errors occurred, @code{#t}
is returned.  If an error of type @code{condition-type:file-error} or
@code{condition-type:port-error} is signalled, @code{#f} is returned.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure hard-link-file source-filename target-filename
@cindex linking (hard), of file
@cindex hard linking, of file
Makes a hard link from @var{source-filename} to @var{target-filename}.
This operation gives the file specified by @var{source-filename} a new
name, in addition to the old name.

This currently works only on unix systems.  It is further restricted to
work only when  @var{source-filename} and @var{target-filename} refer to
names in the same file system.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure soft-link-file source-filename target-filename
@cindex linking (soft), of file
@cindex soft linking, of file
@cindex symbolic linking, of file
Creates a new soft link called @var{target-filename} that points at the
file @var{source-filename}.  (Soft links are also sometimes called
@dfn{symbolic} links.)  Note that @var{source-filename} will be
interpreted as a string (although you may specify it as a pathname
object, if you wish).  The contents of this string will be stored in the
file system as the soft link.  When a file operation attempts to open
the link, the contents of the link are interpreted relative to the
link's location at that time.

This currently works only on unix systems.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure make-directory filename
Creates a new directory named @var{filename}.  Signals an error if
@var{filename} already exists, or if the directory cannot be created.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure delete-directory filename
Deletes the directory named @var{filename}.  Signals an error if
the directory does not exist, is not a directory, or contains any files
or subdirectories.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure ->truename filename
@cindex truename, of input file
This procedure attempts to discover and return the ``true name'' of the
file associated with @var{filename} within the file system.  An error of
type @code{condition-type:file-operation-error} is signalled if the
appropriate file cannot be located within the file system.
@findex condition-type:file-operation-error
@end deffn

@deffn procedure call-with-temporary-file-pathname procedure
Calls @code{temporary-file-pathname} to create a temporary file, then
calls @var{procedure} with one argument, the pathname referring to that
file.  When @var{procedure} returns, if the temporary file still exists,
it is deleted; then, the value yielded by @var{procedure} is returned.
If @var{procedure} escapes from its continuation, and the file still
exists, it is deleted.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure temporary-file-pathname [directory]
Creates a new empty temporary file and returns a pathname referring to
it.  The temporary file is created with Scheme's default permissions, so
barring unusual circumstances it can be opened for input and/or output
without error.  The temporary file will remain in existence until
explicitly deleted.  If the file still exists when the Scheme process
terminates, it will be deleted.

If @var{directory} is specified, the temporary file will be stored
there.  If it is not specified, or if it is @code{#f}, the temporary
file will be stored in the directory returned by
@code{temporary-directory-pathname}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure temporary-directory-pathname
Returns the pathname of an existing directory that can be used to store
temporary files.  These directory names are tried, in order, until a
writeable directory is found:

@itemize @bullet
@item
The directories specified by the environment variables @code{TMPDIR},
@code{TEMP}, or @code{TMP}.

@item
Under unix, the directories @file{/var/tmp}, @file{/usr/tmp}, or
@file{/tmp}.

@item
Under OS/2 or Windows, the following directories on the system drive:
@file{\temp}, @file{\tmp}, or @file{\}.

@item
Under OS/2 or Windows, the current directory, as specified by
@code{*default-pathname-defaults*}.
@end itemize
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-directory? filename
@cindex directory, predicate for
Returns @code{#t} if the file named @var{filename} exists and is a
directory.  Otherwise returns @code{#f}.  In operating systems that
support symbolic links, if @var{filename} names a symbolic link, this
examines the file linked to, not the link itself.

This is equivalent to

@example
(eq? 'directory (file-type-indirect @var{filename}))
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-regular? filename
@cindex file (regular), predicate for
@cindex regular file, predicate for
Returns @code{#t} if the file named @var{filename} exists and is a
regular file (i.e.@: not a directory, symbolic link, device file, etc.).
Otherwise returns @code{#f}.  In operating systems that support symbolic
links, if @var{filename} names a symbolic link, this examines the file
linked to, not the link itself.

This is equivalent to

@example
(eq? 'regular (file-type-indirect @var{filename}))
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-symbolic-link? filename
@cindex symbolic link, predicate for
In operating systems that support symbolic links, if the file named
@var{filename} exists and is a symbolic link, this procedure returns the
contents of the symbolic link as a newly allocated string.  The returned
value is the name of the file that the symbolic link points to and must
be interpreted relative to the directory of @var{filename}.  If
@var{filename} either does not exist or is not a symbolic link, or if
the operating system does not support symbolic links, this procedure
returns @code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-type-direct filename
@deffnx procedure file-type-indirect filename
@cindex file type, procedure for
If the file named @var{filename} exists, @code{file-type-direct} returns
a symbol specifying what type of file it is.  For example, if
@var{filename} refers to a directory, the symbol @code{directory} is
returned.  If @var{filename} doesn't refer to an existing file,
@code{#f} is returned.

If @var{filename} refers to a symbolic link, @code{file-type-direct}
returns the type of the link itself, while @code{file-type-indirect}
returns the type of the file linked to.

At this time, the symbols that can be returned are the following.  The
names are intended to be self-explanatory.  Most of these names can only
be returned on particular operating systems, and so the operating-system
name is prefixed to the name.

@example
regular
directory
unix-symbolic-link
unix-character-device
unix-block-device
unix-named-pipe
unix-socket
os2-named-pipe
win32-named-pipe
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-readable? filename
Returns @code{#t} if @var{filename} names a file that can be opened for
input; i.e.@: a @dfn{readable} file.  Otherwise returns @code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-writeable? filename
Returns @code{#t} if @var{filename} names a file that can be opened for
output; i.e.@: a @dfn{writeable} file.  Otherwise returns @code{#f}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-executable? filename
Returns @code{#t} if @var{filename} names a file that can be executed.
Otherwise returns @code{#f}.  Under unix, an executable file is
identified by its mode bits.  Under OS/2, an executable file has
one of the file extensions @file{.exe}, @file{.com}, @file{.cmd}, or
@file{.bat}.  Under Windows, an executable file has one of the file
extensions @file{.exe}, @file{.com}, or @file{.bat}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-access filename mode
@var{Mode} must be an exact integer between @code{0} and @code{7}
inclusive; it is a bitwise-encoded predicate selector with @code{1}
meaning ``executable'', @code{2} meaning ``writeable'', and @code{4}
meaning ``readable''.  @code{file-access} returns @code{#t} if
@var{filename} exists and satisfies the predicates selected by
@var{mode}.  For example, if @var{mode} is @code{5}, then @var{filename}
must be both readable and executable.  If @var{filename} doesn't exist,
or if it does not satisfy the selected predicates, @code{#f} is
returned.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-eq? filename1 filename2
Determines whether @var{filename1} and @var{filename2} refer to the same
file.  Under unix, this is done by comparing the inodes and devices of
the two files.  Under OS/2 and Windows, this is done by comparing
the filename strings.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-modes filename
If @var{filename} names an existing file, @code{file-modes} returns an
exact non-negative integer encoding the file's permissions.  The
encoding of this integer is operating-system dependent.  Under unix, it
is the least-significant 12 bits of the @code{st_mode} element of the
@code{struct stat} structure.  Under OS/2 and Windows, it is the file
attribute bits, which are described below.  If @var{filename} does not
name an existing file, @code{#f} is returned.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure set-file-modes! filename modes
@var{Filename} must name an existing file.  @var{Modes} must be an exact
non-negative integer that could have been returned by a call to
@code{file-modes}.  @code{set-file-modes!} modifies the file's
permissions to be those encoded by @var{modes}.
@end deffn

