| SAS Companion for the OpenVMS Environment |
When you communicate with the OpenVMS operating
environment, you can use the OpenVMS Digital
Command Language (DCL). Like other languages, DCL has grammar rules and a
vocabulary. The vocabulary is a set of commands, and the grammar rules determine
how you specify the commands.
A completely specified DCL command is called a command line.
The general form of a command line is
|
$ command/qualifier
parameter/qualifier
|
The dollar sign ($) prompt is required in all DCL command
lines. When you execute DCL commands interactively, the OpenVMS system
supplies the system prompt, which by default is the $ prompt. When you enter
DCL commands in a command file, such as LOGIN.COM, you
must enter the $ prompt in column 1.
The command is a DCL command
that identifies the action to be performed. Use OpenVMS DCL
Dictionary as a general reference to DCL commands and rules of grammar.
Some commonly used DCL commands are described in Commonly Used DCL Commands.
Some DCL commands are called verbs. These
are commands
whose names indicate the command's function.
The qualifier is an optional
keyword that modifies or expands the action of the command. It is always preceded
by a forward slash (/). If a qualifier
requires a value, it is given in the following form:
A
parameter is either a
keyword or a file specification (depending on the command) that is acted on
by the command. For details about how to enter an OpenVMS file
specification, see OpenVMS Filenames.
If the command requires one or more parameters, then
OpenVMS prompts
you for them, unless you include the parameter in the command line. Notice
in the command line syntax that both commands and parameters can be qualified.
If a command line does not fit on one line, enter a
space and a hyphen (-) as the last
element in the command line. Then press the RETURN key
and continue the command on the next line. Here is an example:
When you end a command line with a hyphen, the next
prompt is preceded by an underscore (_).
You can interrupt command-line processing by simultaneously pressing
the CTRL key and the Y key (CTRL-Y).
A command procedure
is an OpenVMS file that contains sequences
of DCL commands. The OpenVMS file type
for command procedures is .COM. The LOGIN.COM file
is an example of a command procedure. (For more information, see LOGIN.COM File.) To save yourself
time when you perform complicated or repetitive tasks, you can create command
procedures.
Use your favorite editor to create the file of commands.
For example, the following series of commands might be included in a command
procedure named RENAME.COM:
$ PURGE *.*
$ RENAME *.*; *.*;1
The first line deletes all but the latest version of
all files in your default directory. The second line renames all files in
your current directory to version 1.
To invoke the RENAME.COM command
procedure, you would enter the following command at the $, or system, prompt:
$ @RENAME
The at sign (@) indicates that you want to execute a
command procedure. For more information about creating and using command procedures,
refer to OpenVMS User's Manual.
Some
of the most commonly used commands in an interactive command language are
those that control your terminal session and those that manage files. The
following subset of commands is divided into these two categories: controlling
a terminal session and managing files. Many of these commands are used in
examples throughout this document. The common abbreviation for a command is
shown in parentheses beside the fully specified command. These abbreviations
are the defaults; if these commands or symbols have been redefined, they may
have a different action. See your system manager if the abbreviation does
not work as you expected.
Note:
You can issue any DCL command from within a SAS
program by specifying the command in the SAS X statement or X command. For
more information, see Issuing DCL Commands during a SAS Session. ![[cautend]](../common/images/cautend.gif)
Use the
following DCL commands to control your terminal session:
-
DIRECTORY
(DIR)
-
displays a list of files and subdirectories
in the specified directory, or in the current directory if no directory or
file specification is given. For example, the following command produces a
list of files in your default directory:
$ DIR
-
HELP
-
activates the OpenVMS HELP
facility.
-
LOGOUT (LO)
-
terminates a terminal session and deletes
your process.
-
SET DEFAULT (SET DEF)
-
changes the default directory. If you move
to another disk, this command also changes the default disk device. For more
information about the default directory, see Directories.
-
SET DISPLAY
(SET DISP)
-
indicates where to send the interactive
display of an OpenVMS DECwindows applicaiton.
You need to use this command when you are running interactive SAS on a non-local
device such as a PC display running emulation software.
-
SHOW DEFAULT (SHO DEF)
-
displays the default directory and the default
disk device.
-
SHOW QUEUE (SHO QUE)
-
displays all queues including the batch
queue.
-
SUBMIT (SUBM)
-
places one or more jobs (command procedures)
in a batch queue for processing.
Use
the following DCL commands to manage your files:
-
COPY (COP)
-
copies one or more files to one or more
specified files.
-
CREATE/DIRECTORY
(CRE/DIR)
-
creates a directory.
-
DEFINE
-
associates a logical name with a file specification
or equivalence name.
-
DELETE
(DEL)
-
removes access to a file. The file specification
must reference the version(s).
-
EDIT</editor> (ED</editor>)
-
invokes the specified OpenVMS editor
to create or modify a file.
-
PRINT (PR)
-
prints a file on the default system printer
or on a specified device.
-
PURGE (PUR)
-
deletes all versions of a specified file
or files except the latest version.
-
TYPE (TY)
-
displays the contents of a file.
Copyright © 1999 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.
