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  mes-
     sages,  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 speci-
     fied. 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 begin-
     ning 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



SunOS 5.11          Last change: 14 Sep 1992                    1






User Commands                                            ckstr(1)



     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  expres-
                   sions  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:




SunOS 5.11          Last change: 14 Sep 1992                    2






User Commands                                            ckstr(1)



     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
       EROR: 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 defini-
     tion of a string.


     Example 4 Using the quit option




SunOS 5.11          Last change: 14 Sep 1992                    3






User Commands                                            ckstr(1)



     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).


ATRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:



     
           ATRIBUTE TYPE               ATRIBUTE VALUE       
    
     Availability                 SUNWcsu                     
    


SEE ALSO
     signal.h(3HEAD), attributes(5)







SunOS 5.11          Last change: 14 Sep 1992                    4