Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!physics.utoronto.ca!burow
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
From: burow@physics.utoronto.ca (Burkhard Burow)
Subject: setenv in bg
Message-ID: <1990Mar1.175629.8287@helios.physics.utoronto.ca>
Organization: University of Toronto Physics/Astronomy/CITA
Distribution: na
Date: 1 Mar 90 22:56:30 GMT

Why can't I do:

prompt>( setenv a some_word ) &

Doing:

prompt>echo $a

says a is undefined.
Of course the utility of this is questionable until you do things like

prompt>( setenv a "`command_taking_time_with_little_output`" ) &

Which lets you send out many commands in parallel, so that after waiting
only for the most time-consuming command, all of them have executed 
with their output placed into their respective variables.

e_mail please and I'll post or forward if desired

burk