Ok,
  I assumed you meant to add ;MSG onto the :BUILD.  Once I did that it worked!
Now...I SEE it, but I don't BELIEVE it!

  Can someone (Jeff Vance?) explain why this works?  My assumption is that the  
process is going to hang on the read (& not return) because the MSG file is  
empty.  This is true even if the file is being access for write (and the writer  
doesn't write to it or close it).   

   If I don't redirect the output to the msg file, it acts as I expects.  Why  
does redirecting the output change this?  Does INPUT act differently if it's  
output is being redirected?

Rich (I thought I knew MSG file pretty well, but now I'm doubting my manhood)  
Trapp

_______________________________________________________________________
 Rich Trapp "RAT"    
 Managed Business Solutions   [log in to unmask]   http://www.mbsnav.com   
 Assigned to: TMO Design Automation Support at HP Loveland, CO
 (Telnet) or (970) 679-2221   [log in to unmask]                 
_______________________________________________________________________


-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 1999 9:09 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: message files


Hi David
Here is another alternative, which is crude but effective.
The command waits for the specified time, or until a
record is written to the ipc file :-

BUILD MSGFILE;REC=-256,1,V,ASCII
 FILE X=MSGFILE,OLD;REC=-256,1,V,ASCII;SHR;GMULTI;MSG
INPUT REPLY;WAIT=30 > *X < *X

Regards,
Tad.





[log in to unmask] on 18/03/99 16:52:26

Please respond to [log in to unmask]

To:   [log in to unmask]
cc:    (bcc: Tad BOCHAN/Securities_Services/FR/PARIBAS)
Subject:  Re: message files




David,

First problem, End of file in input, occurs because the input does not
open the message file with extended wait and the fact that ECHO must be
doing multiple opens on the message file. When ECHO opens and closes the
file, the INPUT gets an end of file since it's not opened with extended
wait. INPUT never gets a chance to read the record that ECHO eventually
posts to the message file. Instead of ECHO use FCOPY and that will cure
the end of file in input message and leave no records in the file.

Second, it appears that INPUT does not enable timeouts in a job. They
probably didn't expect INPUT to be used on message files, only on
terminal input, so didn't enable the timeout in a job.

Solution, create a quick program to open the message file for input with
a timeout.

You could also have the job launch another scheduled job for 60 seconds
to post a record to the message file so it continues. I know that is not
so elegant, but there's not many other options here.

Hope this helps,
John Zoltak
North American Mfg Co

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maclary, David [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, March 18, 1999 10:13 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] message files
>
>
> 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
> >
> >
>








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