CKSTR(1) User Commands CKSTR(1)

NAME

ckstr, errstr, helpstr, valstr - display a prompt; verify and return
a string answer

SYNOPSIS

ckstr [-Q] [-W width] [ [-r regexp] [...]] [-l length]
[-d default] [-h help] [-e error] [-p prompt]
[-k pid [- s signal]]


/usr/sadm/bin/errstr [-W width] [-e error] [-l length]
[ [-r regexp] [...]]


/usr/sadm/bin/helpstr [-W width] [-h help] [-l length]
[ [-r regexp] [...]]


/usr/sadm/bin/valstr [-l length] [ [-r regexp] [...]] input

DESCRIPTION

The ckstr utility prompts a user and validates the response. It
defines, among other things, a prompt message whose response should
be a string, text for help and error messages, and a default value
(which are returned if the user responds with a RETURN).


The answer returned from this command must match the defined regular
expression and be no longer than the length specified. If no regular
expression is given, valid input must be a string with a length less
than or equal to the length defined with no internal, leading or
trailing white space. If no length is defined, the length is not
checked.


All messages are limited in length to 79 characters and are formatted
automatically. Tabs and newlines are removed after a single white
space character in a message definition, but spaces are not removed.
When a tilde is placed at the beginning or end of a message
definition, the default text will be inserted at that point, allowing
both custom text and the default text to be displayed.


If the prompt, help or error message is not defined, the default
message (as defined under EXAMPLES) is displayed.


Three visual tool modules are linked to the ckstr command. They are
errstr (which formats and displays an error message on the standard
output), helpstr (which formats and displays a help message on the
standard output), and valstr (which validates a response).

OPTIONS

The following options are supported:

-d default
Defines the default value as default. The default is
not validated and so does not have to meet any
criteria.


-e error
Defines the error message as error.


-h help
Defines the help message as help.


-k pid
Specifies that process ID pid is to be sent a signal if
the user chooses to quit.


-l length
Specifies the maximum length of the input.


-p prompt
Defines the prompt message as prompt.


-Q
Specifies that quit will not be allowed as a valid
response.


-r regexp
Specifies a regular expression, regexp, against which
the input should be validated. May include white space.
If multiple expressions are defined, the answer need
match only one of them.


-s signal
Specifies that the process ID pid defined with the -k
option is to be sent signal signal when quit is chosen.
If no signal is specified, SIGTERM is used.


-W width
Specifies that prompt, help and error messages will be
formatted to a line length of width.

OPERANDS

The following operand is supported:

input
Input to be verified against format length and/or regular
expression criteria.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Default prompt

The default prompt for ckstr is:


example% ckstr
Enter an appropriate value [?,q]:

Example 2: Default error message

The default error message is dependent upon the type of validation
involved. The user will be told either that the length or the
pattern matching failed. The default error message is:


example% /usr/sadm/bin/errstr
ERROR: Please enter a string which contains no embedded,
leading or trailing spaces or tabs.

Example 3: Default help message

The default help message is also dependent upon the type of
validation involved. If a regular expression has been defined, the
message is:


example% /usr/sadm/bin/helpstr -r regexp
Please enter a string which matches the following pattern:
regexp


Other messages define the length requirement and the definition of a
string.

Example 4: Using the quit option

When the quit option is chosen (and allowed), q is returned along
with the return code 3. Quit input gets a trailing newline.

Example 5: Using the valstr module

The valstr module will produce a usage message on stderr. It returns
0 for success and non-zero for failure.


example% /usr/sadm/bin/valstr
usage: valstr [-l length] [[-r regexp] [...]] input

EXIT STATUS

The following exit values are returned:

0
Successful execution.


1
EOF on input, or negative width on -W option, or usage error.


2
Invalid regular expression.


3
User termination (quit).

SEE ALSO

signal.h(3HEAD), attributes(7)

September 14, 1992 CKSTR(1)