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RTL Routines, SMG$, SMG$READ_STRING

 *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    The Read String routine reads a string from a virtual keyboard.

    Format

      SMG$READ_STRING  keyboard-id ,resultant-string [,prompt-string]

                       [,maximum-length] [,modifiers] [,timeout]

                       [,terminator-set] [,resultant-length]

                       [,word-terminator-code] [,display-id]

                       [,initial-string] [,rendition-set]

                       [,rendition-complement] [,terminator-string]

  1 - Returns

    OpenVMS usage:cond_value
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       write only
    mechanism:    by value

  2 - Arguments

 keyboard-id

    OpenVMS usage:identifier
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Specifies the virtual keyboard from which input is to be read.
    The keyboard-id argument is the address of an unsigned longword
    that contains the keyboard identifier.

    The keyboard identifier is returned by SMG$CREATE_VIRTUAL_
    KEYBOARD.

 resultant-string

    OpenVMS usage:char_string
    type:         character string
    access:       write only
    mechanism:    by descriptor

    String into which the input line is written. The resultant-string
    argument is the address of a descriptor pointing to the string
    into which the text is written.

 prompt-string

    OpenVMS usage:char_string
    type:         character string
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by descriptor

    String used to prompt for the read operation. The prompt-string
    argument is the address of a descriptor pointing to the prompt
    string.

 maximum-length

    OpenVMS usage:longword_signed
    type:         longword (signed)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Specifies the maximum number of characters to be read. The
    maximum-length argument is the address of a signed longword that
    contains the maximum number of characters to be read. The maximum
    valid value for this argument is 512. If omitted, 512 is the
    default.

 modifiers

    OpenVMS usage:mask_longword
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Optional bit mask that specifies optional behavior. The modifiers
    argument is the address of an unsigned longword that contains the
    flag.

    Valid values for modifiers are as follows:

    TRM$M_TM_CVTLOW    Converts lowercase characters to uppercase
                       characters.
    TRM$M_TM_NOECHO    Characters entered are not echoed on the
                       screen.
    TRM$M_TM_NOEDIT    Advanced editing is disabled for this read
                       operation.
    TRM$M_TM_NORECALL  Line recall is disabled.
    TRM$M_TM_PURGE     Type-ahead buffer is purged before read is
                       begun.
    TRM$M_TM_          Termination character, if any, is not
    TRMNOECHO          displayed.

    The TRM$ symbols are defined by the $TRMDEF macro/module in
    system symbol libraries supplied by Compaq. See the terminal
    driver section of the OpenVMS I/O User's Reference Manual for
    more information on modifiers for read operations.

 timeout

    OpenVMS usage:longword_signed
    type:         longword (signed)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Specifies the number of seconds allowed between the time the
    prompt is issued and the completion of the input operation.
    The timeout argument is the address of a signed longword that
    contains the timeout value.

    If timeout is specified, all characters typed before the
    expiration time or until a terminate key is entered are returned
    in resultant-string. If omitted, the input operation remains
    active until a terminator is typed.

 terminator-set

    OpenVMS usage:unspecified
    type:         unspecified
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by descriptor, fixed length

    Either a mask that specifies which characters are to be treated
    as terminators (short form) or a descriptor pointing to such a
    mask (long form). The terminator-set argument is the address of a
    descriptor pointing to the mask.

    If you want to use terminators with ASCII values in the range 0
    to 31, use the short form, which consists of two longwords. The
    first longword is zero, and the second longword is a terminator
    character bit mask. You create this mask by setting the bit that
    corresponds to the ASCII value of the desired terminator. For
    example, to specify that Ctrl/A (ASCII value 1) is a terminator,
    you set bit 1 in the terminator-set mask.

    To use terminators with ASCII values outside the range 0 to 31,
    use the long form. First create a descriptor of this form:

    31                            16 15                            0
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    |                               |                              |
    |           (not used)          |    mask size in bytes        |
    |                               |                              |
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    |                                                              |
    |                        address of mask                       |
    |                                                              |
    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    The mask itself has the same format as that of the short form;
    however, the long form allows the use of a more comprehensive set
    of terminator characters. For example, a mask size of 16 bytes
    allows any 7-bit ASCII character to be set as a terminator, while
    a mask size of 32 bytes allows any 8-bit character to be set as a
    terminator. Any mask size between 1 and 32 bytes is acceptable.

    If the terminator mask is all zeros, there are no specified
    terminators. In that case, the read terminates when the number
    of characters specified in maximum-length has been transferred or
    when timeout is reached.

