constant description p_overlay executes the program and destroys the calling process (same as the exec functionsexecutes the program and detaches from it the calling program continues to run but cannot wait for the spawned process p_detach spawnv(is available on windows and some versions of unix spawnve(modepathargsenvexecutes the program path in new processpassing the arguments specified in args as command-line parameters and the contents of the mapping env as the environment args can be list or tuple mode has the same meaning as described for spawnv(spawnl(modepatharg argnthe same as spawnv(except that all the arguments are supplied as extra parameters spawnle(modepatharg argnenvthe same as spawnve(except that the arguments are supplied as parameters the last parameter is mapping containing the environment variables spawnlp(modefilearg argnthe same as spawnl(but looks for file using the settings of the path environment variable (unixspawnlpe(modefilearg argnenvthe same as spawnle(but looks for file using the settings of the path environment variable (unixspawnvp(modefileargsthe same as spawnv(but looks for file using the settings of the path environment variable (unixspawnvpe(modefileargsenvthe same as spawnve(but looks for file using the settings of the path environment variable (unixstartfile(path [operation]launches the application associated with the file path this performs the same action as would occur if you double-clicked the file in windows explorer the function returns as soon as the application is launched furthermorethere is no way to wait for completion or to obtain exit codes from the application path is relative to the current directory operation is an optional string that specifies the action to perform when opening path by defaultit is set to 'open'but it may be set to 'print''edit''explore'or 'find(the exact list depends on the type of path (windows)system(commandexecutes command ( stringin subshell on unixthe return value is the exit status of the process as returned by wait(on windowsthe exit code is always the subprocess module provides considerably more power and is the preferred way to launch subprocesses lib fl ff