HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation

HP OpenVMS DCL Dictionary

Displays the value of the specified symbol.

Format

SHOW SYMBOL [symbol-name]

Parameter

symbol-name

Specifies the name of the symbol whose value you want to display. You must specify a symbol name unless you use the /ALL qualifier. The asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters are allowed in the symbol-name parameter.

Note When you specify a wildcard character, the command searches only the local symbol table of the current command level and the global symbol table (as if you had specified /LOCAL/GLOBAL). You can search symbol tables of preceding command levels by symbol name, but not by wildcard.

Description

The SHOW SYMBOL command searches for the specified symbol name in several places. First, it looks in the local symbol table of the current command level. Next, it searches the local symbol tables of preceding command levels (unless a wildcard was specified). Last, it searches the global symbol table. The SHOW SYMBOL command displays the first match it finds.

The /LOCAL and /GLOBAL qualifiers override the search order.

Qualifiers

/ALL

Displays the current values of all symbols in the specified symbol table (/LOCAL or /GLOBAL). If you specify the /ALL qualifier and do not specify either the /LOCAL or the /GLOBAL qualifier, the SHOW SYMBOL command displays the contents of the local symbol table for the current command level.

/GLOBAL

Searches only the global symbol table for the specified symbol name. If you specify both the /ALL and /GLOBAL qualifiers, all names in the global symbol table are displayed.

/LOCAL

Searches only the local symbol table for the current command level for the specified symbol name. If you specify both the /ALL and /LOCAL qualifiers, all names in the local symbol table for the current command level are displayed.

/LOG (default)

/NOLOG

Controls whether the system generates an informational message if the symbol value has been truncated. The value is truncated if it exceeds 255 characters.

Examples

$ SHOW SYMBOL PURGE
  PURGE = "PURGE/KEEP=2"
      

The SHOW SYMBOL command in this example displays the current value of the symbol name PURGE. The command interpreter first searches the local symbol table for the current command level, then local symbol tables for preceding command levels, and finally the global symbol table. The single equal sign (=) following PURGE means it is a local symbol.

$ SHOW SYMBOL/GLOBAL/ALL
  TIME == "SHOW TIME"
  LOG == "@LOG"
  $RESTART == "FALSE"
  $SEVERITY == "1"
  $STATUS == "%X00000001"
      

The SHOW SYMBOL command in this example displays all the symbols defined in the global symbol table. Note that the symbols $RESTART, $SEVERITY, and $STATUS, which are maintained by the system, are also displayed.

$ SHOW SYMBOL/LOCAL TIME
%DCL-W-UNDSYM, undefined symbol
      

The SHOW SYMBOL command in this example searches only the local symbol table for the symbol TIME. The response indicates that TIME currently has no value.