message(1fmli)
message --
put arguments on FMLI message line
Synopsis
message [-t] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]
message [-f] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]
message [-p] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]
Description
The message command puts string out
on the FMLI message line.
If there is no string,
the stdin input to message will be used.
The output of message has a duration (length of time
it remains on the message line).
The default duration is ``transient'': it or one of two other durations can
be requested with the following mutually-exclusive options:
-t-
explicitly defines a message to have transient duration.
Transient messages remain on the message line only until the user
presses another key or a CHECKWORLD occurs.
The descriptors
itemmsg,
fieldmsg,
invalidmsg,
choicemsg,
the default-if-not-defined value of
oninterrupt,
and FMLI generated error messages (for example, from syntax errors)
also output transient duration messages.
Transient messages take precedence over both frame messages and permanent messages.
-f-
defines a message to have ``frame'' duration.
Frame messages remain on the message line as long as
the frame in which they are defined is current.
The descriptor
framemsg
also outputs a frame duration message.
Frame messages take precedence over permanent messages.
-p-
defines a message to have ``permanent'' duration.
Permanent messages remain on the message line for the
length of the FMLI session, unless explicitly replaced by another
permanent message or temporarily superseded by a transient message
or frame message.
A permanent message is not affected by navigating
away from, or by closing, the frame which generated the permanent message.
The descriptor
permanentmsg
also outputs a permanent duration message.
Messages displayed with message -p
will replace (change the value of) any message
currently displayed or stored via use of the
permanentmsg
descriptor.
Likewise, message -f
will replace any message
currently displayed or stored via use of the
framemsg
descriptor.
If more than one message in a frame definition file is specified with the -p
option, the last one specified will be the permanent duration message.
The string argument should always be the last argument.
Other options available with message are the following:
-b [num]-
rings the terminal bell num times,
where num is an integer from 1 to 10.
The default value is 1.
If the terminal has no bell,
the screen will flash num times instead, if possible.
-o-
forces message
to duplicate its message to stdout.
-w-
turns on the working indicator.
Examples
When a value entered in a field is invalid,
ring the bell 3 times and then
display Invalid Entry: Try again!
on the message line:
invalidmsg=`message -b 3 "Invalid Entry: Try again!"`
Display a message that tells the user what is being done:
done=`message EDITOR has been set in your environment` close
Display a message on the message line and stdout for each
field in a form (a pseudo-"field duration" message).
fieldmsg="`message -o -f "Enter a filename."`"
Display a blank transient message (effect is to ``remove'' a permanent
or frame duration message).
done=`message ""` nop
Notices
If message is coded more than once on a single line,
it may appear that only the right-most instance is interpreted and displayed.
Use
sleep(1)
between uses of message in this case, to display
multiple messages.
message -f should not be used in a stand-alone backquoted expression
or with the init descriptor because the frame is not yet current
when these are evaluated.
In cases where `message -f "string"` is part of a
stand-alone backquoted expression,
the context for evaluation of the expression is the previously
current frame.
The previously current frame can be the frame that issued the
open command for the frame containing the backquoted
expression, or it can be a frame given as an argument when fmli
was invoked.
That is, the previously current frame is the one whose
frame message will be modified.
Permanent duration messages are displayed when the user navigates
to the command line.
References
sleep(1)
© 2004 The SCO Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
UnixWare 7 Release 7.1.4 - 25 April 2004