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From: milne@UCI-750A.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: UCSD P-System: Info needed on GETCMD interface and chain.
Message-ID: <12483@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 28-Sep-84 22:22:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12483
Posted: Fri Sep 28 22:22:26 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 1-Oct-84 04:22:17 EDT
Lines: 63

From:  Alastair Milne 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In an attempt to write a customized SYSTEM.MENU, I found CHAINing
to a SYSTEM.xxx file results in an 'illegal filename' error, which seems
to be returned by some routine in the GETCMD unit.

I need information about getting around this restriction (patches?)
or a copy of the user interface section to GETCMD and an outline of
how it sets up the environment and calls the program.

The P-System (ver 4.1) is being run on a SAGE IV (68k).  I have the sources
from Sage, but not the proprietary P-System sources.  Does anyone
know if the interface section to the units that run the P-System are
copyright restricted or where I might obtain them?

Thanks in advance,
-- 

			Rik Faith
			University of Florida, Gainesville
			(UUCP: ..!akgua!uf-csv!uf-csg!rik)
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

     I don't think you need the GETCMD interface, unless you need more 
from it than your message says.

     I suspect this is your problem:

     When a code file is specified for execution, either from the command 
line or by CommandIO's procedure Chain, GETCMD automatically appends the 
suffix '.CODE' to it, since almost all code files end in .CODE.  To execute
files whose name don't end in .CODE (such as SYSTEM.xxxx files), append 
a period to the name.  The period will be removed, and the extension .CODE 
will be suppressed.

     Example:     USES .., CommandIO, ..;
                     ....
                  BEGIN
                     ......
                     Chain('*SYSTEM.FILER.');
                                         ^  Note the period.

       Also, Chain, like the command line, executes from the PREFIXED 
volume, not the ROOT volume, unless a prefix is given as part of the 
file name.   Hence the "*" in the example above.

      I tried chaining without the dot (just before writing this message, 
so I could be sure I was right), and, as you say, it says "illegal filename".
I added the dot, and all was well.

      A final note, possibly trivial, possibly not.  I also tried doing this 
on the IBM PC with NCI's system IV.1B4h (Sage's is IV.12A)  Under IV.1B4h
I got the message "no such file as *system.filer.CODE".  Obviously the 
algorithm for finding files has been changed.  Who knows what else is 
different.
				
					Good luck

					Alastair Milne,
					Educational Technology Centre,
					University of California, Irvine