@defvr variable os2-file-mode/read-only
@defvrx variable os2-file-mode/hidden
@defvrx variable os2-file-mode/system
@defvrx variable os2-file-mode/directory
@defvrx variable os2-file-mode/archived
The values of these variables are the ``mode bits'' that comprise the
value returned by @code{file-modes} under OS/2.  These bits are small
integers that are combined by adding to form a complete set of modes.
The integer zero represents a set of modes in which none of these bits
are set.
@end defvr

@defvr variable nt-file-mode/read-only
@defvrx variable nt-file-mode/hidden
@defvrx variable nt-file-mode/system
@defvrx variable nt-file-mode/directory
@defvrx variable nt-file-mode/archive
@defvrx variable nt-file-mode/normal
@defvrx variable nt-file-mode/temporary
@defvrx variable nt-file-mode/compressed
The values of these variables are the ``mode bits'' that comprise the
value returned by @code{file-modes} under Windows.  These bits are small
integers that are combined by adding to form a complete set of modes.
The integer zero represents a set of modes in which none of these bits
are set.
@end defvr

@deffn procedure file-modification-time filename
@cindex modification time, of file
Returns the modification time of @var{filename} as an exact non-negative
integer.  The result may be compared to other file times using ordinary
integer arithmetic.  If @var{filename} names a file that does not exist,
@code{file-modification-time} returns @code{#f}.

@findex file-modification-time-direct
@findex file-modification-time-indirect
In operating systems that support symbolic links, if @var{filename}
names a symbolic link, @code{file-modification-time} returns the
modification time of the file linked to.  An alternate procedure,
@code{file-modification-time-direct}, returns the modification time of
the link itself; in all other respects it is identical to
@code{file-modification-time}.  For symmetry,
@code{file-modification-time-indirect} is a synonym of
@code{file-modification-time}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-access-time filename
@cindex access time, of file
Returns the access time of @var{filename} as an exact non-negative
integer.  The result may be compared to other file times using ordinary
integer arithmetic.  If @var{filename} names a file that does not exist,
@code{file-access-time} returns @code{#f}.

@findex file-access-time-direct
@findex file-access-time-indirect
In operating systems that support symbolic links, if @var{filename}
names a symbolic link, @code{file-access-time} returns the access time
of the file linked to.  An alternate procedure,
@code{file-access-time-direct}, returns the access time of the link
itself; in all other respects it is identical to
@code{file-access-time}.  For symmetry, @code{file-access-time-indirect}
is a synonym of @code{file-access-time}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure set-file-times! filename access-time modification-time
@var{Filename} must name an existing file, while @var{access-time} and
@var{modification-time} must be valid file times that might have been
returned by @code{file-access-time} and @code{file-modification-time},
respectively.  @code{set-file-times!} alters the access and modification
times of the file specified by @var{filename} to the values given by
@var{access-time} and @var{modification-time}, respectively.  For
convenience, either of the time arguments may be specified as @code{#f};
in this case the corresponding time is not changed.
@code{set-file-times!} returns an unspecified value.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure current-file-time
Returns the current time as an exact non-negative integer, in the same
format used by the above file-time procedures.  This number can be
compared to other file times using ordinary arithmetic operations.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-touch filename
@dfn{Touches} the file named @var{filename}.  If the file already
exists, its modification time is set to the current file time and
@code{#f} is returned.  Otherwise, the file is created and @code{#t} is
returned.  This is an atomic test-and-set operation, so it is useful as
a synchronization mechanism.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-length filename
Returns the length, in bytes, of the file named @var{filename} as an
exact non-negative integer.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes filename
@cindex attribute, of file
This procedure determines if the file named @var{filename} exists, and
returns information about it if so; if the file does not exist, it
returns @code{#f}.

@findex file-attributes-direct
@findex file-attributes-indirect
In operating systems that support symbolic links, if @var{filename}
names a symbolic link, @code{file-attributes} returns the attributes of
the link itself.  An alternate procedure,
@code{file-attributes-indirect}, returns the attributes of the file
linked to; in all other respects it is identical to
@code{file-attributes}.  For symmetry, @code{file-attributes-direct} is
a synonym of @code{file-attributes}.
@end deffn

The information returned by @code{file-attributes} is decoded by
accessor procedures.  The following accessors are defined in all
operating systems:

@deffn procedure file-attributes/type attributes
The file type: @code{#t} if the file is a directory, a character string
(the name linked to) if a symbolic link, or @code{#f} for all other
types of file.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/access-time attributes
The last access time of the file, an exact non-negative integer.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/modification-time attributes
The last modification time of the file, an exact non-negative integer.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/change-time attributes
The last change time of the file, an exact non-negative integer.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/length attributes
The length of the file in bytes.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/mode-string attributes
The mode string of the file, a newly allocated string showing the file's
mode bits.  Under unix, this string is in unix format.  Under OS/2 and
Windows, this string shows the standard ``DOS'' attributes in their
usual format.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/n-links attributes
The number of links to the file, an exact positive integer.  Under
Windows and OS/2, this is always @code{1}.
@end deffn

The following additional accessors are defined under unix:

@deffn procedure file-attributes/uid attributes
The user id of the file's owner, an exact non-negative integer.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/gid attributes
The group id of the file's group, an exact non-negative integer.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-attributes/inode-number attributes
The inode number of the file, an exact non-negative integer.
@end deffn

The following additional accessor is defined under OS/2 and Windows:

@deffn procedure file-attributes/modes attributes
The attribute bits of the file.  This is an exact non-negative integer
containing the file's attribute bits, exactly as specified by the
operating system's API.
@end deffn

The following additional accessor is defined under OS/2:

@deffn procedure file-attributes/allocated-length attributes
The allocated length of the file, which can be larger than the length of
the file due to fixed-length allocation units.
@end deffn

@node Directory Reader, Date and Time, File Manipulation, Operating-System Interface
@section Directory Reader
@cindex directory, reading

@deffn procedure directory-read directory [sort?]
@var{Directory} must be an object that can be converted into a pathname
by@* @code{->pathname}.  The directory specified by @var{directory} is
read, and the contents of the directory is returned as a newly allocated
list of absolute pathnames.  The result is sorted according to the usual
sorting conventions for directories, unless @var{sort?} is specified as
@code{#f}.  If @var{directory} has name, type, or version components,
the returned list contains only those pathnames whose name, type, and
version components match those of @var{directory}; @code{wild} or
@code{#f} as one of these components means ``match anything''.

