Program Repair Shop

Unnecessary Shell Calls

        Subject: why does this not work?
        Message-Id: <8l1r5c$n76$1@news-int.gatech.edu>

        ($current_month, $current_day, $current_year)
                = split(/-/, `date "+%m-%d-%Y"`);
        $current_year=chomp $current_year;

Even if it does work, it's bizarre and expensive
`date...` must open a pipe
- fork a new process
- execute the shell
- which forks a new process
- which executes the date command
After it's all over, we have to do a split
Shell calls can cause security problems in some contexts (example coming up)
Better:

        ($current_month, $current_day, $current_year)
                = (localtime)[4,3,5];