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doc: shell option for the execFile and execFileSync functions
Useful for executing in a shell because it accepts arguments as an array instead of a string as exec does. Depending on the circumstances, that can prove to be useful if the arguments are already prepared. PR-URL: #18237 Fixes: #18199 Reviewed-By: Julian Duque <julianduquej@gmail.com> Reviewed-By: James M Snell <jasnell@gmail.com> Reviewed-By: Adrian Estrada <edsadr@gmail.com> Reviewed-By: Ruben Bridgewater <ruben@bridgewater.de>
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doc/api/child_process.md

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@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ implemented on top of [`child_process.spawn()`][] or [`child_process.spawnSync()
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* [`child_process.exec()`][]: spawns a shell and runs a command within that shell,
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passing the `stdout` and `stderr` to a callback function when complete.
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* [`child_process.execFile()`][]: similar to [`child_process.exec()`][] except that
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it spawns the command directly without first spawning a shell.
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it spawns the command directly without first spawning a shell by default.
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* [`child_process.fork()`][]: spawns a new Node.js process and invokes a
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specified module with an IPC communication channel established that allows
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sending messages between parent and child.
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ when the child process terminates.
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The importance of the distinction between [`child_process.exec()`][] and
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[`child_process.execFile()`][] can vary based on platform. On Unix-type operating
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systems (Unix, Linux, macOS) [`child_process.execFile()`][] can be more efficient
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because it does not spawn a shell. On Windows, however, `.bat` and `.cmd`
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because it does not spawn a shell by default. On Windows, however, `.bat` and `.cmd`
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files are not executable on their own without a terminal, and therefore cannot
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be launched using [`child_process.execFile()`][]. When running on Windows, `.bat`
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and `.cmd` files can be invoked using [`child_process.spawn()`][] with the `shell`
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normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
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* `windowsVerbatimArguments` {boolean} No quoting or escaping of arguments is
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done on Windows. Ignored on Unix. **Default:** `false`.
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* `shell` {boolean|string} If `true`, runs `command` inside of a shell. Uses
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`'/bin/sh'` on UNIX, and `process.env.ComSpec` on Windows. A different
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shell can be specified as a string. See [Shell Requirements][] and
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[Default Windows Shell][]. **Default:** `false` (no shell).
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* `callback` {Function} Called with the output when process terminates.
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* `error` {Error}
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* `stdout` {string|Buffer}
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* `stderr` {string|Buffer}
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* Returns: {ChildProcess}
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The `child_process.execFile()` function is similar to [`child_process.exec()`][]
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except that it does not spawn a shell. Rather, the specified executable `file`
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except that it does not spawn a shell by default. Rather, the specified executable `file`
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is spawned directly as a new process making it slightly more efficient than
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[`child_process.exec()`][].
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@@ -312,6 +316,10 @@ async function getVersion() {
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getVersion();
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```
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*Note*: If the `shell` option is enabled, do not pass unsanitized user input
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to this function. Any input containing shell metacharacters may be used to
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trigger arbitrary command execution.
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### child_process.fork(modulePath[, args][, options])
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<!-- YAML
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added: v0.5.0
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* `encoding` {string} The encoding used for all stdio inputs and outputs. **Default:** `'buffer'`
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* `windowsHide` {boolean} Hide the subprocess console window that would
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normally be created on Windows systems. **Default:** `false`.
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* `shell` {boolean|string} If `true`, runs `command` inside of a shell. Uses
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`'/bin/sh'` on UNIX, and `process.env.ComSpec` on Windows. A different
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shell can be specified as a string. See [Shell Requirements][] and
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[Default Windows Shell][]. **Default:** `false` (no shell).
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* Returns: {Buffer|string} The stdout from the command.
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The `child_process.execFileSync()` method is generally identical to
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throw an [`Error`][] that will include the full result of the underlying
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[`child_process.spawnSync()`][].
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*Note*: If the `shell` option is enabled, do not pass unsanitized user input
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to this function. Any input containing shell metacharacters may be used to
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trigger arbitrary command execution.
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### child_process.execSync(command[, options])
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<!-- YAML
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added: v0.11.12

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