> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/components/system/execute.md).

# Execute

Component variation of Execute function

## Component Signature

```
<bx:Execute variable=[string]
name=[string]
arguments=[any]
timeout=[long]
terminateOnTimeout=[boolean]
directory=[string]
outputFile=[string]
errorFile=[string]
errorVariable=[string]
exitCode=[string] />
```

### Attributes

| Atrribute            | Type      | Required | Description                                                                   | Default |
| -------------------- | --------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `variable`           | `string`  | `false`  | The variable name to produce                                                  |         |
| `name`               | `string`  | `true`   | The process name or binary path ( e.g. bash or /bin/sh )                      |         |
| `arguments`          | `any`     | `false`  | The process arguments ( e.g. for `java --version` this would be `--version` ) |         |
| `timeout`            | `long`    | `false`  | The timeout to wait for the command, in seconds ( default unlimited )         |         |
| `terminateOnTimeout` | `boolean` | `false`  | Whether to terminate the process/command if a timeout is reached              | `false` |
| `directory`          | `string`  | `false`  | A working directory to execute the command from                               |         |
| `outputFile`         | `string`  | `false`  |                                                                               |         |
| `errorFile`          | `string`  | `false`  | An optional file path to write errors to                                      |         |
| `errorVariable`      | `string`  | `false`  | Optional variable to produce for error output                                 |         |
| `exitCode`           | `string`  | `false`  | An optional variable to set the exit code into                                |         |

## Examples

### Script syntax

If you want to execute a script (.sh,.cmd,.bat), use bash (linux) or cmd.exe (windows) as the command and the script as argument for the shell interpreter.

```java
bx:execute name="bash" arguments="/opt/jq.sh #cmdArgs#" variable="standardOut" errorVariable="errorOut" timeout="10";

```

### Script syntax with terminateOnTimeout

Printing a PDF using lpr

```java
bx:execute name="lpr" arguments="-P 'My Print Job Name' 'C:/Users/devguy/Documents/server/mynewfile.pdf'" timeout="5" terminateOnTimeout="true";

```


---

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