Hi Mark:
> in: it will still have that nasty NULL in it. > > There HAS to be a way
to build a generic command file to work on sets > of users like this.
Sure, by now, i could have altered the password for > every user on the
system three times over, but it's the principle of > the thing...... >
 
Solution#1. I contributed to the CSL a program doing this: the OMITCCTL
program. This program deletes the NULLs from the beginning of the records,
and replaces the '1'-s with VENUS [12] characters or deletes them
optionally. Insert this program between the list producing and list
parsing step of your process.
 
Solution#2. If you are working not on a pure HP terminal but on a PC
connected by a terminal emulator to the HP then
2.1. _log_ the result of the list producing into a file.
2.2. Choose an editor by which you can highlight _rectangular_ blocks.
2.3. Mark the first column of the block file and delete the marked block.
2.4. Transfer back the file to the HP.
2.5. Execute the parsing step.
 
I use PERSONAL EDITOR II for similar purposes e.g.
I have only MPE/V and SPOOK5. I have written some AdvanceLink scripts
and PE2 macros to handle sets of spool files.
E1. 1. The starting script starts the SPOOK5 and assigns the typical
SPOOK commands TEXT, COPY, ALTER, PURGE... to the function keys.
E1. 2. The individual scripts ask the group and account the send the log
of the SHOW <user>.<account> files to the log file.
E1. 3. The Personal Editor II starts with a macro which reformats the
output so that the most important data of the spool files appear in one
80 character line and positions the cursor to the LOCKED spool file.
E1. 4. An empty would-be SPOOK5 command file is opened.
E1. 5. Some macros are assigned to the function and Ctrl-letter keys by
which the user can select block of files for purging, printing, copying
or insert 'FIND "NUMBER OF ERRORS"' or 'FIND "REMAINDER OF JOB FLUSHED"'
statements after the TEXT statements in the SPOOK5 command file.
E1. 6. The saved file is sent to the HP, and the SPOOK5 executes its
commands. USAGE: THE OPERATOR CAN PURGE 100 CONSECUTIVE SPOOL FILES JUST BY
POSITIONING THE CURSOR TO THE FIRST ONE, PRESSING A KEY THEN PAGING DOWN
TO THE LAST ONE AND PRESSING AN OTHER KEY INSTEAD OF RETYPING
DELETESPOOLFILE #O10001 ... DELETESPOOLFILE #O101000.
 
E2. 1. I collect the data for an invoice on the HP: Product name
and quantity, addressee, amount to pay with numbers and in words.
E2. 2. I write the data to a file as a FORMSPEC form using HPDPRINT intrinsic.
E2. 3. The file is transferred to the remote HP and the invoice is printed on
the local laser printer.
E2. 4. The transferred file does not contain printer control escape sequences.
- The Personal Editor II macro replaces the '1'-s in the first column
with VENUS characters and the NULLS with empty strings.
- The PE2 replaces the brackets by and braces with bold on,
bold off and similar ones.
- The formatted invoice is printed using the PE2 'print' command.
E2. 5. The screen is halved horizontally. The user gets a help of
available function keys like "PRINT" again, "QUIT" in the lower half.
 
 
If anybody is interested in the SPOOK5 handling macros, I am willing to
contribute them to the CSL.
                                              Frank
 
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There are 3 kinds of programming errors:  syntactical, semantical and mystical.
The programmers have to suck up the users just as much as absolutely necessary.