4.3BSD/usr/contrib/apl/doc/syscom

.LP
The following is a complete list
of \*a system commands.
.IP ")clear" 14
This command is used to completely
initialize an \*a
workspace.
Usually when \*a is
started,
it will print:
``clear ws''.
This means that
no internal variables
or functions are defined.
Sometimes,
it is desirable to completely
erase everything,
and this command serves that purpose.
To let you know that everything
has been erased,
\*a will output the message
``clear ws''.
.IP ")code fn" 14
This command causes \*a to print the
compiled internal code for the function
``fn''.
This is intended for \*a system development
and not for general use.
.IP ")continue" 14
``)continue'' is a combination
of the ``)save'' and ``)off'' commands
(see below).
The internal workspace is saved in
a file named ``continue'',
and then \*a is terminated.
Since \*a will by default look
for the file ``continue'' in the current
directory when it is next run,
this provides a convenient method
of suspending and resuming an \*a session.
.IP ")copy xxx" 14
This command instructs \*a
to locate the \*u file ``xxx''
and load it into its internal
workspace, similar to the
``)load'' command
(see below).
The difference between
``)load'' and ``)copy''
is that ``)load'' will replace
the current internal workspace
with the one being read in,
while ``)copy'' merges the
current internal workspace with
the one being read in.
Functions and variables which
are loaded from the file
take precedence over functions
and variables of the same name
existing already in the internal
workspace.
.IP ")digits n" 14
This command is used to specify
to \*a how many digits
are to be displayed when
a number is printed in
floating-point
or exponential format.
By default,
\*a will print 9 digits.
You may specify any number
between 1 and 19 for the
number of digits (n).
\*a will respond with
the number of digits it
was using.
.IP ")debug" 14
This command invokes ``debug mode.''
In this mode,
every action which \*a takes is logged on
the terminal.
This mode is excellent for generating
reams of hopelessly cryptic output and
exists only to facilitate \*a development.
It is not intended for general use.
Debug mode can be turned off by issuing
the ``)debug'' system command a second time.
.IP ")drop list" 14
This command performs the same
function as ``rm'' in \*u.
The names of the files to be
deleted should be separated by
spaces or tabs.
The files may be
\*a workspaces,
ASCII files,
or any other type of \*u file.
.IP ")editf xxx" 14
This command is used to
create and edit functions.
If the function named ``xxx''
exists in the workspace,
\*a will write it into a
temporary \*u file
and then will execute the
\*u editor
on that file.
When you have finished
editing the file,
and you exit the editor,
\*a will come back
and will read the function
from the temporary file.
.IP ")edit xxx" 14
This command is similar to
``)editf'' except that ``xxx''
is a \*u filename.
\*a will execute the editor
to edit the \*u file named
``xxx'',
and when the editing is complete,
\*a will read that file into the workspace.
The difference between ``)edit'' and ``)editf''
is that ``)editf'' essentially edits
functions directly from the workspace,
while ``)edit'' gets the functions from
the \*u directory.
.IP ")erase list" 14
This command is handy when it
is desirable to get rid of parts
of a workspace without using
``)clear'' to eliminate all of it.
A list of function and variable
names
(separated by spaces or tabs)
may be specified.
The named functions and variables
will be deleted from the internal
workspace.
The remainder of the workspace will
not be affected.
.IP ")fns" 14
This command causes \*a
to list the names of all
of the functions which are
defined in its internal workspace.
.IP ")lib" 14
This command is similar to the
``ls'' command in \*u.
It causes \*a to list the names
of all of the \*u files in
the current directory.
.IP ")list xxx" 14
This command causes \*a to print out
the function named ``xxxx''.
This is very handy for looking
at a function without having to
use the editor \(em
especially when an error has
occurred and you wish to look at
a function without disturbing the
state indicator.
.IP ")load xxx" 14
This command is used to instruct
\*a to load the \*u file
``xxx'' as a workspace.
After the file is loaded,
\*a's internal workspace will
be the same as it was when the
workspace file was saved with ``)save'',
and that previous \*a session may be resumed.
If the workspace file
exists and is successfully
loaded,
\*a will print the time
and date that the workspace
was last saved.
.IP ")off" 14
This command 
terminates the \*a session.