The OS/2 and Windows implementations support ``globbing'', in which the
characters @code{*} and @code{?} are interpreted to mean ``match
anything'' and ``match any character'', respectively.  This ``globbing''
is supported only in the file part of @var{directory}.
@end deffn

@node Date and Time, Machine Time, Directory Reader, Operating-System Interface
@section Date and Time

MIT/GNU Scheme provides a simple set of procedures for manipulating date
and time information.  There are four time representations, each of
which serves a different purpose.  Each representation may be
converted to any of the others.

@cindex universal time
@cindex time, universal
The primary time representation, @dfn{universal time}, is an exact
non-negative integer counting the number of seconds that have elapsed
since midnight January 1, 1900 UTC.  (UTC stands for @dfn{Coordinated
Universal Time}, and is the modern name for Greenwich Mean Time.)  This
format is produced by @code{get-universal-time} and
@code{decoded-time->universal-time}.

@cindex decoded time
@cindex time, decoded
The second representation, @dfn{decoded time}, is a record structure in
which the time is broken down into components, such as month, minute,
etc.  Decoded time is always relative to a particular time zone, which
is a component of the structure.  This format is produced by
@code{global-decoded-time} and @code{local-decoded-time}.

@cindex file time
@cindex time, file
The third representation, @dfn{file time}, is an exact non-negative
integer that is larger for increasing time.  Unlike universal time,
this representation is operating-system dependent.  This format is
produced by all of the file-attribute procedures, for example
@code{file-modification-time} and @code{file-attributes}.

@cindex time, string
The fourth representation, the @dfn{time string}, is an external
representation for time.  This format is defined by RFC-822,
@cite{Standard for the format of ARPA Internet text messages}, with the
modification that years are represented as four-digit numbers rather
than two-digit numbers.  This format is the standard format for Internet
email and numerous other network protocols.

Within this section, argument variables named @var{universal-time},
@var{decoded-time}, @var{file-time}, and @var{time-string} are
respectively required to be of the corresponding format.

@menu
* Universal Time::              
* Decoded Time::                
* File Time::                   
* Time-Format Conversion::      
* External Representation of Time::  
@end menu

@node Universal Time, Decoded Time, Date and Time, Date and Time
@subsection Universal Time

@deffn procedure get-universal-time
Return the current time in universal format.

@example
(get-universal-time) @result{} 3131453078
@end example
@end deffn

@defvr variable epoch
@code{epoch} is the representation of midnight January 1, 1970 UTC in
universal-time format.

@example
epoch @result{} 2208988800
@end example
@end defvr

@node Decoded Time, File Time, Universal Time, Date and Time
@subsection Decoded Time

Objects representing standard time components, such as seconds and
minutes, are required to be exact non-negative integers.  Seconds and
minutes must be inclusively between @code{0} and @code{59}; hours
between @code{0} and @code{23}; days between @code{1} and @code{31};
months between @code{1} and @code{12}; years are represented in
``four-digit'' form, in which 1999 is represented as @code{1999} ---
@emph{not} @code{99}.

@deffn procedure local-decoded-time
Return the current time in decoded format.  The decoded time is
represented in the local time zone.

@example
@group
(pp (local-decoded-time))
@print{} #[decoded-time 76]
@print{} (second 2)
@print{} (minute 12)
@print{} (hour 11)
@print{} (day 27)
@print{} (month 4)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 1)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 1)
@print{} (zone 5)
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure global-decoded-time
Return the current time in decoded format.  The decoded time is
represented in UTC.

@example
@group
(pp (global-decoded-time))
@print{} #[decoded-time 77]
@print{} (second 8)
@print{} (minute 12)
@print{} (hour 15)
@print{} (day 27)
@print{} (month 4)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 1)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 0)
@print{} (zone 0)
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure make-decoded-time second minute hour day month year [zone]
Return a new decoded-time object representing the given time.  The
arguments must be valid components according to the above rules, and
must form a valid date.

If @var{zone} is not supplied or is @code{#f}, the resulting decoded
time will be represented in the local time zone.  Otherwise, @var{zone}
must be a valid time zone, and the result will be represented in that
zone.

@strong{Warning}: because this procedure depends on the operating
system's runtime library, it is not capable of representing all dates.
In particular, on most unix systems, it is not possible to encode dates
that occur prior to midnight, January 1, 1970 UTC.  Attempting to do
this will signal an error.

@example
@group
(pp (make-decoded-time 0 9 11 26 3 1999))
@print{} #[decoded-time 19]
@print{} (second 0)
@print{} (minute 9)
@print{} (hour 11)
@print{} (day 26)
@print{} (month 3)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 4)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 0)
@print{} (zone 5)
@end group

@group
(pp (make-decoded-time 0 9 11 26 3 1999 3))
@print{} #[decoded-time 80]
@print{} (second 0)
@print{} (minute 9)
@print{} (hour 11)
@print{} (day 26)
@print{} (month 3)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 4)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 0)
@print{} (zone 3)
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure decoded-time/second decoded-time
@deffnx procedure decoded-time/minute decoded-time
@deffnx procedure decoded-time/hour decoded-time
@deffnx procedure decoded-time/day decoded-time
@deffnx procedure decoded-time/month decoded-time
@deffnx procedure decoded-time/year decoded-time
Return the corresponding component of @var{decoded-time}.

@example
@group
(decoded-time/second (local-decoded-time)) @result{} 17
(decoded-time/year (local-decoded-time)) @result{} 1999
(decoded-time/day (local-decoded-time)) @result{} 26
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure decoded-time/day-of-week decoded-time
Return the day of the week on which @var{decoded-time} falls, encoded
as an exact integer between @code{0} (Monday) and @code{6} (Sunday),
inclusive.

@example
(decoded-time/day-of-week (local-decoded-time)) @result{} 4
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure decoded-time/daylight-savings-time? decoded-time
Return @code{#t} if @var{decoded-time} is represented using daylight
savings time.  Otherwise return @code{#f}.

