1 01/26/91 forum
2
3 Syntax as a command: forum meeting_name -control_args
4
5
6 Function: The forum command enters the Forum interactive meeting
7 system. Once the command is invoked, you are placed in the Forum
8 subsystem, where you must use Forum requests. Forum requests are
9 listed below under "List of Requests".
10
11
12 Arguments:
13 meeting_name
14 is the name or pathname of the meeting to be entered immediately
15 upon invoking Forum. If a pathname is specified, it identifies the
16 meeting to enter. Otherwise, Forum searches for meeting_name by
17 using the forum search list.
18
19
20 Control arguments:
21 -abbrev, -ab
22 specifies that abbreviation processing should be done by the Forum
23 request processor. If the -profile argument is not given, the
24 user's default profile segment
25 >udd>Project_id>Person_id>Person_id.profile is used.
26 -auto_write
27 specifies that the qedx request automatically updates the message
28 when you quit the editor.
29 -brief, -bf
30 suppresses some messages from Forum and shortens others.
31 -input_fill, -ifi
32 fills transactions before entering them into the proceedings of a
33 meeting.
34 Default
35 -input_line_length N, -ill N
36 causes input filling fill request and default filling to be done
37 with line length N. Default is 72
38
39
40 -line_length N, -ll N
41 causes both input and output filling fill request and default
42 filling to be done with line length N. Default is 72
43 -list trans_spec, -ls trans_spec
44 lists the specified transactions before entering the request loop.
45 If no transaction specifier is given, all the transactions in the
46 meeting are listed.
47 -long, -lg
48 uses long messages from Forum. Default
49 -meeting meeting_name, mtg meeting_name
50 enters the meeting whose entryname or pathname is meeting_name.
51 -no_abbrev, -nab
52 specifies that abbreviation processing is not to be done by the
53 Forum request processor. Default
54 -no_auto_write
55 specifies that the qedx request requires you to use the write
56 request to update the
57 message before quitting the editor. Any attempt to exit without
58 writing results in a query. Default
59
60
61 -no_input_fill, -nif
62 does not fill transactions before entering them into the proceedings
63 of a meeting.
64 -no_output_fill, -nof
65 does not fill transactions before printing them on the user's
66 terminal. Default
67 -no_prompt
68 does not prompt in the request loop.
69 -no_start_up, -nsu
70 does not execute the start_up exec_com.
71 -output_fill, -ofi
72 fills transactions before printing or writing.
73
74
75 -output_line_length N, -oll N
76 causes output filling fill request and default filling to be done
77 with line length N. Default is 72
78 -profile profile_path, -pf profile_path
79 specifies that abbreviation processing is to be done using the
80 profile named profile_path. If this control argument is given, the
81 -abbrev argument need not be given.
82 -prompt prompt_string
83 sets the request loop prompt to prompt_string. Default is
84 "forum:"
85
86
87 -quit
88 tells Forum to process the initial request line and then return
89 without entering the request loop even if the initial request line
90 is aborted.
91 -request string, -rq string
92 executes the requests in string before entering the request loop.
93 -start_up, -su
94 executes the start_up exec_com. Default
95
96
97 -trailer_format TYPE, -tfmt TYPE
98 specifies the format of the trailer line printed by the print
99 and write requests after each transaction. TYPE must be one of:
100
101 none
102 no trailer is printed.
103 number, nb
104 a trailer containing the transaction number is printed.
105 more
106 a trailer containing the transaction number is printed. If there
107 is a subsequent transaction in the same chain, "more" is
108 also printed.
109 references, refs
110 a trailer containing the transaction number and the numbers of
111 the previous and next transaction is printed. Default
112
113
114 Notes on requests:
115 Request lines use for iteration, "" for quoting, and to
116 invoke Forum active requests listed below under "List of Active
117 Requests".
118
119
120 Any request line that begins with ".." is passed directly to the
121 Multics command processor with the leading ".." stripped off.
122 Consequently, any reference to an active function is evaluated by the
123 Multics command processor. The "execute" e forum request can also
124 make use of active strings via the square brackets , but these are
125 evaluated as active requests by Forum before the command line is passed
126 to the Multics command processor.
127
128
129 Notes on start_up: If the -no_start_up control argument is not given,
130 forum will search for and execute an exec_com file of forum requests.
131 It will look for a segment named "start_up.fmec" in the home directory,
132 project directory, and >site in that order. The start_up will be
133 executed before going to the initial meeting and before executing the
134 initial request line.
