Re: Shelling out CRTLF via QCMDEXC -- question about success/failure

I was a big fan of system(), until I was not. I forget why. Others have
alluded to the ease of getting the error with QCAPCMD instead. Perhaps
that was it.

On Tue, Jun 9, 2026 at 8:35 AM Vern Hamberg via MIDRANGE-L <
midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Birgitta

Yes, the system() function returns an integer, 0 if the command is
successful. And, according to the reference, we have this -

If the system() function fails, the global variable _EXCP_MSGID in
<stddef.h> is set with the exception message ID.

*Regards*

*Vern Hamberg*

IBM Champion 2025 <cid:part1.QtMlKfw5.8YvQHd3C@centurylink.net> CAAC
(COMMON Americas Advisory Council) IBM Influencer 2023


On 6/9/2026 1:53 AM, Birgitta Hauser wrote:

Jon and AI

How you'd get the CPF-Msg which is checked in the example if only an

error code is returned? ;)

When using QCMDEXC it is possible to trap the system error message!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards

Birgitta Hauser
Modernization – Education – Consulting on IBM i
Database and Software Architect
IBM Champion since 2020

"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

(Les Brown)

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." (Derek Bok)
"What is worse than training your staff and losing them? Not training

them and keeping them!"

"Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so

they don't want to. " (Richard Branson)

"Learning is experience … everything else is only information!" (Albert

Einstein)

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L<midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of

Jon Paris

Sent: Monday, 8 June 2026 23:41
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Shelling out CRTLF via QCMDEXC -- question about

success/failure

Personally, I'd use the system() function. Much easier to test for

errors and determine the root failure message.

Google's AI came up with this example whcih I have not tested but it

looks about right.

**free
// Modern control specifications—no bnddir('QC2LE') needed!
ctl-opt dftactgrp(*no);

// Prototype for the C system() function dcl-pr runCommand int(10)

extproc('system');

cmdString pointer value options(*string); end-pr;

// Import system variable to capture error message IDs dcl-s errorMsg

char(7) import('_EXCP_MSGID');

// Variable to store the return code
dcl-s returnCode int(10);

// Execute a CL command directly
returnCode = runCommand('CLRPFM FILE(MYLIB/MYFILE)');

// Check for execution failure
if returnCode <> 0;
if errorMsg = 'CPF3142'; // File not found
// Handle specific error logic here
endif;
endif;

*inlr = *on;


Jon Paris
Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Jun 8, 2026, at 5:31 PM, James H. H. Lampert via MIDRANGE-L<

midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I've got a project in which I will be using a QCMDEXC call to shell out

a CRTLF (from a generated source member). What is the easiest way for the
calling program to determine whether the CRTLF was successful?

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JHHL
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