@example
(decoded-time/daylight-savings-time? (local-decoded-time))
                  @result{} #f
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure decoded-time/zone decoded-time
Return the time zone in which @var{decoded-time} is represented.  This
is an exact rational number between @code{-24} and @code{+24} inclusive,
that when multiplied by @code{3600} is an integer.  The value is the
number of hours west of UTC.

@example
(decoded-time/zone (local-decoded-time)) @result{} 5
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure time-zone? object
Returns @code{#t} if @var{object} is an exact number between @code{-24}
and @code{+24} inclusive, that when multiplied by @code{3600} is an
integer.

@example
@group
(time-zone? -5)   @result{} #t
(time-zone? 11/2) @result{} #t
(time-zone? 11/7) @result{} #f
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure month/max-days month
Returns the maximum number of days possible in @var{month}.  @var{Month}
must be an exact integer between @code{1} and @code{12} inclusive.

@example
@group
(month/max-days 2) @result{} 29
(month/max-days 3) @result{} 31
(month/max-days 4) @result{} 30
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@node File Time, Time-Format Conversion, Decoded Time, Date and Time
@subsection File Time

As stated above, file time is operating-system dependent.  As of this
writing, two formats are used.  For unix and Windows systems, file time
is the number of seconds since midnight January 1, 1970 UTC (the
standard unix time convention).

OS/2 represents file time as a 32-bit unsigned integer, in which the
time components are broken down into unsigned bit fields.  The
components are always stated in local time.  The fields, from MSB to
LSB, are:

@itemize @bullet
@item
7 bits representing the year, relative to 1900.

@item
4 bits representing the month, numbered 1 to 12.

@item
5 bits representing the day of the month, numbered 1 to 31.

@item
5 bits representing the hour of the day, numbered 0 to 23.

@item
6 bits representing the minute, numbered 0 to 59.

@item
5 bits representing the second.  This field is unusual in that it counts
units of two seconds, so it is a number between 0 and 29, representing
second counts corresponding to 0 through 58.
@end itemize

The following procedures generate their results in file-time format:

@example
@group
file-access-time
file-access-time-direct
file-access-time-indirect
file-modification-time
file-modification-time-direct
file-modification-time-indirect
file-attributes/access-time
file-attributes/modification-time
file-attributes/change-time
@end group
@end example

@noindent
Additionally, @code{set-file-times!} accepts its time arguments in
file-time format.

@node Time-Format Conversion, External Representation of Time, File Time, Date and Time
@subsection Time-Format Conversion

The procedures described in this section convert times from one format
to another.

@deffn procedure universal-time->local-decoded-time universal-time
@deffnx procedure universal-time->global-decoded-time universal-time
Converts an argument in universal-time format to decoded-time format.
The result is in the local time zone or UTC, respectively.

@example
@group
(pp (universal-time->local-decoded-time (get-universal-time)))
@print{} #[decoded-time 21]
@print{} (second 23)
@print{} (minute 57)
@print{} (hour 17)
@print{} (day 29)
@print{} (month 4)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 3)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 1)
@print{} (zone 5)
@end group

@group
(pp (universal-time->global-decoded-time
     (get-universal-time)))
@print{} #[decoded-time 22]
@print{} (second 27)
@print{} (minute 57)
@print{} (hour 21)
@print{} (day 29)
@print{} (month 4)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 3)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 0)
@print{} (zone 0)
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure universal-time->file-time universal-time
Converts an argument in universal-time format to file-time format.

@example
@group
(universal-time->file-time (get-universal-time))
    @result{} 925422988
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure universal-time->local-time-string universal-time
@deffnx procedure universal-time->global-time-string universal-time
Converts an argument in universal-time format to a time string.  The
result is in the local time zone or UTC, respectively.

@example
@group
(universal-time->local-time-string (get-universal-time))
    @result{} "Thu, 29 Apr 1999 17:55:31 -0400"
(universal-time->global-time-string (get-universal-time))
    @result{} "Thu, 29 Apr 1999 21:55:51 +0000"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure decoded-time->universal-time decoded-time
Converts an argument in decoded-time format to universal-time format.

@example
@group
(decoded-time->universal-time (local-decoded-time))
    @result{} 3134411942
(decoded-time->universal-time (global-decoded-time))
    @result{} 3134411947
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure decoded-time->file-time decoded-time
Converts an argument in decoded-time format to file-time format.

@example
@group
(decoded-time->file-time (local-decoded-time))
    @result{} 925423191
(decoded-time->file-time (global-decoded-time))
    @result{} 925423195
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure decoded-time->string decoded-time
Convert an argument in decoded-time format to a time string.

@example
@group
(decoded-time->string (local-decoded-time))
    @result{} "Thu, 29 Apr 1999 18:00:43 -0400"
(decoded-time->string (global-decoded-time))
    @result{} "Thu, 29 Apr 1999 22:00:46 +0000"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-time->universal-time file-time
Converts an argument in universal-time format to file-time format.

@example
@group
(file-time->universal-time (file-modification-time "/"))
    @result{} 3133891907
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-time->local-decoded-time file-time
@deffnx procedure file-time->global-decoded-time file-time
Converts an argument in file-time format to decoded-time format.  The
result is in the local time zone or UTC, respectively.

@example
@group
(pp (file-time->local-decoded-time
     (file-modification-time "/")))
@print{} #[decoded-time 26]
@print{} (second 47)
@print{} (minute 31)
@print{} (hour 17)
@print{} (day 23)
@print{} (month 4)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 4)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 1)
@print{} (zone 5)
@end group

@group
(pp (file-time->global-decoded-time
     (file-modification-time "/")))
@print{} #[decoded-time 27]
@print{} (second 47)
@print{} (minute 31)
@print{} (hour 21)
@print{} (day 23)
@print{} (month 4)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 4)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 0)
@print{} (zone 0)
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure file-time->local-time-string file-time
@deffnx procedure file-time->global-time-string file-time
Converts an argument in file-time format to a time string.  The result
is in the local time zone or UTC, respectively.

@example
@group
(file-time->local-time-string (file-modification-time "/"))
    @result{} "Fri, 23 Apr 1999 17:31:47 -0400"
(file-time->global-time-string (file-modification-time "/"))
    @result{} "Fri, 23 Apr 1999 21:31:47 +0000"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure string->universal-time time-string
Converts a time-string argument to universal-time format.

@example
@group
(string->universal-time "Fri, 23 Apr 1999 21:31:47 +0000")
    @result{} 3133888307
(string->universal-time "Fri, 23 Apr 1999 17:31:47 -0400")
    @result{} 3133888307
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure string->decoded-time time-string
Converts a time-string argument to decoded-time format.