The \*u command program
will come back and print its
prompt
(``$ '' or ``% '').
.IP ")origin n" 14
This command is used to change
the ``origin''.
By default, the origin is 1.
The ``origin'' is the
starting index for arrays.
For example,
if the origin is 0,
then the first element of
a 3-element array A is
A[0].
If the origin is 5,
the first element will be
A[5].
Although standard \*a permits
only 0 or 1 for the origin,
\*u \*a allows any
integer value.
\*a will answer with
the origin it was using.
.IP ")prws" 14
This command causes \*a
to print the contents of the workspace
in a readable format.
Non-scalar variables are displayed along
with their dimensions;
functions are displayed as via the ``)list''
system command.
.IP ")read xxx" 14
At times it is desirable
to read a function which
is stored in an ASCII file
into the internal workspace.
The ``)read'' command causes
\*a to read the \*u file
named ``xxx'' into the workspace
as a function.
Note that ``)read'' and ``)load''
(see above)
are
.I not
the same thing.
``)load'' reads a complete new workspace
into \*a from a workspace-format file,
while ``)read'' reads a function
from an ASCII file
and adds it to the current workspace.
.IP ")reset" 14
This command is used to reset the
state indicator.
All suspended functions are reset;
the state indicator will be cleared.
APL returns to the global level.
.IP ")save xxx" 14
This command causes \*a to write
its internal workspace into a
\*u file.
This allows the current session
to be resumed at a later time.
If the save is successful,
\*a will output the date and time.
.IP ")script xxx" 14
This command places \*a
into a ``protocol'' mode.
Following this command,
\*a will copy all input
from the terminal and
output to the terminal
to the file ``xxx''.
Thus,
``xxx'' is a complete
transcript of the \*a session.
To turn off the script file,
type ``)script off''.
The protocol file which is
produced will contain all of
the output produced by \*a itself,
but will,
unfortunately,
not contain any output
produced by another
process
(such as the editor).
.IP ")shell" 14
This command is useful when it is desired
to return to \*u temporarily without
having to save the current internal workspace,
exit \*a,
and later re-enter \*a and reload the workspace.
``)shell'' causes \*a to execute
the \*u ``shell'' program
(command interpreter).
When you have finished with the
shell,
logout and you will be returned to \*a.
.IP ")si" 14
This command is useful when something
goes wrong.
When an error occurs,
the function that was executing is
``suspended''.
The ``)si'' command causes \*a to
print a traceback of the
suspended functions.
Each function is listed,
in the reverse order that it was called.
The current line number for each function
is also printed.
Functions followed by an asterisk (``*'')
were suspended due to an error;
these were called by functions listed
on the following lines whose names
are not followed by an asterisk.
.IP ")trace" 14
This command
turns on \*a's internal ``trace'' mode.
When tracing is turned on,
\*a will report the function name
and line number of each
line in every function executed.
Thus,
the flow of execution from the
start to the end of a run can be
followed.
.IP ")untrace" 14
This command turns off ``trace'' mode.
.IP ")vars" 14
This command causes \*a
to list the names of all
of the variables which are
defined in its internal workspace.
.IP ")vsave xxx" 14
This command allows parts of
a workspace to be saved.
The functions and variables
which are specified will be
saved in a \*u file in the same
format as produced by ``)save''
(see above).
\*a will prompt for the
names of the functions and variables
to be saved.
When you have entered the
last name,
type a blank line to end the save
operation.
The workspace you have created
with ``)vsave'' may be loaded with
``)load'' at some later time.
``)vsave'' does not affect
variables in the internal workspace.
.IP ")width n" 14
This command tells \*a to print
n characters per line.
This is useful to keep output from
being printed outside of the physical
terminal width.
Lines longer than this length will be
``wrapped-around''.
\*a will respond with
the previous terminal width.
.IP ")write xxx" 14
This command is the complement of
``)read'' (see above).
It takes the function ``xxx''
from the current workspace and
writes it to an ASCII file named ``xxx''.
This is useful for writing functions
which will be ``)read'' later into other
workspaces.
Note that ``)write'' and ``)vsave'' are not the
same thing,
for ``)write'' is used to write a
function into an ASCII file
while ``)vsave'' saves a selected subset
of the internal workspace in a
workspace-format file.
.LP