    If the terminator-set argument is omitted, the set of terminators
    is the OpenVMS default terminator set. For more information, see
    the OpenVMS I/O User's Reference Manual.

 resultant-length

    OpenVMS usage:word_unsigned
    type:         word (unsigned)
    access:       write only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Receives the number of characters read or the maximum size
    of resultant-string, whichever is less. The resultant-length
    argument is the address of an unsigned word into which is written
    the number of characters read or the maximum size.

 word-terminator-code

    OpenVMS usage:word_unsigned
    type:         word (unsigned)
    access:       write only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Key terminator code. The word-terminator-code argument is an
    unsigned word into which is written a code indicating what
    character or key terminated the read. Key terminator codes are
    of the form SMG$K_TRM_keyname.

 display-id

    OpenVMS usage:identifier
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Display identifier. The display-id argument is the address of
    an unsigned longword that contains the display identifier.
    This argument is optional only if you are not using the Screen
    Management Facility's output routines.

    If you are using the Screen Management Facility input and output
    routines, this argument specifies the virtual display in which
    the input is to occur. The virtual display specified must be
    pasted to the same pasteboard as specified by keyboard-id and
    must not be occluded. You cannot accept input from an occluded
    area of the virtual display.

    In the case of multiple virtual displays, each virtual display
    has an associated virtual cursor position. At the same time,
    there is a single physical cursor position corresponding to
    the current location of the physical cursor. If the display-id
    argument is specified, the read begins at the current virtual
    cursor position in the specified virtual display. If display-
    id is omitted, the read begins in the current physical cursor
    position. Note that the length of the prompt-string plus the
    key entered is limited to the number of visible columns in the
    display.

                                   NOTE

       This virtual display must be pasted in column 1 and may
       not have any other virtual displays to its right. This
       restriction applies because otherwise the occurrence of a
       Ctrl/R or Ctrl/U would cause the entire line to be blanked,
       including any output to the right. To circumvent this
       restriction, you may use SMG$REPAINT_LINE to repaint the
       line when a Ctrl/R or Ctrl/U is detected.

 initial-string

    OpenVMS usage:char_string
    type:         character string
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by descriptor

    Initial character string. The initial-string argument is the
    address of a descriptor pointing to the optional string that
    contains the initial characters of the field. The string is
    written to the display in the input area, as if it had been
    entered from the keyboard. It may be edited in the usual
    way (provided that TRM$M_TM_NOEDIT is not set). It must be
    shorter than maximum-length, otherwise SMG$READ_STRING returns
    immediately without accepting any keyboard input.

 rendition-set

    OpenVMS usage:mask_longword
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Attribute specifier. The optional rendition-set argument is
    the address of a longword bit mask in which each attribute set
    causes the corresponding attribute to be set in the display. The
    following attributes can be specified using the rendition-set
    argument:

    SMG$M_BLINK      Displays blinking characters.
    SMG$M_BOLD       Displays characters in higher-than-normal
                     intensity (bolded).
    SMG$M_REVERSE    Displays characters in reverse video; that is,
                     using the opposite default rendition of the
                     virtual display.
    SMG$M_UNDERLINE  Displays underlined characters.
    SMG$M_INVISIBLE  Specifies invisible characters; that is, the
                     characters exist in the virtual display but do
                     not appear on the pasteboard.
    SMG$M_USER1      Displays user-defined attributes.
    through
    SMG$M_USER8

    The display-id argument must be specified when you use the
    rendition-set argument.

 rendition-complement

    OpenVMS usage:mask_longword
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by reference

    Attribute complement specifier. The optional rendition-
    complement argument is the address of a longword bit mask in
    which each attribute set causes the corresponding attribute to
    be complemented in the display. All of the attributes that can be
    specified with the rendition-set argument can be complemented
    with rendition-complement. The display-id argument must be
    specified when you use the rendition-complement argument.

    The optional arguments rendition-set and rendition-complement let
    the user control the attributes of the virtual display in which
    the read is done. The rendition-set argument sets certain virtual
    display attributes, while rendition-complement complements
    these attributes. If the same bit is specified in both the
    rendition-set and rendition-complement parameters, rendition-
    set is evaluated first, followed by rendition-complement.
    By using these two parameters together, the user can control
    each virtual display attribute in a single procedure call.
    On a single-attribute basis, the user can cause the following
    transformations:

    Set  Complement Action

    0    0          Attribute set to default
    1    0          Attribute on
    0    1          Attribute set to complement of current setting
    1    1          Attribute off

 terminator-string

    OpenVMS usage:char_string
    type:         character string
    access:       write only
    mechanism:    by descriptor

    Characters that terminate I/O. The optional terminator-string
    argument is the address of a descriptor pointing to the character
    string containing the terminating characters. The terminator-
    string argument returns the actual terminating characters, not
    the key that was pressed to terminate the I/O.
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