@example
@group
(pp (string->decoded-time "Fri, 23 Apr 1999 17:31:47 -0400"))
@print{} #[decoded-time 30]
@print{} (second 47)
@print{} (minute 31)
@print{} (hour 17)
@print{} (day 23)
@print{} (month 4)
@print{} (year 1999)
@print{} (day-of-week 4)
@print{} (daylight-savings-time 0)
@print{} (zone 4)
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure string->file-time time-string
Converts a time-string argument to file-time format.

@example
@group
(string->file-time "Fri, 23 Apr 1999 17:31:47 -0400")
    @result{} 924899507
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@node External Representation of Time,  , Time-Format Conversion, Date and Time
@subsection External Representation of Time

The normal external representation for time is the time string, as
described above.  The procedures in this section generate alternate
external representations of time which are more verbose and may be more
suitable for presentation to human readers.

@deffn procedure decoded-time/date-string decoded-time
@deffnx procedure decoded-time/time-string decoded-time
These procedures return strings containing external representations of
the date and time, respectively, represented by @var{decoded-time}.  The
results are implicitly in local time.

@example
@group
(decoded-time/date-string (local-decoded-time))
    @result{} "Tuesday March 30, 1999"
(decoded-time/time-string (local-decoded-time))
    @result{} "11:22:38 AM"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure day-of-week/long-string day-of-week
@deffnx procedure day-of-week/short-string day-of-week
Returns a string representing the given @var{day-of-week}.  The argument
must be an exact non-negative integer between @code{0} and @code{6}
inclusive.  @code{day-of-week/long-string} returns a long string that
fully spells out the name of the day.  @code{day-of-week/short-string}
returns a shortened string that abbreviates the day to three letters.

@example
@group
(day-of-week/long-string 0)  @result{} "Monday"
(day-of-week/short-string 0) @result{} "Mon"
(day-of-week/short-string 3) @result{} "Thu"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure month/long-string month
@deffnx procedure month/short-string month
Returns a string representing the given @var{month}.  The argument must
be an exact non-negative integer between @code{1} and @code{12}
inclusive.  @code{month/long-string} returns a long string that fully
spells out the name of the month.  @code{month/short-string} returns a
shortened string that abbreviates the month to three letters.

@example
@group
(month/long-string 1)   @result{} "January"
(month/short-string 1)  @result{} "Jan"
(month/short-string 10) @result{} "Oct"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure time-zone->string
Returns a string corresponding to the given time zone.  This string is
the same string that is used to generate RFC-822 time strings.

@example
@group
(time-zone->string 5)    @result{} "-0500"
(time-zone->string -4)   @result{} "+0400"
(time-zone->string 11/2) @result{} "-0530"
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@node Machine Time, Subprocesses, Date and Time, Operating-System Interface
@section Machine Time

The previous section dealt with procedures that manipulate clock time.
This section describes procedures that deal with computer time: elapsed
CPU time, elapsed real time, and so forth.  These procedures are useful
for measuring the amount of time it takes to execute code.

@cindex tick
Some of the procedures in this section manipulate a time representation
called @dfn{ticks}.  A tick is a unit of time that is unspecified here
but can be converted to and from seconds by supplied procedures.  A
count in ticks is represented as an exact integer.  At present each tick
is one millisecond, but this may change in the future.

@deffn procedure process-time-clock
Returns the amount of process time, in ticks, that has elapsed since
Scheme was started.  Process time is measured by the operating system
and is time during which the Scheme process is computing.  It does not
include time in system calls, but depending on the operating system it
may include time used by subprocesses.

@example
(process-time-clock) @result{} 21290
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure real-time-clock
Returns the amount of real time, in ticks, that has elapsed since Scheme
was started.  Real time is the time measured by an ordinary clock.

@example
(real-time-clock) @result{} 33474836
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure internal-time/ticks->seconds ticks
Returns the number of seconds corresponding to @var{ticks}.  The result
is always a real number.

@example
@group
(internal-time/ticks->seconds 21290) @result{} 21.29
(internal-time/ticks->seconds 33474836) @result{} 33474.836
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure internal-time/seconds->ticks seconds
Returns the number of ticks corresponding to @var{seconds}.
@var{Seconds} must be a real number.

@example
@group
(internal-time/seconds->ticks 20.88) @result{} 20880
(internal-time/seconds->ticks 20.83) @result{} 20830
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure system-clock
Returns the amount of process time, in seconds, that has elapsed since
Scheme was started.  Roughly equivalent to:

@example
(internal-time/ticks->seconds (process-time-clock))
@end example

@noindent
Example:

@example
(system-clock) @result{} 20.88
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure runtime
Returns the amount of process time, in seconds, that has elapsed since
Scheme was started.  However, it does not include time spent in garbage
collection.

@example
(runtime) @result{} 20.83
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure with-timings thunk receiver
Calls @var{thunk} with no arguments.  After @var{thunk} returns,
@var{receiver} is called with three arguments describing the time spent
while computing @var{thunk}: the elapsed run time, the amount of time
spent in the garbage collector, and the elapsed real time.  All three
times are in ticks.

This procedure is most useful for doing performance measurements, and is
designed to have relatively low overhead.

@example
@group
(with-timings
 (lambda () @r{@dots{} hairy computation @dots{}})
 (lambda (run-time gc-time real-time)
   (write (internal-time/ticks->seconds run-time))
   (write-char #\space)
   (write (internal-time/ticks->seconds gc-time))
   (write-char #\space)
   (write (internal-time/ticks->seconds real-time))
   (newline)))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure measure-interval runtime? procedure
Calls @var{procedure}, passing it the current process time, in seconds,
as an argument.  The result of this call must be another procedure.
When @var{procedure} returns, the resulting procedure is
tail-recursively called with the ending time, in seconds, as an
argument.

If @var{runtime?} is @code{#f}, the elapsed time is deducted from the
elapsed system time returned by @code{runtime}.

While this procedure can be used for time measurement, its interface is
somewhat clumsy for that purpose.  We recommend that you use
@code{with-timings} instead, because it is more convenient and has lower
overhead.

@example
@group
(measure-interval #t
                  (lambda (start-time)
                    (let ((v @r{@dots{} hairy computation @dots{}}))
                      (lambda (end-time)
                        (write (- end-time start-time))
                        (newline)
                        v))))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@node Subprocesses, TCP Sockets, Machine Time, Operating-System Interface
@section Subprocesses

@cindex subprocess
@cindex synchronous subprocess
MIT/GNU Scheme provides the ability to run and control subprocesses.  This
support is divided into two parts: a low-level set of primitives that
maps onto the underlying operating system's process-control primitives,
and a high-level set of procedures for starting a subprocess and running
it to completion in a single call.  Subprocesses that are run in the
latter fashion are referred to as @dfn{synchronous}, because they are
started and stopped in synchrony with a Scheme procedure call.

