Inquire

Reads a record.

Format:

SPECTRA> inq$*$uire symbol_name [prompt_string]

Description:

A string is read from the terminal and stored in the symbol symbol_name. If the symbol existed before the command, it is overwritten. If there is no input for the inquire command and symbol_name exists, it is deleted. The second argument is an optional prompt string.

e.g.:

SPECTRA> inquire fname " Enter file name "
The input is copied to the symbol fname.

/so$*$cket

Communicates via an open socket. See the example in section 15.3.49.

/default=string

If there is no input, SPECTRA returns string.

/msg

The prompt string appears in the bottom line.

/preset=string

A text string appears on the screen which can be edited by the user.

/protected

Symbol_name becomes a protected symbol. It is packed into '[' na ']'.

e.g.:

SPECTRA> inquire/prot com_line " Enter comment line "
set 1.3/text=com_line
The qualifier /prot is necessary in this case, if com_line contains blanks. See section 7 for more details about protected symbols.

Format:

SPECTRA> inq$*$uire/key symbol_name [promt_string]
SPECTRA> inq$*$uire/keyw symbol_name [promt_string]

Description:

/keyw

SPECTRA waits for a single keystroke and copies the byte to symbol_name.

This works also for PF-keys.

/tmo=nsec

It waits at most nsec seconds. If the is no input, symbol_name is deleted.

/key

SPECTRA fetches a single byte from the input buffer. If there is no input, symbol_name is deleted.

/msg

The prompt string appears in the bottom line.

/rest$*$ore_cursor

The cursor position is saved, the prompt string is, displayed, the input read and the original cursor position is restored.

e.g.:

inquire/key letter
if search_symbol(letter) then end

The execution of a command file is terminated at this point, if the user pressed one of the keys.

Format:

SPECTRA> inq$*$uire/fp$*$tr[=ptr_symbol] symbol_name

Description:

/fptr

A record is read through a file pointer that has been set to a file by an fopen command. The default pointer symbol is file_ptr.

The EOF condition is tested by the function gra_status().

e.g.:

See section 15.3.32