The popen procedure creates a process, opens a pipe (i.e. a communications channel) to the process, and associates a file variable with the pipe (i.e. opens the file variable). The popen procedure can open the file variable in read-only mode, write-only mode, or read/write mode.
If the file variable is opened in read-only mode then the program can read the pipe and retrieve values written to the pipe by the process. However the program can not write values through the pipe for the process to read.
If the file variable is opened in write-only mode then the program can write values to the pipe for the process to read. However the program can not read the pipe to retrieve values written to the pipe by the process.
If the file variable is opened in read/write mode then the program can write values to the pipe for the process to read, and read the pipe to retrieve values written to the pipe by the process.
Operating Systems: All
Standard Pascal: No