Kernel.system asynchronous on OSX?

[bomastudio]

I want to run an external software (that create a txt file to be post-processed by me) with system() call.

On Windows all fine. The system(cmd1,...) works, creates the txt file and then my ruby-code processes it as I want.

On OsX, on the other hand, it seems to work asynchronous: the system(cmd1,...) works and creates the txt BUT my ruby-code try to process the txt file IMMEDIATELY after the system call without waiting for its existence. I have to re-lauch my script, and then it finds the *.txt file and works ok....

Do you have some experience of it?

SketchUp 2014,2015,2016,2017 + Windows7 (all ok)
SketchUp 2015 + OsX 10.8 (bad)

[driven]

it's very hard to ascertain your code's logic from your description...

can you post a 'working/failing' example...

system calls work great on osx, but I normally use backticks `` or %x variants...

john

[thomthom]

system should be blocking. Might it be a different in the command you are invoking?

[Dan Rathbun]

I usually use a timer in this scenario, to check when the file exists, then cancel the timer and call the post processing method.

@tid = UI;;start_timer(0.5,true) {
  if File.exist?(@filepath)
    UI;;stop_timer(@tid)
    post_process(@filepath)
  end
}

EDIT(Add): Also, I would usually have a counter variable that gets incremented each timer loop, and a max number of trys, if the file never becomes "ready" then I also exit the timer and somehow display a warning or message that things did not work.