11/06/89  forum request:  set_message

Syntax:  set_message {-control_args}


Function:
Allows the chairman to set the "chairman's message" (cmsg), which will
be printed the first time a user enters a transaction after entering a
meeting.  It will also be printed the first time a user enters a
meeting after the message has changed.  The message may be up to 256
characters long.


Control arguments:
-fill, -fi
   specifies that the transaction should be filled after the user has
   exited input mode. This is the default, unless the -input_file
   control argument is used or unless the -no_input_fill (-nif) control
   argument was given with the invocation of forum.  The default fill
   width is 72, but the user can specify the fill width via the
   -line_length NN (-ll NN) control argument to the forum command.
-input_file pathname, -if pathname
   specifies that the segment identified by pathname be entered into
   the meeting. The default is to input the message from the terminal.


-no_fill, -nfi
   specifies that the transaction not be filled to the default fill
   width when entered.  The default is to fill the transaction, unless
   the -input_file control argument is specified or the -no_input_fill
   (-nif) control argument was specified when forum was invoked.  The
   fill width defaults to 72, unless specified differently via the
   -line_length NN (-ll NN) control argument was specified when forum
   was invoked.


-no_request_loop, -nrql
   causes the message to be entered into the forum without first
   entering the forum request loop. (Default unless -if given)
-request_loop, -rql
   causes the forum request loop to be entered before the message is
   entered in the meeting. (Default if -if is given)
-terminal_input, -ti
   Specifies that the message be input from the user's terminal.
   (Default)


Terminal input:
Unless the user makes use of the -input_file control argument, the
message will be built by taking lines from the user's terminal.  There
are three methods of exiting from terminal input mode:

   line consisting of the single character period (.)
	Enters the message as is, returns to forum request level.

   \f
	Exits terminal input mode and invokes 'qedx' editor on message.

   \q or \fq
	Exits terminal input mode and enters forum request loop.


Notes:
A message which was not entered via the period (.) exit from terminal
input mode may be entered from forum request level via the 'enter'
request.  Type 'help enter' from forum request level for details.

The chairman's message can be referred to by the transaction specifier
"cmsg".  For more information see the help info for "trans_specs".

An existing chairman's message can be changed by writing it out to a
file, then using that file as input to the "set_message" command:
     forum:  w cmsg -pn foo
     forum:  set_message -if foo.trans
      (edit the unprocessed chairman's message, write, and quit editor)
     forum:  enter


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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