135
136
137 Notes on filling:
138 Transactions can be filled out to a given line length on both
139 input and output. By default, all transactions input from the terminal
140 are filled to a line length of 72 upon entry. The -input_fill -if
141 and -no_output_fill -nof control arguments are the default. These
142 control arguments specify a global attribute for the invocation of
143 Forum, which can be overridden by control arguments associated with the
144 various requests for inputting and outputting transactions such as the
145 -no_fill control argument to the "print" request. The -input_fill and
146 -no_input_fill control arguments do not affect transactions entered
147 using the -input_file control argument to the talk and reply requests.
148 The fill width can be altered by control arguments to the forum command
149 -line_length -input_line_length and -output_line_length and by the
150 -line_length control argument to the forum requests that fill
151 transactions.
152
153
154 List of requests:
155 Listed below are the available requests that you can use once you
156 are in the Forum subsystem.
157
158 ?
159 lists the available forum requests and active requests.
160 .
161 identifies Forum with version number; gives meeting_name if
162 attending; gives count of new, total, last, and current
163 transactions; and gives number of lines in the unprocessed
164 transaction.
165 abbrev -control_args, ab -control_args
166 turns abbreviation processing on or off and changes profile
167 segments.
168 add_meeting
169 adds a meeting to the list of meetings attended. Makes the user a
170 participant of the meeting.
171
172
173 add_participant NAME -control_arg, apt NAME -control_args
174 allows a user to participate in the meeting. A chairman request
175 only.
176 add_project NAME -control_arg, apj NAME -control_args
177 allows a project to participate in the meeting. A chairman request
178 only.
179 announce_meeting
180 places an announcement of the current meeting in another meeting.
181 This announcement can be used with the add_meeting request by other
182 users to add this meeting to their search list.
183 announcement_info
184 extracts information from a meeting announcement produced by the
185 announce_meeting request.
186
187
188 answer STR -control_args request_line
189 supplies an answer to a question asked by a request. STR is the
190 desired answer to the question and request_line is the Forum request
191 line.
192 apply command_line, ap command_line
193 places the unprocessed transaction into a temporary segment,
194 concatenates command_line with the pathname, and passes the result
195 to the Multics command processor. The temporary segment is then
196 read back in as the unprocessed transaction.
197
198
199 chairman meeting_name, cm meeting_name
200 prints the User_id Person_id.Project_id of the meeting's chairman.
201 check_meetings
202 establishes a list of meetings to be flagged when changed. The
203 meeting can be successively viewed with the next_meeting nm
204 request.
205 current_meeting -control_args, cmtg -control_args
206 prints the name of the current meeting.
207 delete trans_specs, dl trans_specs
208 allows the chairman to delete specified transactions from the
209 proceedings.
210 do request_line args, do -control_args
211 substitutes args into the request_line and passes the result to the
212 Forum request processor. Control arguments can be -nogo to suppress
213 execution or -long -lg to display expanded line before execution.
214
215
216 enter -control_args, en -control_args, send -control_args
217 enters the unprocessed transaction into the proceedings of a
218 meeting.
219 exec_com PATH STRs, ec PATH STRs
220 executes an exec_com segment containing forum requests where PATH is
221 the pathname of the exec_com segment the ".fmec" suffix is assumed
222 and STRs are arguments to be passed to the program.
223 execute STRs, e STRs
224 executes STRs as a Multics command line after evaluating Forum
225 active requests. As an active request, returns the result of
226 evaluating strings as an Multics active string.
227 fill -control_args, fi -control_args
228 reformats transaction text to fit in a given line length.
229 forum_dir, fd
230 prints the pathname of the central forum directory.
231
232
233 goto meeting_name, g meeting_name
234 enters the user into the meeting_name meeting.
235 help STR
236 prints information about request names or topics. A list of
237 available topics is produced by the list_help request.
238 if EXPR -then LINE1 -else LINE2
239 conditionally executes one of two request lines depending on the
240 value of an active string. EXPR is the active string that must
241 evaluate to either "true" or "false". LINE1 is the Forum request
242 line to execute if EXPR evaluates to "true". LINE2 is the Forum
243 request line to execute if EXPR evaluates to "false".
244 list trans_specs -control_args, ls trans_specs -control_args
245 prints a summary of the specified transactions.
246 list_help topics, lh topics
247 prints a list of available info segments whose names include a topic
248 string.
249
250
251 list_meetings meeting_names -control_args , lsm meeting_names
252 -control_args
253 prints a list of selected meetings and information about them.
254 list_requests -control_args, lr -control_args
255 prints information about forum requests.
256 list_users -control_args, lsu -control_args
257 prints information about specified participants in a meeting.
258 mail
259 sends a transaction or set of transactions to other users, mailing
260 lists, or forum meetings using the Multics mail system.
