Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!GRIN1.BITNET!MCGUIRE
From: MCGUIRE@GRIN1.BITNET ("The Sysco Kid ", McGuire,Ed)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: global symbol
Message-ID: <8804181708.AA20890@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 14 Apr 88 19:10:09 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 22

> Date:         Wed, 6 Apr 88 23:32:51 GMT
> From:         Mike Temkin <sdcrdcf!csun!mst@hplabs.hp.com>
> 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'.

Mike, the correct way to define a global symbol that permits the associated
program to locate command line parameters is as follows.  This is known
as a `foreign command' definition.

        $ PROGRAM :== $DISK:[DIR]PROGRAM

After that symbol is defined you would invoke the program with a command
of the form:

        $ PROGRAM PARAM1 PARAM2

Ed