Double !s do something that might be what you want...

:setvar  hpautocont  true
:
:setvar  x   "listf ab@"
:
:!x

MON, FEB  5, 2007,  2:26 PM
listf ab@
(24/35) Continue?
No MPE-named files found in file set. (CIWARN 431)
:
:![x]

MON, FEB  5, 2007,  2:26 PM
listf ab@
No MPE-named files found in file set. (CIWARN 431)
:

...seem to work if the CI is reading it as a comand.  If it is input into some
program, you might have problems because the program doesn't know how to
expand variables anywhere, not just column one.

Dave Powell,    MMfab

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Clogg" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 13:01
Subject: [HP3000-L] Dereferencing Variables


> I have a pretty elementary question.  Does anyone know of a way to
> dereference a variable starting in the first column of a line within a job?
> Typically, an exclamation point in column one is interpreted as a colon, and
> the CI does not recognize the string following it as a variable.
>
> I am aware of the use of ECHO and input redirection in the case of a program
> requesting input:
>
> ECHO !MYVAR  >MYFILE
> RUN MYPROG  <MYFILE
>
> Does anyone know another trick?
>
> Thanks,
> John Clogg
>
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