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From: richg@locus.com (Rich Greenberg)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.rexx
Subject: Re: REXX message answerer that eats CPU time...
Message-ID: <22516@oolong.la.locus.com>
Date: 7 Mar 91 22:26:58 GMT
References: <1991Feb25.055633.18236@ccu.umanitoba.ca> <22331@dice.la.locus.com> <91065.183717QQ11@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK>
Organization: Locus Computing Corp, Los Angeles
Lines: 41

In article <91065.183717QQ11@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK> QQ11@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK (Alan Thew) writes:
>In article <22331@dice.la.locus.com>, richg@locus.com (Rich Greenberg) says:

=>  do forever                         This will wait for "some" minutes.
=>     x = time('R')                   The time(E) call and test will get
=>     'CP SLEEP some MIN'             you out if you press ENTER before
=>     if time('E') < some * 60        the some minutes pass.  Otherwise there
=>        then exit                    is no way out short of #cp i cms.
 
=what's wrong with #CP EXT...works fine for me.
=re-ipling seems some much more work :-)

Alright, its 2 characters less typing (BIG deal), but "it vouldn't do u no goot"
The ext interrupt (For non CMS users, #CP EXT simulates the "external
interrupt" key on a real CPU).  What happens in this case is the ext interrupt
throws you into one of the less useful parts of CMS, DEBUG.  To get out
of DEBUG, if you type "go", it just returns you to the loop.
To get out, you need to type "hx" (The Halt eXecution immediate command.)
HX leaves things in a somewhat messy state, and you are advised to re-ipl
CMS anyway.  HX by itself is ignored in a SLEEP loop.

The above applies to CMS 5.  In CMS 5.5 (VM/XA), an ext gives you a choice
to ABEND or RESUME.  If you select abend, you are out.  CMS 6 (I have lots
of VM systems here) does the same as 5.5.
In any case, 3 added lines of code allows 1 keystroke to terminate
the exec, and the exit is "clean".

Some installations have modified CMS to do other things on an EXT, perhaps
yours is included.

BTW, I have an exec + xedit macro that turns your 3270ish terminal into
the worlds most expensive (when run on a 3090-600J) digital alarm
clock.  Anybody want a copy?  If I get just a few requests (email,
NOT posted please), I will email them to you.  If I get LOTS of requests,
I will post them here.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: The above writings are the ramblings of one human being
        and have nothing what-so-ever to do with Locus Computing Corp.
   ---> Rich Greenberg,  richg@locus.com    TinsleTown, USA