Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!mordor!sri-spam!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!LOYVAX.BITNET!MARKUS From: MARKUS@LOYVAX.BITNET Newsgroups: comp.os.vms Subject: RUN vs. $ Message-ID: <8804180146.AA03807@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: 12 Apr 88 17:09:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 41 >> From: Mike Temkin >> Subject: VMS global symbols >> >> I have a few programs that need command line parameters passed to them. >> The documentation that comes with them (not much there) shows that a global >> symbol ( :== ) should be used. I have tried to get them to work, but >> I see no difference between typing 'RUN PROGRAM' and setting a global >> symbol like 'PRG :== RUN PROGRAM 'P1 'P2' then typing 'PRG param1 param2'. >> >> Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? >> >> Thanks in advance, >> Mike Temkin Instead of this: PRG :== RUN PROGRAM P1 P2 try this: PRG :== $ disk:[directory]PROGRAM and then this at the command line PRG param1 param2 I'm not sure what the difference between $ and RUN, but you need the $ if you want to pass parameters. You also need to have it in a symbol; typing it at directly on the command line just won't work. You also need the disk and directory, or it'll look in SYS$SYSTEM cos it thinks it's a command. The only place i saw it documented was in the C manual where ARGC and ARGV are described. There it said to look in the DCL Dictionary under installing foreign commands, but i didn't see anything about foreign commands. If anyone can tell me where this is well documented, or how it fits into the scheme of things, i'd appreciate it. Hope what i have helps... markus plummer MARKUS@LOYVAX.BITNET loyola college (baltimore) acs