NAME

       send - Execute a command in a different application


SYNOPSIS

       send ?options? app cmd ?arg arg ...?
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DESCRIPTION

       This command arranges for cmd (and args) to be executed in
       the application named by app.  It returns  the  result  or
       error from that command execution.  App may be the name of
       any application whose main window is on the  display  con­
       taining  the  sender's main window;  it need not be within
       the same process.  If no arg arguments are  present,  then
       the  command  to  be executed is contained entirely within
       the cmd argument.  If one or more args are  present,  they
       are  concatenated to form the command to be executed, just
       as for the eval command.

       If the initial arguments of the command begin  with  ``-''
       they  are  treated  as options.  The following options are
       currently defined:

       -async Requests asynchronous invocation.  In this case the
              send  command  will  complete  immediately  without
              waiting for cmd to complete in the target  applica­
              tion;   no  result  will be available and errors in
              the sent command will be ignored.   If  the  target
              application  is  in the same process as the sending
              application then the -async option is ignored.

       -displayof pathName
              Specifies that the target application's main window
              is  on the display of the window given by pathName,
              instead of the display containing the application's
              main window.

       --     Serves  no  purpose except to terminate the list of
              options.  This option is needed only if  app  could
              contain a leading ``-'' character.


APPLICATION NAMES

       The  name of an application is set initially from the name
       of the program or script  that  created  the  application.
       You  can  query and change the name of an application with
       the tk appname command.


DISABLING SENDS

       If the send command is removed from an  application  (e.g.

       not respond to incoming send requests anymore,   nor  will
       it  be able to issue outgoing requests.  Communication can
       be reenabled by invoking the tk appname command.


SECURITY

       The send command is potentially a serious  security  loop­
       hole.  On Unix, any application that can connect to your X
       server can  send  scripts  to  your  applications.   These
       incoming  scripts can use Tcl to read and write your files
       and  invoke  subprocesses  under  your  name.   Host-based
       access  control such as that provided by xhost is particu­
       larly insecure, since it allows anyone with an account  on
       particular  hosts  to  connect to your server, and if dis­
       abled it allows anyone anywhere to connect to your server.
       In  order  to provide at least a small amount of security,
       Tk checks the access control being used by the server  and
       rejects  incoming sends unless (a) xhost-style access con­
       trol is enabled (i.e. only  certain  hosts  can  establish
       connections)  and  (b) the list of enabled hosts is empty.
       This means that applications cannot connect to your server
       unless  they  use some other form of authorization such as
       that provide by xauth.  Under Windows, send  is  currently |
       disabled.   Most  of  the functionality is provided by the |
       dde command instead.


KEYWORDS

       application, dde, name, remote execution, security, send   |


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