[comp.os.vms] Symbols, logicals, and commands -- which is which??

MCKEEVER@UMKCVAX1.BITNET (06/16/87)

I'm sorry but I lost the name of the person who was requesting information
on how to tell if something is a symbol or a logical. Anyway, I have an idea
that may help you if you want automatic execution of a symbol, program, or
DCL command, i.e. how to tell if something is a DCL command.  There is a
program on the most recent DECUS tapes called VERB that extracts the CDL for
a given DCL command.  I dug it out yesterday and modified it so that it just
returned a success status if it found the verb in the tables and a failure
status if the verb was not defined.  With this info you can...

        $ Set NoOn
        $ Set Message/NoSev/NoId/NoMes/NoFac
        $ isverb 'p1'
        $ istat = $Status
        $ Set Message/Sev/Id/Mes/Fac
        $ Set On
        $ If (istat) Write Sys$Output "Is a DCL verb."
        $ If (.NOT.istat) Write Sys$Output "Is not a DCL verb."

The change I made was not elegant, but it was quick.  All you need to do
to get it to work is add an IF statement to VERB.FOR.  Where the change
needs to me made is pretty obvious.  After all, I found it.  I'm sure that
it could be pruned down to make it much neater with a little effort.  The
main idea was to get it to work.  If anybody doesn't have access to the
latest DECUS tapes, and they want the VERB source.  I can send it to them
directly.  The source comes in the form of a 2000+ line command file.
Hope this helps.

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     UMU   UMUMUMUMUM            Brian McKeever
     UMU   UMUMUMUMUM            Computer Science
      U   UM        U            University of Missouri Kansas City
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