In message <[log in to unmask]>, Greg Stigers
<[log in to unmask]> writes

>Eben Yong wrote:
(re something I posted)
>> You are right.  The PROMPT command only toggles the state.  There are
>> no parms.  Thanks!

>But PROMPT does not mind using OFF as a parm; it is ignored. In batch files
>or scripts, it is a judgment call whether you want to include this as a
>means of documenting authorial intention or actual effect, rather than make
>your maintainer have to look up the default value, if unknown. Of course,
>the maintainer may be even more confused by the unneeded, ineffectual and
>ignored parm. Personally, I include them on the toggle commands.

>Greg Stigers, MCSA
>this space for rent

Well, if I had FTP problems at 2:00 am, with a job full of PROMPT OFFs
and PROMPT ONs, and a small change (copying a few lines, say) by an
earlier maintainer had left it with two consecutive PROMPT 'OFF's - so
that prompt and every prompt after it did the exact opposite of what it
said on the line - then when I eventually twigged this, at about 4:00 am
perhaps, I might regard the practice as.... well..... to be deprecated.
(Or an equivalent expression).

FTP doesn't seem to have a command to support comments directly, AFAICS.
But as you can escape to the shell (even in a non-HP3000 FTP it seems),
it might be kinder to put:

!rem Toggle Prompt Off (we hope)
prompt
........
(other commands)
.........
!rem Toggle Prompt On (we hope)
prompt
.........

--
Roy Brown        'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be
Kelmscott Ltd     useful, or believe to be beautiful'  William Morris

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