HP OpenVMS Systems

DCL commands and string variables?

» close window

The Question is:

 
Can a DCL command file be used to copy 2 files and give them new names based on
 a combination of the user's input variable value and a constant value
 contained in the script?
 
i.e.
user enters a file name of 20040831 in response to a prompt and the DCL command
 procedure
copies File1.lis and the procedure names the file EFT20040831.LIS
and procedure
copies File2.lis and procedure names the file ABC20040831.LIS
 
I have tried using the  manual's Basic example for STR$CONCAT and can't get
 this to work.
 

The Answer is :

 
  Both BASIC sommands followed by a call to the convert library (the
  callable copy mechanism) or followed by a call to lib$spawn can be
  used from within an application.  (The OpenVMS WIzard will assume
  that one or more BASIC applications are in use here, as the BASIC
  RTL call does not generally involve DCL and DCL commands such as
  COPY -- applications written in BASIC and in DCL will use entirely
  different commands and different syntax, of course.)
 
  Within DCL itself, you would typically use symbols for the specified
  task:
 
    $ READ/PROMPT="Enter value" SYS$COMMAND tag
    $ COPY file1.lis EFT'tag'.lis
    $ COPY file1.lis ABC'tag.lis
 
  The application can also be coded to create the file under other
  names automatically, using either system service or RTL calls
  from directly within the BASIC application, or using DCL lexical
  functions from within the DCL command procedure.  A DCL example follows:
 
    $ usrnam  = F$GetJPI(0,"USERNAME")
    $ prcidx  = F$Fao("!4XW",-
                F$GetSYI("MAXPROCESSCNT")-F$GetJPI("0","PROC_INDEX"))
    $ suffix = F$Edit("''usrnam'_''prcidx'","COLLAPSE,UPCASE")
    $ COPY file1.lis EFT'suffix'.lis
    $ COPY file1.lis ABC'suffix'.lis
 
  Examples of DCL code abound here in Ask The Wizard, as well as in
  various areas referenced by the OpenVMS FAQ, as well as in the
  OpenVMS User's Manual, and in the Digital Press Writing Real
  Programs in DCL book.
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 12-AUG-2004 )
     
» close window