261 make_public, mp
262 allows all users on the system access to the meeting. A chairman
263 request only.
264
265
266 next_meeting
267 changes the current meeting to the next meeting in the list of
268 changed meetings established by the check_meetings request.
269 print trans_specs -control_args, pr trans_specs -control_args
270 prints selected transactions from a meeting.
271 qedx, qx
272 invokes the qedx editor on the unprocessed transaction.
273 quit -control_arg, q -control_arg
274 exits Forum.
275 rechain
276 modifies a transaction chaining information.
277 remove_meeting
278 removes meetings to the user's forum search list by deleting links
279 to them from the directory >udd>Project>Person>meetings.
280 remove_participant NAME, rpt NAME
281 denies the user permission to participate in the meeting. A
282 chairman request only.
283
284
285 remove_project NAME, rpj NAME
286 denies users on a project permission to participate in the meeting.
287 A chairman request only.
288 reply trans_spec -control_args, rp trans_spec -control_args
289 enters/builds a new transaction in a meeting that has as its subject
290 a reference to some other transaction in the form "Re: <some other
291 subject>", and which will be logically linked to the transaction
292 specified by trans_spec.
293 reset trans_spec -control_args, rs trans_spec -control_args
294 resets the user's current or highest-seen transaction index to the
295 specified transaction. The highest transaction seen is only maintained
296 for pre-MR11 version meetings.
297 retrieve trans_specs, rt trans_specs
298 retrieves specified transactions that were previously deleted with
299 the "delete" request. Only the chairman or the author of the
300 deleted transaction can use this request.
301
302
303 set_message -control_args
304 sets a greeting message for the meeting. The default action puts
305 the user into input mode to specify the message. A chairman
306 request only.
307 subject strings, sj strings
308 prints or modifies the subject of an unprocessed transaction. If
309 strings are supplied, they are catenated together to become the new
310 subject. If no strings are supplied, the current subject is
311 printed.
312 subsystem_name
313 prints the name of the subsystem "forum".
314 subsystem_version
315 prints the current version of Forum.
316
317
318 switch_off switch -control_args, swf switch -control_args
319 turns off various Forum switches. Switches are:
320
321 adjourned, adj
322 meeting_eligibility_messages, mtg_emsg
323 notify, nt
324 participating, part
325
326 switch_on switch -control_args, swn switch -control_args
327 turns on various Forum switches. Switches are:
328
329 adjourned, adj
330 meeting_eligibility_messages, mtg_emsg
331 notify, nt
332 participating, part
333
334
335 talk -control_args
336 enters/builds a new transaction in a meeting.
337 ted
338 invokes the ted editor on the unprocessed transaction.
339 unchain
340 removes a transaction from its transaction chain.
341 unmake_public, ump
342 allows only users granted explicit permission to participate in the
343 meeting. A chairman request only.
344 write trans_specs -control_args, w trans_specs -control_args
345 writes selected transactions to a segment.
346
347
348 List of active requests:
349 chairman meeting_name, cm meeting_name
350 returns the Person_id.Project_id of meeting chairman.
351 current_meeting -control_args, cmtg -control_args
352 returns the name of the current meeting.
353 do request_string args
354 returns expanded request string.
355 exec_com PATH STRs, ec PATH STRs
356 executes an exec_com segment containing forum requests.
357 execute STRs, e STRs
358 invokes Multics active function within forum request line.
359 forum_dir, fd
360 returns absolute pathname of central forum directory.
361
362
363 if EXPR -then STR1 -else STR2
364 returns one of two character strings to the Forum request processor
365 depending on the value of EXPR. EXPR is the active string that must
366 evaluate to either "true" or "false". STR1 is returned if EXPR
367 evaluates to "true". STR2 is returned if EXPR evaluates to "false".
368 list_meetings -control_args, lsm -control_args
369 returns names of meetings that have new transactions.
370 list_users -control_args, lsu -control_args
371 return names of participants matching given conditions.
372 next_meeting
373 returns the name of the next meeting in the list of changed meetings
374 established by the check_meetings request.
375
376
377 subject, sj
378 returns the subject of an unprocessed transaction.
379 subsystem_name
380 returns the name of the subsystem "forum".
381 subsystem_version
382 returns the current version of Forum.
383
384
385 Transaction specifiers: Transaction specifiers identify transactions.
386 They are used as arguments to the forum requests that act on
387 transactions. In addition, there are several requests and active
388 requests that return information about transaction numbers.
389
390
391 Notes on search list: The forum command uses the "forum" search path.
392 For more information about search paths, see the descriptions of the
393 search facility commands in the Commands manual.