[Zope] windows python differences

[garry saddington]

This code on linux works without a problem

ispell = os.popen("echo " + word +
| /opt/scholarpack/ancillary/ispell/bin/ispell -a")
ispell.readline
sentence = ispell.readline()

if (sentence[0] == '&'):
    parts = string.split(sentence, ": ")
    gluedwords = parts[1]
    words = string.split(gluedwords,", ")
    length = len(words)
    words[length-1] = words[length-1][0:len(words[length-1]) - 1]
    return [word] + words

elif (sentence[0] == '#') or (sentence[0] == '?'):
    return [word]
else:
    return []


however on windows it throws a string index out of range at the
sentence[0] constructs.

the popen command on windows is:
ispell=os.popen("echo" +word+ "\scholarpack\ancillary\ispell\bin\ispell
-a")

Anyone know what the difference is on the two platforms?
regards
garry