TACL Reference Manual

Built-In Functions and Variables
HP NonStop TACL Reference Manual—429513-018
9-275
#OUTFORMAT Built-In Variable
#OUTFORMAT Built-In Variable
Use #OUTFORMAT to set or obtain the current formatting mode for the TACL OUT
file.
Result
#OUTFORMAT returns the current #OUTPUT formatting mode: PLAIN, PRETTY, or
TACL.
Considerations
•
When you first log on, #OUTFORMAT is initialized to PLAIN.
•
To set or obtain the current formatting mode for the TACL IN file, use the
#INFORMAT built-in variable.
•
When #OUTFORMAT is set to TACL, metacharacters that are stored as plain
characters on input (such as {, }, ==, [, ], and |) are preceded with a tilde on output.
•
Use #PUSH #OUTFORMAT (or PUSH #OUTFORMAT) to save a copy of the
current #OUTPUT formatting mode.
•
Use #POP #OUTFORMAT (or POP #OUTFORMAT) to restore the last #OUTPUT
formatting mode pushed.
•
Use #SET #OUTFORMAT (or SET VARIABLE #OUTFORMAT) to set the way
special internal notations are printed by #OUTPUT and by the prompt part of
#INPUT.
The syntax of #SET #OUTFORMAT is:
PLAIN
specifies that TACL should not translate any characters written to the OUT file.
Because internal representations include nonprinting characters, displaying TACL
program data in PLAIN mode can produce illegible output, depending on how your
device interprets nonprinting characters.
PRETTY
causes TACL to display the internal representations of square brackets and
vertical lines, as well as the actual characters, as brackets and vertical lines. The
tilde and underscore combination (~_) produces an ordinary space. You can use
#OUTFORMAT
#SET #OUTFORMAT { PLAIN | PRETTY | TACL }