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HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation
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HP OpenVMS DCL Dictionary
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F$MODE

Returns a character string showing the mode in which a process is executing. The F$MODE function has no arguments, but must be followed by parentheses.

Format

F$MODE()

Return Value


The character string INTERACTIVE for interactive processes. If the process is noninteractive, the character string BATCH, NETWORK, or OTHER is returned. Note that the return string always contains uppercase letters.

Arguments

None.

Description

The lexical function F$MODE returns a character string showing the mode in which a process is executing. The F$MODE function has no arguments, but must be followed by parentheses.

The F$MODE function is useful in command procedures that must operate differently when executed interactively and noninteractively. You should include either the F$MODE function or the F$ENVIRONMENT function in your login command file to execute different commands for interactive terminal sessions and noninteractive sessions.

If you do not include the F$MODE function to test whether your login command file is being executed from an interactive process, and the login command file is executed from a noninteractive process (such as a batch job), the process may terminate if the login command file contains commands that are appropriate only for interactive processing.

A command procedure can use the F$MODE function to test whether the procedure is being executed during an interactive terminal session. It can direct the flow of execution according to the results of this test.

Example


$ IF F$MODE() .NES. "INTERACTIVE" THEN GOTO NON_INT_DEF 
$ INTDEF:         ! Commands for interactive terminal sessions 
   .
   .
   .
$ EXIT 
$ NON_INT_DEF:         !Commands for noninteractive processes 
   .
   .
   .

This example shows the beginning of a login.com file that has two sets of initialization commands: one for interactive mode and one for noninteractive mode (including batch and network jobs). The IF command compares the character string returned by F$MODE with the character string INTERACTIVE; if they are not equal, control branches to the label NON_INT_DEF. If the character strings are equal, the statements following the label INTDEF are executed and the procedure exits before the statements at NON_INT_DEF.

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