message(1F)       MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES        message(1F)



NAME
     message - puts its arguments on FMLI message line

SYNOPSIS
     message [-t] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]
     message [-f] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]
     message [-p] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]

DESCRIPTION
     The message command puts string  out  on  the  FMLI  message
     line.   If  there  is  no string, the stdin input to message
     will be used.  The output of message has a duration  (length
     of  time it remains on the message line).  The default dura-
     tion is "transient": it or one of two other durations can be
     requested with the following mutually-exclusive options:

     -t      explicitly defines a message to have transient dura-
             tion.  Transient messages remain on the message line
             only  until  the  user  presses  another  key  or  a
             CHECKWORLD   occurs.    The   descriptors   itemmsg,
             fieldmsg,  invalidmsg,  choicemsg,  the  default-if-
             not-defined value of oninterrupt, and FMLI generated
             error messages (i.e., from syntax errors) also  out-
             put transient duration messages.  Transient messages
             take precedence over both frame  messages  and  per-
             manent messages.

     -f      defines a message to have "frame"  duration.   Frame
             messages  remain  on the message line as long as the
             frame in which they are  defined  is  current.   The
             descriptor  framemsg  also  outputs a frame duration
             message.  Frame messages take precedence  over  per-
             manent messages.

     -p      defines a  message  to  have  "permanent"  duration.
             Permanent  messages  remain  on the message line for
             the length of the FMLI  session,  unless  explicitly
             replaced by another permanent message or temporarily
             superceded by a transient message or frame  message.
             A  permanent  message  is not affected by navigating
             away from, or by closing, the frame which  generated
             the  permanent message.  The descriptor permanentmsg
             also outputs a permanent duration message.

     Messages displayed with message -p will replace (change  the
     value  of) any message currently displayed or stored via use
     of the permanentmsg descriptor.  Likewise, message  -f  will
     replace any message currently displayed or stored via use of
     the framemsg descriptor.  If more  than  one  message  in  a
     frame  definition  file is specified with the -p option, the
     last one specified will be the permanent duration message.




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message(1F)       MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES        message(1F)



     The string argument should  always  be  the  last  argument.
     Other options available with message are the following:

     -b [num]
           rings the terminal bell num times,  where  num  is  an
           integer from 1 to 10.  The default value is 1.  If the
           terminal has no bell, the screen will flash num  times
           instead, if possible.

     -o    forces message to duplicate its message to stdout.

     -w    turns on the working indicator.

EXAMPLES
     When a value entered in a field is invalid, ring the bell  3
     times  and  then  display  Invalid Entry: Try again!  on the
     message line:

          invalidmsg=`message -b 3 "Invalid Entry: Try again!"`

     Display a message that tells the user what is being done:

          done=`message EDITOR has been set in your  environment`
          close

     Display a message on the message line and  stdout  for  each
     field in a form (a pseudo-"field duration" message).

          fieldmsg="`message -o -f "Enter a filename."`"

     Display a blank transient message (effect is to  "remove"  a
     permanent or frame duration message).

          done=`message  ""` nop

NOTES
     If message is coded more than once on a single line, it  may
     appear  that only the right-most instance is interpreted and
     displayed.  Use sleep(1) between uses  of  message  in  this
     case, to display multiple messages.

     message -f should not be used in  a  stand-alone  backquoted
     expression  or with the init descriptor because the frame is
     not yet current when these are evaluated.

     In cases where `message -f "string"` is  part  of  a  stand-
     alone  backquoted  expession,  the context for evaluation of
     the expression is the previously current frame.  The  previ-
     ously  current  frame  can be the frame that issued the open
     command for the frame containing the backquoted  expression,
     or  it  can  be  a  frame given as an argument when fmli was
     invoked.  That is, the previously current frame is  the  one



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     whose frame message will be modified.

     Permanent duration messages  are  displayed  when  the  user
     navigates to the command line.

SEE ALSO
     sleep(1) in the UNIX System V Programmer's Reference Manual.
















































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