TACL Reference Manual

Built-In Functions and Variables
HP NonStop TACL Reference Manual—429513-018
9-112
#DELTA Built-In Function
About #DELTA Commands
Most #DELTA commands are one or two characters long; #DELTA allows you to enter
as many commands as you want in a command string. The RETURN character can be
a part of a command or a separator between commands. Commands can be
separated by many spaces or no spaces. Because most of the #DELTA commands
are only one character long, spaces are important to writing legible command strings.
Many commands require one or two values to indicate the range of the text that is
affected by the command. #DELTA uses a postfix notation; that is, you enter the
operands (the information on which #DELTA operates) before entering the command.
Some commands return values; you can use the returned values from one command
as input values for the next command.
The RETURN character can be part of a #DELTA command string, so it is not used as
a command-line terminator; instead, you use CTRL-y to end a command line.
Whenever you type CTRL-y, #DELTA responds with EOF!.
These rules apply only to the interactive use of CTRL-y:
•
Use CTRL-y to end command strings.
•
You must use CTRL-y at a #DELTA n> prompt. If you use CTRL-y anywhere else
in a command line, the commands on the line containing the CTRL-y are lost.
•
If you use CTRL-y when there is no command string, #DELTA exits and returns the
contents of the buffer as the result of the #DELTA function.
In the examples that will be given, CTRL-y is not shown (it does not appear on your
terminal). However, because the system responds to a CTRL-y with EOF!, wherever
you see EOF! in an example you can assume that CTRL-y was entered at that point.
For example:
6> #DELTA This is a test string
#DELTA 7> ht
#DELTA 7> EOF!
This is a test string
#DELTA 8> ht EOF!
#DELTA This is a test string expanded to:
This is a test string
8> !6
8> DELTA This is a test string
#DELTA 9> v
#DELTA 9> EOF!
This is a test string(.)
#DELTA 10> EOF!
#DELTA This is a test string expanded to:
This is a test string