C:\foo\>perl -e "print `dir;"
Can't find string terminator "`" anywhere before EOF at -e line 1.
####
C:\foo\>perl -e "system dir;"
Directory of C:\foo\
08/31/2006 10:06a .
08/31/2006 10:06a ..
11/21/2003 02:49p .c--
11/21/2003 02:49p .c#
##
##
C:\foo\>perl -e "$cmd=system(dir);print $cmd;"
Directory of C:\foo\
08/31/2006 10:06a .
08/31/2006 10:06a ..
11/21/2003 02:49p .c--
11/21/2003 02:49p .c#
3 File(s) 2,731 bytes
9 Dir(s) 67,502,247,936 bytes free
0 <=== There is the UNshifted system status/return code referenced above....
C:\foo\>