diff -ur srcx.orig/vpsprntr.cxx srcx/vpsprntr.cxx
--- srcx.orig/vpsprntr.cxx	Wed Mar  6 16:22:30 1996
+++ srcx/vpsprntr.cxx	Wed Jun 25 16:49:02 1997
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
 #include <v/vicon.h>
 #include <v/vfilesel.h>
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
 #define prompt_width 32
 #define prompt_height 32
 static unsigned char prompt_bits[] = {
@@ -165,7 +170,42 @@
     if (_pstream)
 	_pstream->close();
 
-    _pstream = new ofstream(_name);	// open output stream
+    if (_name[0]=='|')
+      {
+        char *cmdname = (char *)&_name[1];
+
+        fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", cmdname);
+
+        int pipe_fd[2];
+
+        pipe(pipe_fd);
+
+        if (fork() == 0) // child
+          {
+
+            close(pipe_fd[1]);  // unidirectional pipe
+
+            close(0); dup(pipe_fd[0]); close(pipe_fd[0]);
+            execlp(cmdname, cmdname, NULL);
+
+          }
+        else // parent
+          {
+
+            close(pipe_fd[0]);  // unidirectional pipe
+
+          }
+
+        _pstream = new ofstream(pipe_fd[1]);
+
+      }
+    else
+      {
+
+        _pstream = new ofstream(_name);	// open output stream
+
+      }
+
     return _pstream;
   }
  
@@ -175,6 +215,9 @@
     if (_pstream)
 	_pstream->close();
     delete _pstream;
+
+    if (_name[0] == '|') wait(NULL);
+
     _pstream = 0;
   }