Oops. There is a typeo in my example All references should be to file "x".
The problem remains, however...

> Session A:
>
> :build msgfile;msg
> :file x=msgfile,old;semi;gmulti
> :input response;wait=60 < *x
>
> Session B:
> :file x=msgfile,old;semi;gmulti
> :echo OK >> *x
>
> ----------
> From:         Maclary, David
> Sent:         Thursday, March 18, 1999 9:54 AM
> To:   'HP-3000 Systems Discussion'
> Subject:      message files
>
> I need to have a batch job wait for n seconds, but I'd also like it to
> "wake up" immediately if needed. I was thinking that a message file would
> do the trick.
>
> When I do the following interactively...
>
> Session A:
>
> :build msgfile;msg
> :file x=msgfile,old;semi;gmulti
> :input response;wait=60 < *x
>
> Session B:
> :file x=msgfile,old;semi;gmulti
> :echo OK >> *x
>
> Session A says...
>
> End of file on input. (CIERR 900)
>
> and msgfile now has an eof of 1, and record 1 contains the string "OK".
>
> Figuring that GMULTI was allowing the file pointer to move on me, I tried
> ;MULTI, but that get me...
>
> Couldn't open output redirection file, command failed. (CIERR 9425)
> DEVICE UNAVAILABLE  (FSERR 55)
>
> In any event, I can work around the end of file error message easily
> enough, except, when I try running
> "Session A" as a batch job, the INPUT;WAIT=60 does not time out !!!
>
> Want I'd like to have happen is, in batch, for the :INPUT command to
> either read a record
> from msgfile (if one gets ECHOed to it), or, timeout after 60 seconds.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thank you,
> David Maclary
>
>