This chapter documents Scheme's high-level synchronous-subprocess
support.  The low-level support is not documented but is available for
those who are willing to read the source code.

Synchronous-subprocess support is a run-time-loadable option.  To use
it, execute

@example
(load-option 'synchronous-subprocess)
@end example

@noindent
once before calling it.

@menu
* Subprocess Procedures::       
* Subprocess Conditions::       
* Subprocess Options::          
@end menu

@node Subprocess Procedures, Subprocess Conditions, Subprocesses, Subprocesses
@subsection Subprocess Procedures

There are two commands for running synchronous subprocesses under
Scheme.  @code{run-shell-command} is very simple to use, provides access
to all shell features, and is to be preferred in most situations.
@code{run-synchronous-subprocess} allows direct execution of a program
and precise control of the command-line arguments passed to the program,
but does not provide file globbing, I/O redirection, or other shell
features.

@deffn procedure run-shell-command command option @dots{}
Runs @var{command}, which must be a string.  @var{Command} is passed to
a command shell for interpretation; how the shell is chosen is detailed
below.

The @var{option}s are a sequence of keyword/value pairs that specify
optional behavior.  See below for more information about options.

@code{run-shell-command} waits until the subprocess completes its
execution and returns the exit code from the subprocess.  If the
subprocess is killed or stopped, an error is signalled and the procedure
does not return.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure run-synchronous-subprocess program arguments option @dots{}
Runs @var{program}, passing it the given command-line @var{arguments}.
@var{Program} must be either the name of a program on the path, or else
a pathname to a specific program.  @var{Arguments} must be a list of
strings; each string is a single command-line argument to the program.

The @var{option}s are a sequence of keyword/value pairs that specify
optional behavior.  See below for more information about options.

@code{run-synchronous-subprocess} waits until the subprocess completes
its execution and returns the exit code from the subprocess.  If the
subprocess is killed or stopped, an error is signalled and the procedure
does not return.
@end deffn

@node Subprocess Conditions, Subprocess Options, Subprocess Procedures, Subprocesses
@subsection Subprocess Conditions

If a subprocess spawned by one of the above procedures is killed or
suspended, then one of the following errors will be signalled.

@deffn {condition type} condition-type:subprocess-signalled subprocess reason
This condition type is a subtype of
@code{condition-type:subprocess-abnormal-termination}.  It is signalled
when the subprocess is killed.

@var{Subprocess} is an object that represents the subprocess involved.
The internals of this object can be accessed but the interface is not
documented at this time; see the source code for details.

@var{Reason} is interesting only on unix systems, where it is the signal
that killed the process.  On other systems it has a fixed value that
conveys no useful information.
@end deffn

@deffn {condition type} condition-type:subprocess-stopped subprocess reason
This condition type is a subtype of
@code{condition-type:subprocess-abnormal-termination}.  It is signalled
when the subprocess is stopped or suspended.

@var{Subprocess} is an object that represents the subprocess involved.
The internals of this object can be accessed but the interface is not
documented at this time; see the source code for details.

@var{Reason} is interesting only on unix systems, where it is the signal
that stopped the process.  On other systems it has a fixed value that
conveys no useful information.
@end deffn

@deffn {condition type} condition-type:subprocess-abnormal-termination subprocess reason
This condition type is a subtype of @code{condition-type:error}.  This
is an abstract type that is never signalled.  It is provided so that
condition handlers can be bound to it.
@end deffn

@node Subprocess Options,  , Subprocess Conditions, Subprocesses
@subsection Subprocess Options

The following subprocess options may be passed to
@code{run-shell-command} or @code{run-synchronous-subprocess}.  These
options are passed as alternating keyword/value pairs, for example:

@example
@group
(run-shell-command "ls /"
                   'output my-output-port
                   'output-buffer-size 8192)
@end group
@end example

@noindent
The example shows a shell command being run with two options specified:
@code{output} and @code{output-buffer-size}.

@deffn {subprocess option} input port
Specifies the standard input of the subprocess.  @var{Port} may be an
input port, in which case characters are read from @var{port} and fed to
the subprocess until @var{port} reaches end-of-file.  Alternatively,
@var{port} may be @code{#f}, indicating that the subprocess has no
standard input.

The default value of this option is @code{#f}.

@example
@group
(call-with-input-file "foo.in"
  (lambda (port)
    (run-shell-command "cat > /dev/null" 'input port)))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} input-line-translation line-ending
Specifies how line-endings should be translated when writing characters
to the subprocess.  Ignored if the @code{input} option is @code{#f}.
@var{Line-ending} must be either a string specifying the line ending, or
the symbol @code{default}, meaning to use the operating system's
standard line ending.  In either case, newline characters to be written
to the @code{input} port are translated to the specified line ending
before being written.

The default value of this option is @code{default}.

@example
@group
(call-with-input-file "foo.in"
  (lambda (port)
    (run-shell-command "cat > /dev/null"
                       'input port
                       'input-line-translation "\r\n")))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} input-buffer-size n
Specifies the size of the input buffer for the standard input of the
subprocess.  (This is the buffer on the Scheme side, and has nothing to
do with any buffering done on the subprocess side.)  Ignored if the
@code{input} option is @code{#f}.  @var{N} must be an exact positive
integer specifying the number of characters the buffer can hold.

The default value of this option is @code{512}.

@example
@group
(call-with-input-file "foo.in"
  (lambda (port)
    (run-shell-command "cat > /dev/null"
                       'input port
                       'input-buffer-size 4096)))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} output port
Specifies the standard output and standard error of the subprocess.
@var{Port} may be an output port, in which case characters are read from
the subprocess and fed to @var{port} until the subprocess finishes.
Alternatively, @var{port} may be @code{#f}, indicating that the
subprocess has no standard output or standard error.

The default value of this option is the value of
@code{(current-output-port)}.

@example
@group
(call-with-output-file "foo.out"
  (lambda (port)
    (run-shell-command "ls -la /etc" 'output port)))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} output-line-translation line-ending
Specifies how line-endings should be translated when reading characters
from the standard output of the subprocess.  Ignored if the
@code{output} option is @code{#f}.  @var{Line-ending} must be either a
string specifying the line ending, or the symbol @code{default}, meaning
to use the operating system's standard line ending.  In either case,
newline characters read from the subprocess port are translated to the
specified line ending.

The default value of this option is @code{default}.

