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Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

Title:DECWINDOWS 26-JAN-89 to 29-NOV-90
Notice:See 1639.0 for VMS V5.3 kit; 2043.0 for 5.4 IFT kit
Moderator:STAR::VATNE
Created:Mon Oct 30 1989
Last Modified:Mon Dec 31 1990
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3726
Total number of notes:19516

2784.0. "Adding Application Menu Choices." by RHETT::WEST () Thu May 17 1990 15:44

Hello,

	In the User Manual for VMS DECwindows V5.3 page 7-10 it states
	" for information about adding qualifiers to the commands that 
	  the session manager uses to start applications, see the
	  vms version 5.3 relase notes."

	There is no mention in the vms 5.3 release notes of this type of
	information..

	I work in the Atlanta Customer Support Center, and am currently
	trying to assist a customer with this.  Can someone point
	me to documentation other than what is outlined for 
	" changing comands that start applications" on page 7-9,7-10?

	The customer is trying to do a { create/terminal $dir }
	and have that invoked from the applications menu of the
	Session Manager?
	  ..what happens is the Decterm comes up and goes away.
	If you do what the manual says { create/terminal/detach $dir }
	  ..it ignores the dir command leaving the newly
	created DECterm.
	
	Also does anyone know of a seesion manager notes file?

Raymond West
DTN 343-1777
CSC/AT
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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2784.1right track...wrong train :^)GSRC::WESTHelp stamp out and abolish redundancy !Thu May 17 1990 16:1449
RE:                       <<< Note 2784.0 by RHETT::WEST >>>
                        -< Adding Application Menu Choices. >-

>>	The customer is trying to do a { create/terminal $dir }
>>	and have that invoked from the applications menu of the
>>	Session Manager?
>>	  ..what happens is the Decterm comes up and goes away.
>>	If you do what the manual says { create/terminal/detach $dir }
>>	  ..it ignores the dir command leaving the newly
>>	created DECterm.
	
  The problem I see here is not with the Session Manager but with the
understanding of CREATE/TERMINAL.

  The format is CREATE/TERMINAL [command_string]  where the parameter is
described as:

      command-string
         Specifies a command string that is to be executed in the context
         of the created subprocess. You cannot specify this parameter with
         the /DETACH or /NOPROCESS qualifiers. The CREATE/TERMINAL command
         is used in much the same way as the SPAWN command.
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

  If you try CREATE/TERM $DIR from DCL you will notice that the DECterm window
appears, does the directory command, and then disappears.  This is not a bug
but a feature ;^) of the CREATE/TERM command.

  From what you described you may want to do something like the following:

    Create a com file that contains:

	$ dir
	$ wait 00:00:15

    Then set up the application definition from the Session Manager as:

	CREATE/TERMINAL $@DIR_COM.COM

      Where DIR_COM.COM is the name of the com file you just built.  I believe
    that this is what is desired from what you described.


  And as for the documentation...I don't have any so I'm sorry I can't help you
there.


						-=> Jim <=-

2784.2HANNAH::MESSENGERBob MessengerThu May 17 1990 18:0461
Re: .1

I've already answered .0 in the DECTERM conference, but I'd like to clarify
a couple of things in .1.

>      command-string
>         Specifies a command string that is to be executed in the context
>         of the created subprocess. You cannot specify this parameter with
>         the /DETACH or /NOPROCESS qualifiers. The CREATE/TERMINAL command
>         is used in much the same way as the SPAWN command.
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There's an important difference between CREATE/TERMINAL and SPAWN.  By
default SPAWN waits for the subprocess to terminate before it exits, and you
can use /NOWAIT to tell SPAWN not to wait.  With CREATE/TERMINAL, the
default is /NOWAIT and to make CREATE/TERMINAL wait for the subprocess to
exit you have to use /WAIT.

>  If you try CREATE/TERM $DIR from DCL you will notice that the DECterm window
>appears, does the directory command, and then disappears.  This is not a bug
>but a feature ;^) of the CREATE/TERM command.

In this particular case /WAIT would have been a better default.  In the
cases I was thinking of at the time /NOWAIT seemed like a better default,
but perhaps it was better to make /WAIT the default if only to be more
compatible with the SPAWN command.

>  From what you described you may want to do something like the following:
>
>    Create a com file that contains:
>
>	$ dir
>	$ wait 00:00:15
>
>    Then set up the application definition from the Session Manager as:
>
>	CREATE/TERMINAL $@DIR_COM.COM
>
>      Where DIR_COM.COM is the name of the com file you just built.  I believe
>    that this is what is desired from what you described.

This wouldn't solve the problem, because the process running CREATE/TERMINAL
would exit before the directory was done.  In the DECTERM conference I
suggested setting the application definition to:

	CREATE/TERMINAL/WAIT $DIR

This would display the directory, but the window would disappear as soon as the
directory had been displayed.  It might be better to combine the two ideas:

	CREATE/TERMINAL/WAIT $@DIR_COM.COM

In DIR_COM.COM it might also be better to replace the { wait 00:00:15 } with
{ inquire dummy "Press <Return> when ready" }.

>  And as for the documentation...I don't have any so I'm sorry I can't help you
>there.

I think this is documented in the V5.3 New Features Manual, but eventually
it should be in the DCL Dictionary.  You can also say HELP CREATE/TERMINAL.

				-- Bob
2784.3BUNYIP::QUODLINGConformist with all the clues...Thu May 17 1990 18:465
   create/term spawn
   is also hadny for popping up another window when you need one.
   
   q
   
2784.4thanx...GSRC::WESTHelp stamp out and abolish redundancy !Fri May 18 1990 10:3622
RE:            <<< Note 2784.2 by HANNAH::MESSENGER "Bob Messenger" >>>


>>      command-string
>>         Specifies a command string that is to be executed in the context
>>         of the created subprocess. You cannot specify this parameter with
>>         the /DETACH or /NOPROCESS qualifiers. The CREATE/TERMINAL command
>>         is used in much the same way as the SPAWN command.
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> You can also say HELP CREATE/TERMINAL.

  Thats where I got the above information... :^)

>>In this particular case /WAIT would have been a better default.  In the
>>cases I was thinking of at the time /NOWAIT seemed like a better default,
>>but perhaps it was better to make /WAIT the default if only to be more
>>compatible with the SPAWN command.

  Thanx...I didn't think of that.

						-=> Jim <=-