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Command Line Input Syntax

The Command Line has the following general format:-

Verb/Qualifier=Value Parameter/Qualifier Parameter

Thus a Command Line consists of a Command Verb, optional Qualifiers that may modify the detailed action of the Verb, and (depending on the Verb) required Parameters. Each Parameter may itself have associated Qualifiers. An example of a Command Line might be:-

PRINT/COPIES=2 FILE1/FONT=TIMES,FILE2/FONT=LONDON

which would cause the specified files each to be printed twice, the first file in ``TIMES" Font, the second in ``LONDON" Font. A Command Line is case insensitive, all characters being converted to upper case before being parsed. Furthermore a Command Line may span several lines on the terminal screen, continuation being indicated by a ``-" character as the last significant character of a line (ignoring trailing spaces and comments). Comments are indicated by a ``!" character, the remainder of the line being ignored. Multiple Commands Lines may be specified on a single line, separated by spaces or commas.




Liz Buckle
Fri Jan 13 17:40:55 CST 1995