[comp.os.vms] Symbols in mail?

rdavenport@GTEWIS.ARPA (01/01/88)

  Hello,

    I would like to know if there is a way to define symbols in DCL that can
  be used when in MAIL. What I'd like is to be able to define something like:
  $ mail$ext_vax  :== extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text

  so I can say in mail :

  MAIL> ext_vax

  and have it execute "extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text".

    I know it can be done for some programs, like VAX ACS, but is there some
  thing similar for VMS MAIL (on VMS 4.5)?

    Any help will be appreciated,

      Thanks! 

         rob
 ______________________________________________________________________________
/                                                                              \
| /------------------------\    /-----------------\    /--------------------\  |
| | rdavenport@gtewis.arpa               |             |                       |
| | Rob Davenport                        |             |                       |
| | GTE         -----------\             |             |----------             |
| | Billerica, MA          |             |             |                       |
| | (617) 671-5180         |             |             |                       |
| \________________________/             |             \____________________/  |
|                                                                              |
\______________________________________________________________________________/

payne@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Doug Payne) (01/02/88)

In article <8712312112.AA01825@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> rdavenport@GTEWIS.ARPA writes:
>
>  Hello,
>
>    I would like to know if there is a way to define symbols in DCL that can
>  be used when in MAIL. What I'd like is to be able to define something like:
>  $ mail$ext_vax  :== extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text

The easiest way to do this is to create a file which is referenced by
the logical name MAIL$INIT, which contains key definitions for your
favourite commands.  This is documented in the MAIL reference manual.
Include the the following line in your LOGIN.COM:

$ DEFINE MAIL$INIT SYS$LOGIN:MAILKEYS.INI

Then create a file called MAILKEYS.INI in your login directory which
contains lines like:

DEFINE /KEY /TERMINATE PF1 "EXTRACT/APPEND [.MAIL]INFO_VAX.TEXT

Then the PF1 key will perform your command (and a lot quicker than
typing a symbol).

- Doug

ANK@CUNYVMS1.BITNET (ANIL KHULLAR) (01/02/88)

>From:         rdavenport@GTEWIS.ARPA
>
>    I would like to know if there is a way to define symbols in DCL that can
>  be used when in MAIL. What I'd like is to be able to define something like:
>  $ mail$ext_vax  :== extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text
>
>  so I can say in mail :
>
>  MAIL> ext_vax
>
>  and have it execute "extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text".
>
>    I know it can be done for some programs, like VAX ACS, but is there some
>  thing similar for VMS MAIL (on VMS 4.5)?
>
>    Any help will be appreciated,

I think you could do it in two steps

        1. Create a file MAIL$KEYDEFS.INI where can define any key
          such as DEFINE/KEY /TERMINATE/NOECHO/NOLOG PF4 "extract/append .."

        2. In your LOGIN.COM  add the following
          $ DEFINE MAIL$INIT SYS$LOGIN:MAIL$KEYDEFS.INI

Everytime you use mail this key will be mapped to PF4


hope this helps

cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Christopher F. Chiesa) (01/02/88)

In article <8712312112.AA01825@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, rdavenport@GTEWIS.ARPA writes:
>     I would like to know if there is a way to define symbols in DCL that can
>   be used when in MAIL. What I'd like is to be able to define something like:
>   $ mail$ext_vax  :== extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text
> 
>   so I can say in mail :
> 
>   MAIL> ext_vax
> 
>   and have it execute "extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text".

You can't do this, exactly, but you CAN assign any command-string you like,
to any "application keypad" key.  The only requirement, of course, is that you
must use a terminal that HAS an application keypad.

Within Mail, the command to do this is  DEFINE/KEY (I believe it also accepts
several qualifiers, particularly those dealing with /IF_STATE and /LOCK_STATE,
which effectively multiply the number of function keys you have available).
See HELP DEFINE/KEY at the Mail> prompt for further information.

I assume you'd like your keypad definitions to take effect automatically when
you enter Mail; this, too, can be done.  In DCL, define the logical name
MAIL$INIT to the name of a file containing the DEFINE/KEY commands you want
activated when you go in.  No "$" or other prefix needed, one command per
line. 

The example you give above, if bound to, say, the "5" key on the keypad,
might look like this:

DEFINE/KEY KP5 "extract/append [.mail]info_vax.text"

As is, this would require you to press RETURN after the keypad-5; to eliminate
that necessity, you would use the /TERMINATE qualifier:

DEFINE/KEY/TERMINATE  ... etc....

Hope this does what you want!

  Chris Chiesa
  Senior, CS Dept.
  Ball State University
  Muncie, IN
     (317) 288-2957 (home)