[vim/vim] system([]) syntax is erroring with PowerShell (Issue #9095)

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Zovin Khanmohammed

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Nov 5, 2021, 4:25:39 PM11/5/21
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Steps to reproduce

  1. running vim with command vim --clean --cmd 'set shell=pwsh' or vim --clean --cmd 'set shell=powershell'
  2. run :echo system(['git','version'])
  3. Get Errors

If using shell=powershell

2>&1 : The term '2>&1' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

If using shell=pwsh

>: The term '>' is not recognized as a name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or executable program.
Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.


E484: Can't open file C:\Users\ZOVIN~1.KHA\AppData\Local\Temp\VNJ8B28.tmp

Expected behaviour

Should have an output like :echo system('git --version')
for example
image

Operating system

Windows 10 21H1/20H2

Version of Vim

8.2.3579

Logs and stack traces

>: The term '>' is not recognized as a name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or executable program.
Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.


E484: Can't open file C:\Users\ZOVIN~1.KHA\AppData\Local\Temp\VJB6942.tmp

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lacygoill

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Nov 5, 2021, 5:53:27 PM11/5/21
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run :echo system(['git','version'])

Is system() supposed to accept a list on Windows? It doesn't on Linux:

:echo system([])
E730: Using a List as a String

What's the output if you temporarily increase the verbosity level to 4:

:4verbose echo system(['git','version'])

Zovin Khanmohammed

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Nov 5, 2021, 5:56:12 PM11/5/21
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So interestingly there the error does come up, however it still tries to execute:

The output with full verbosity (pwsh)

E730: Using a List as a String
Calling shell to execute: " >C:\Users\ZOVIN~1.KHA\AppData\Local\Temp\VZ77BB2.tmp 2>&1"
>: The term '>' is not recognized as a name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or executable program.
Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.


E484: Can't open file C:\Users\ZOVIN~1.KHA\AppData\Local\Temp\VZ77BB2.tmp

Christian Brabandt

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Nov 5, 2021, 5:57:35 PM11/5/21
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run :echo system(['git','version'])

Is system() supposed to accept a list on Windows? It doesn't on Linux:

Looks like this is also Neovim: https://neovim.io/doc/user/eval.html#system()

Please test with a Vim version, before report things there.

Christian Brabandt

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Nov 5, 2021, 5:57:39 PM11/5/21
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Closed #9095.

lacygoill

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Nov 5, 2021, 5:58:24 PM11/5/21
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Is system() supposed to accept a list on Windows? It doesn't on Linux:

According to :help system(), the first argument can only be a string:

Get the output of the shell command {expr} as a string.

Are you conflating system() with job_start()? The latter does accept a list as first argument.

Zovin Khanmohammed

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Nov 5, 2021, 6:04:55 PM11/5/21
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ah dang, I got confused by the second paragraph in :help system() about if input is a list.

Between junegunn/vim-plug/plug.vim#L461-466 and that paragraph, I thought system([]) was valid vim syntax. Explains why vim-plug is broke for me....

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