@example
@group
(call-with-output-file "foo.out"
  (lambda (port)
    (run-shell-command "ls -la /etc"
                       'output port
                       'output-line-translation "\r\n")))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} output-buffer-size n
Specifies the size of the output buffer for the standard output of the
subprocess.  (This is the buffer on the Scheme side, and has nothing to
do with any buffering done on the subprocess side.)  Ignored if the
@code{output} option is @code{#f}.  @var{N} must be an exact positive
integer specifying the number of characters the buffer can hold.

The default value of this option is @code{512}.

@example
@group
(call-with-output-file "foo.out"
  (lambda (port)
    (run-shell-command "ls -la /etc"
                       'output port
                       'output-buffer-size 4096)))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} redisplay-hook thunk
Specifies that @var{thunk} is to be run periodically when output from
the subprocess is available.  @var{Thunk} must be a procedure of no
arguments, or @code{#f} indicating that no hook is supplied.  This
option is mostly useful for interactive systems.  For example, the Edwin
text editor uses this to update output buffers when running some
subprocesses.

The default value of this option is @code{#f}.

@example
@group
(run-shell-command "ls -la /etc"
                   'redisplay-hook
                   (lambda ()
                     (update-buffer-contents buffer)))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} environment environment
Specifies the environment variables that are to be used for the
subprocess.  @var{Environment} must be either a vector of strings or
@code{#f} indicating the default environment.  If it is a vector of
strings, each string must be a name/value pair where the name and value
are separated by an equal sign, for example, @code{"foo=bar"}.  To
define a variable with no value, just omit the value, as in @code{"foo="}.

@vindex scheme-subprocess-environment
Note that the variable @code{scheme-subprocess-environment} is bound to
the default subprocess environment.

The default value of this option is @code{#f}.

@example
@group
(run-shell-command "ls -la /etc"
                   'environment
                   (let* ((v scheme-subprocess-environment)
                          (n (vector-length v))
                          (v (vector-grow v (+ n 1))))
                     (vector-set! v n "TERM=none")
                     v))
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} working-directory pathname
Specifies the working directory in which the subprocess will run.

The default value of this option is @code{(working-directory-pathname)}.

@example
@group
(run-shell-command "ls -la" 'working-directory "/etc/")
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} use-pty? boolean
This option is meaningful only on unix systems; on other systems it is
ignored.  Specifies whether to communicate with the subprocess using
@sc{pty} devices; if true, @sc{pty}s will be used, otherwise pipes will
be used.

The default value of this option is @code{#f}.

@example
@group
(run-shell-command "ls -la /etc" 'use-pty? #t)
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn {subprocess option} shell-file-name pathname
Specifies the shell program to use for @code{run-shell-command}.

The default value of this option is @code{(os/shell-file-name)}.  This
is the value of the environment variable @code{SHELL}, or if
@code{SHELL} is not set, the value is operating-system dependent as
follows:

@itemize @bullet
@item
On unix systems, @file{/bin/sh} is used.

@item
On OS/2 systems, the value of the environment variable @code{COMSPEC} is
used, or if that is not set, @file{cmd.exe} on the current path.

@item
On Windows systems, the value of the environment variable @code{COMSPEC}
is used.  If that is not set, @file{cmd.exe} is used for Windows NT, or
@file{command.com} is used for Windows 9x; in each case the shell is
found by searching the path.
@end itemize

@example
@group
(run-shell-command "ls -la /etc"
                   'shell-file-name "/usr/local/bin/bash")
@end group
@end example
@end deffn

@node TCP Sockets, Miscellaneous OS Facilities, Subprocesses, Operating-System Interface
@section TCP Sockets

@cindex socket
MIT/GNU Scheme provides access to @dfn{sockets}, which are a mechanism for
inter-process communication.  @sc{tcp} stream sockets are supported,
which communicate between computers over a @sc{tcp/ip} network.
@sc{tcp} sockets are supported on all operating systems.

@cindex client socket
@cindex server socket
@sc{tcp} sockets have two distinct interfaces: one interface to
implement a @dfn{client} and another to implement a @dfn{server}.  The
basic protocol is that servers set up a listening port and wait for
connections from clients.  Implementation of clients is simpler and will
be treated first.

@cindex hostname, TCP
The socket procedures accept two special arguments, called
@var{host-name} and @var{service}.  @var{Host-name} is a string which
must be the name of an internet host.  It is looked up using the
ordinary lookup rules for your computer.  For example, if your host is
@code{foo.mit.edu} and @var{host-name} is @code{"bar"}, then it
specifies @code{bar.mit.edu}.

@cindex service, TCP
@cindex port number, TCP
@var{Service} specifies the service to which you will connect.  A
networked computer normally provides several different services, such as
telnet or @acronym{FTP}.  Each service is associated with a unique
@dfn{port number}; for example, the @code{"www"} service is associated
with port @code{80}.  The @var{service} argument specifies the port
number, either as a string, or directly as an exact non-negative
integer.  Port strings are decoded by the operating system using a
table; for example, on unix the table is in @file{/etc/services}.
Usually you will use a port string rather than a number.

@deffn procedure open-tcp-stream-socket host-name service [buffer-size [line-translation]]
@code{open-tcp-stream-socket} opens a connection to the host specified
by @var{host-name}.  @var{Host-name} is looked up using the ordinary
lookup rules for your computer.  The connection is established to the
service specified by @var{service}.  The returned value is an
@acronym{I/O} port, to which you can read and write characters using
ordinary Scheme @acronym{I/O} procedures such as @code{read-char} and
@code{write-char}.

@var{Buffer-size} specifies the size of the read and write buffers used
by the port; if this is unspecified or @code{#f}, the buffers will hold
@code{4096} bytes.

@var{Line-translation} specifies how end-of-line characters will be
translated when reading or writing to the socket.  If this is
unspecified or @code{#f}, then lines will be terminated by @sc{cr-lf},
which is the standard for most internet protocols.  Otherwise, it must
be a string, which specifies the line-ending character sequence to use.

When you wish to close the connection, just use @code{close-port}.

As an example, here is how you can open a connection to a web server:

@example
(open-tcp-stream-socket "web.mit.edu" "www")
@end example
@end deffn

@cindex server socket
Next we will treat setting up a @sc{tcp} server, which is slightly more
complicated.  Creating a server is a two-part process.  First, you must
open a @dfn{server socket}, which causes the operating system to listen
to the network on a port that you specify.  Once the server socket is
opened, the operating system will allow clients to connect to your
computer on that port.

In the second step of the process, you @dfn{accept} the connection,
which completes the connection initiated by the client, and allows you
to communicate with the client.  Accepting a connection does not affect
the server socket; it continues to listen for additional client
connections.  You can have multiple client connections to the same
server socket open simultaneously.

@deffn procedure open-tcp-server-socket service [address]
This procedure opens a server socket that listens for connections to
@var{service}; the socket will continue to listen until you close it.
The returned value is a server socket object.

