[comp.os.vms] BATCH SYS$OUTPUT

PJS@naif.JPL.NASA.GOV (Peter Scott) (05/17/88)

VAHE' OHAN <CS117030%YUSOL.BITNET@CORNELLC.CCS.CORNELL.EDU says:

>     Does anyone out there knows how to set the output of a running
>program in the batch to the user screen.
>   But i cant set the program output to my screen by running the program
>in the batch.
>   If anyone has any hints a realy appreciate the help.

Well, you can redirect output to a screen if you have enough privileges,
but I believe that the terminal must be vacant, otherwise you have to
resort to solutions using $BRKTHRU, which would mean rewriting all the
programs that produce output.  But then, how could the user at the
terminal get any useful work done anyway with all this output coming
at him, unless he could force it to one window of a workstation...
If you want the output to come to the screen while the user's logged on,
then SPAWN/NOWAIT the job instead of using a batch queue... of course,
then you HAVE to stay logged on until it finishes, or it will quit when
you logout...

Anyway, there's a better idea; I gather the real intention is to find
out what's happening with the batch job, and in modern VMS the batch log
file is updated regularly (once a minute).  What's more, you can insert
SET OUTPUT_RATE=delta-time commands in your batch command procedure to
make sure it's updated at any rate or time you want.  Then the user just
has to TYPE the log file, and they can decide when they want to do so.
If they absolutely have to be asychronously notified of some event in
the job, use the REPLY command (most sites have a program called TALK or
SEND or CHAT that's installed with the necessary privileges so you don't
need OPER, like REPLY requires), from within the command procedure.

Peter Scott (pjs%grouch@jpl-mil.jpl.nasa.gov)