09/30/85 process_list, pls Syntax as a command: pls list_path {form_path} {-control_args} Function: produces a document from all or selected records in a lister file. The format of the document is defined in a listform file (see listform_segment.gi). You can print the document on your terminal or save it in a segment. Arguments: list_path is the pathname of the lister file to be processed. The suffix lister must be the last component of the lister file name; if you don't give it, it is assumed. form_path is the pathname of the listform file that defines the format of the document. If it does not have the suffix listform, one is assumed. If you don't give it, the listform file in your working directory that has the same entryname as list_path is used, with the suffix lister changed to listform. You can use the archive component convention. Control arguments: -arguments STR, -ag STR indicates that the listform segment requires arguments. If present, follow it by at least one argument. All arguments following it on the command line are taken as arguments to the listform segment; thus, make it the last control argument on the command line. -brief_errors, -bfe suppresses warnings about missing or extra arguments for -arguments or when you select no records. -extend, -ex specifies that the document produced by pls be appended to the segment indicated by path (also give -of). (Default: to replace path completely) -output_file {path}, -of {path} specifies that the document produced by pls be saved in the segment given by path. If you don't supply path, the output segment is placed in your working directory with the same entryname as form_path and the suffix listform changed to list. -select STR, -sel STR specifies the records selected for processing. If you don't provide it, all records in the list are processed (see "Notes on selection expressions" below). -sort "STR", -st "STR" sorts the records processed according to STR (in quotes). Sorting is in effect only for the duration of the command. The lister file is not modified. If you don't use -sort, records are processed in the current order in the lister file (see sort_list.info). -totals, -tt displays the number of records processed. Notes on selection expressions: The selection feature enables any of the list processing commands copy_list, describe_list, display_list, modify_list, process_list, and trim_list to select from a lister file only the records it will act on. The command, using -select, specifies requirements for desired fields. If a record meets the requirements, it is processed; otherwise it is skipped. The -select control argument always takes a character string (STR) argument. Surround STR with quotation marks. Each record in the specified lister file is tested to determine whether or not it fulfills the selection criteria. Those that do are processed. This control argument consists of one or more field comparisons. A field comparison involves comparing a test string with the value of the specified field in the current record. The field comparison statement always consists of three parts: "field_name comparison_operator test_string" where field_name is the name of a field contained in the lister file. You can use the reserved field names ":any" to specify any field in the record and ":uid" to specify the unique identifier of a record. (See below.) comparison_operator specifies what comparison is performed. The opposite comparison is performed if you precede the comparison operator by "not." The list processing comparison operators are: begin(s) field value begins with the test string. The comparison is made regardless of case. contain(s) test string is contained in the field value. The comparison is made regardless of case. end(s) field value ends with the test string. The comparison is made regardless of case. equal(s) test string is equal to the field value. Uppercase and lowercase letters are distinct with this operator. greater field value is alphabetically greater than the test string (e.g., 0123456789Aa...Zz). less field value is alphabetically less than the test string. nequal(s) field value string is numerically equal to the numeric value of test string. ngreater field value string is numerically greater than the test string. nless field value string is numerically less than the test string. test_string is the string that is compared to the field value string. The special test string ":null" is used to verify whether or not the field is null (i.e., missing from the current record) and the special test string ":numeric" to test whether or not the field value string is numeric (i.e., can be converted to a number). You can only use them with the equal or nequal comparison operators. Null fields are always nonnumeric. (See below.) You can specify several field comparisons with -select. Field comparisons are combined by the logical operators "and," "or," or "not." With no parentheses the prefix "not" operator is evaluated first, then the infix "and" operator, then the infix "or" operator. You can use parentheses to specify the exact order of evaluation. These rules are similar to the PL/I ones for Boolean expressions. The comparison operators (not) begin, (not) contain, (not) end, (not) greater, (not) less, (not) ngreater, and (not) nless ignore records that have null fields. Unless you use ":null", (not) equal and (not) nequal also ignore records with null fields. For lists of field names and test strings, see listin_segment.gi and listform_segment.gi; for examples of the use of -select, see the Multics WORDPRO Reference Manual (AZ98). Notes on severity: pls sets the "lister" severity indicator. Severity 2 is set when the document is not produced due to some failure other than no match on the selection expression or if the pls invocation terminates abnormally. Severity 1 is set when the document is not produced due to no match on the selection expression. Severity 0 is set when the program terminates normally and the document is produced. ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. . ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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