10/20/86  modify_list, mdls

Syntax as a command:  mdls path -control_args


Function:  modifies a field or fields in selected lister records.


Arguments:
path
   is the pathname of the lister file.  The suffix lister must be the
   last component of the lister segment name; however, if path does not
   have a suffix of lister, one is assumed.


Control arguments:
-brief_errors, -bfe
   suppresses the warning when no records match the selection
   expression.
-field_name field_name STR, -fn field_name STR
   causes the value of STR to be assigned to the field indicated by
   field_name.  If STR contains spaces, it must be enclosed in quotes.
   This control argument is required and may be given more than once.
-select STR, -sel STR
   specifies those records to be modified.  If this control argument is
   not specified, then all the records are modified.


-string STR, -str STR
   uses STR as a character string with no special interpretation.  This
   is useful for preventing STR from being interpreted as a control
   argument.  It is to be used with the -field_name control argument
   (e.g., "-field_name rating -string -20").
-total, -tt
   displays the number of records modified.


Notes:  The modify_list command sets the "lister" severity indicator.
A severity of 2 is set when the modification is not performed, for some
reason other than no records matching the selection expression, or the
invocation of modify_list terminates abnormally.  A severity of 1 is
set when the selection expression finds no match.  A severity of 0 is
set when at least one record is modified and the command terminates
normally.


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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved