Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!apple!apple.com!rmh
From: rmh@apple.com (Rick Holzgrafe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: MPW cmd language
Message-ID: <2538@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 28 Jun 89 17:17:05 GMT
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Lines: 41
References:<495@unicads.UUCP> <919@iraun1.ira.uka.de>

In article <919@iraun1.ira.uka.de> norbert@iraul1.ira.uka.de (Norbert 
Lindenberg) writes:
> In article <495@unicads.UUCP> tom@unicads.UUCP (Tom Gerardy) writes:
> > [...]  The output of the tag tool is a string of MPW
> >commands to open the file and find the search string.
> >...
> >Currently I am having to write the output to a file and execute it as
> >a script.  This seems to slow things down considerably [...]
> 
> I [...] also could not find a better way. Probably there is none...

Here's how:

AddMenu Find "Find Tag/E" \
    'Set Exit 0; \
    alias doit "`Findtag -a >> {WorkSheet}`";  \
    (doit) > Dev:Null; \
    Set Exit 1;'

(Use option-d for backslash, and option-> for >.)

You can't simply execute `Findtag -a >> {WorkSheet}` directly, because the 
Shell will take the semicolons in the output literally, rather than as 
command separators. But it will handle them correctly when it executes the 
alias.

This method requires an extra layer of insulation on characters special to 
the shell, since escaped characters must survive both the assignment to 
the alias and the execution of the alias. E.g. To find a left-square bracket,
Find /\[/ isn't enough; you must use Find /\\\[/ so that the [ and one of
the backslashes (option-d's) survives the alias assignment.

Clear as mud? :-)


==========================================================================
Rick Holzgrafe              |    {sun,voder,nsc,mtxinu,dual}!apple!rmh
Software Engineer           | AppleLink HOLZGRAFE1          rmh@apple.com
Apple Computer, Inc.        |  "All opinions expressed are mine, and do
20525 Mariani Ave. MS: 27-O |    not necessarily represent those of my
Cupertino, CA 95014         |        employer, Apple Computer Inc."