An error is signalled if another process is already listening on the
service.  Additionally, ports whose number is less than @code{1024} are
privileged on many operating systems, and cannot be used by
non-privileged processes; if @var{service} specifies such a port and you
do not have administrative privileges, an error may be signalled.

The optional argument @var{address} specifies the @acronym{IP} address
on which the socket will listen.  If this argument is not supplied or is
given as @code{#f}, then the socket listens on all @acronym{IP}
addresses for this machine.  (This is equivalent to passing the result
of calling @code{host-address-any}.)
@end deffn

@deffn procedure tcp-server-connection-accept server-socket block? peer-address [line-translation]
Checks to see if a client has connected to @var{server-socket}.  If
so, an @acronym{I/O} port is returned.  The returned port can be read
and written using ordinary Scheme @acronym{I/O} procedures such as
@code{read-char} and @code{write-char}.

The argument @var{block?} says what to do if no client has connected at
the time of the call.  If @code{#f}, it says to return immediately with
two values of @code{#f}.  Otherwise, the call waits until a client
connects.

The argument @var{peer-address} is either @code{#f} or an @acronym{IP}
address as allocated by @code{allocate-host-address}.  If it is an
@acronym{IP} address, the address is modified to be the address of the
client making the connection.

The optional argument @var{line-translation} specifies how end-of-line
characters will be translated when reading or writing to the returned
socket.  If this is unspecified or @code{#f}, then lines will be
terminated by @sc{cr-lf}, which is the standard for most internet
protocols.  Otherwise, it must be a string, which specifies the
line-ending character sequence to use.

Note that closing the port returned by this procedure does not affect
@var{server-socket}; it just closes the particular client connection
that was opened by the call.  To close @var{server-socket}, use
@code{close-tcp-server-socket}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure close-tcp-server-socket server-socket
Closes the server socket @var{server-socket}.  The operating system will
cease listening for network connections to that service.  Client
connections to @var{server-socket} that have already been accepted will
not be affected.
@end deffn

@node Miscellaneous OS Facilities,  , TCP Sockets, Operating-System Interface
@section Miscellaneous OS Facilities

This section contains assorted operating-system facilities that don't
fit into other categories.

@defvr variable microcode-id/operating-system
@defvrx variable microcode-id/operating-system-name
@code{microcode-id/operating-system} is bound to a symbol that specifies
the type of operating system that Scheme is running under.  There are
three possible values: @code{unix}, @code{os/2}, or @code{nt}.

@code{microcode-id/operating-system-name} is a string containing the
same name as @code{microcode-id/operating-system}; the latter is created
by interning the former as a symbol.
@end defvr

@defvr variable microcode-id/operating-system-variant
This variable is a string that identifies the particular variant of the
operating system that Scheme is running under.  Here are some of the
possible values:

@example
@group
"GNU/Linux"
"FreeBSD"
"DragonFlyBSD"
"HP-UX"
"SunOS"
"OS/2 2.1"
"OS/2 4.0"
"Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Build 1381; Service Pack 3)"
"Microsoft Windows 98 (Build 410)"
@end group
@end example

@noindent
For Windows systems, it is recommended that you match on the prefix of
this string and ignore the @code{"Build"} suffix.  This is because the
suffix may contain information about service packs or fixes, while the
prefix will be constant for a particular version of Windows.
@end defvr

The next few procedures provide access to the @dfn{domain name service}
(@acronym{DNS}), which maintains associations between internet host
names such as @code{"www.swiss.ai.mit.edu"} and @acronym{IP} addresses,
such as @code{18.23.0.16}.  In MIT/GNU Scheme, we represent an internet host
name as a string, and an @acronym{IP} address as a byte vector of length
4 (byte vectors are just character strings that are accessed using
@code{vector-8b-ref} rather than @code{string-ref}).  The bytes in an
@acronym{IP} address read in the same order as they do when written out:

@example
(get-host-by-name "www.swiss") @result{} #("\022\027\000\020")
@end example

@deffn procedure get-host-by-name host-name
Looks up the internet host name @var{host-name} using the @acronym{DNS},
returning a vector of @acronym{IP} addresses for the corresponding host,
or @code{#f} if there is no such host.  Usually the returned vector has
only one element, but if a host has more than one network interface, the
vector might have more than one element.

@example
(get-host-by-name "www.swiss") @result{} #("\022\027\000\020")
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure get-host-by-address ip-address
Does a reverse @acronym{DNS} lookup on @var{ip-address}, returning the
internet host name corresponding to that address, or @code{#f} if there
is no such host.

@example
(get-host-by-address "\022\027\000\020") @result{} "swissnet.ai.mit.edu"
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure canonical-host-name host-name
Finds the ``canonical'' internet host name for @var{host-name}.  For
example:

@example
@group
(canonical-host-name "zurich")    @result{} "zurich.ai.mit.edu"
(canonical-host-name "www.swiss") @result{} "swissnet.ai.mit.edu"
@end group
@end example

@noindent
In both examples, the default internet domain @samp{ai.mit.edu} is added
to @var{host-name}.  In the second example, @code{"www.swiss"} is an
alias for another computer named @code{"swissnet"}.
@end deffn

@deffn procedure get-host-name
Returns the string that identifies the computer that MIT/GNU Scheme is
running on.  Usually this is an unqualified internet host name, i.e.@:
the host name without the domain suffix:

@example
(get-host-name) @result{} "aarau"
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure os/hostname
Returns the canonical internet host name of the computer that MIT/GNU Scheme
is running on.  So, in contrast to the example for @code{get-host-name}:

@example
(os/hostname) @result{} "aarau.ai.mit.edu"
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure allocate-host-address
Allocates and returns an @acronym{IP} address object.  This is just a
string of a fixed length (current 4 bytes) into which an @acronym{IP}
address may be stored.  This procedure is used to generate an
appropriate argument to be passed to
@code{tcp-server-connection-accept}.

@example
(allocate-host-address) @result{} "Xe\034\241"
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure host-address-any
Return an @acronym{IP} address object that specifies ``any host''.  This
object is useful only when passed as the @var{address} argument to
@code{open-tcp-server-socket}.

@example
(host-address-any) @result{} "\000\000\000\000"
@end example
@end deffn

@deffn procedure host-address-loopback
@cindex loopback interface
Return an @acronym{IP} address object that specifies the local
@dfn{loopback} network interface.  The loopback interface is a software
network interface that can be used only for communicating between
processes on the same computer.  This address object is useful only when
passed as the @var{address} argument to @code{open-tcp-server-socket}.

@example
(host-address-loopback) @result{} "\177\000\000\001"
@end example
@end deffn
