symbolic links, aliases, cls clear

[mp]

i have a python program which attempts to call 'cls' but fails:

sh: line 1: cls: command not found

i tried creating an alias from cls to clear in .profile, .cshrc, and
/etc/profile, but none of these options seem to work.

my conclusion is that a python program that is executing does not use
the shell (because it does not recognize shell aliases). is this
correct?

should i use a symbolic link? if so, where should i place it?

what is the difference between aliases and symbolic links?

if i execute a command like 'clear' to clear the screen, where does the
shell look to find the command 'clear'?

i'm using os x.

thanks
mp

[Chris F.A. Johnson]

On 2006-04-13, Barry Margolin wrote:

In article <go************ @xword.teksavvy .com>,
"Chris F.A. Johnson" <cf********@gma il.com> wrote:

In fact, my scripts are portable to other terminal types by use
of files for each terminal, generated with tput. Using a
different terminal is as easy as ". /usr/share/term-sh/$TERM" or
something similar. I generated a lot of files a few years ago,
but I have never had any call for them, so I'd have to hunt for
them.

So you've essentially reinvented the whole termcap/terminfo mechanism?

No, I've used the termcap/terminfo mechanism via tput to create a
more efficient (and customizable) method of terminal-dependent
control.

--
Chris F.A. Johnson, author | <http://cfaj.freeshell. org>
Shell Scripting Recipes: | My code in this post, if any,
A Problem-Solution Approach | is released under the
2005, Apress | GNU General Public Licence

[af.dingo]

it would be nice if python provided a termcap or terminfo library,
wouldn't it?

[Floyd L. Davidson]

af******@gmail. com wrote:

it would be nice if python provided a termcap or terminfo library,
wouldn't it?

Try "import curses".

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) fl***@apaflo.co m