inquire(8l)       MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES        inquire(8l)



NAME
     inquire - Low level interface to the whois database.

SYNOPSIS
     inquire {-write | -exist | } [username] [-option]

DESCRIPTION
     inquire is part of the finger  distribution.   inquire  will
     read,  write,  or  check  for the existance of a user in the
     whois database.  This database is used by  various  programs
     to get information about a users.

     By default inquire will dump all information it knows  about
     a  users to standard output.  This includes a nickname, work
     address, work phone, home  address,  home  phone,  birthday,
     current project, supervisor, and a remark.

OPTIONS
     -write
          Write the specified options to the user USERNAME  data-
          base  entry.   Only those options that are specified on
          the command like will be written.

     -exist
          Returns 0 if this person exists in the watson database.
          Non-zero if not.

     -option
          is actually one of the following:

          -nickname name
               Adds/changes the nick name (name the user's  likes
               to be addressed as).  to name

          -workaddress workaddress
               Adds/changes the work  address  field  to  workad-
               dress.

               This field is usually in the format:

               CompanyName; StreetAddress, City, State  ZIP

          -workphone workphone
               Adds/changes the work phone field to workphone.

               This field is usually in the format:

               (XXX) XXX-XXXX ext. XXXX

          -homeaddress homeaddress
               Adds/changes the home address field to homeaddress




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inquire(8l)       MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES        inquire(8l)



               This field is usually in the format:

               StreetAddress, City, State  ZIP

          -homephone homephone
               Adds/changes the home phone field to homephone.

               This field is usually in the format:

               (XXX) XXX-XXXX

          -birthday birthday
               Adds/changes the birthday field to birthday.

               This field SHOULD be of the form  shown  below  so
               that progams such a bwiz(8l) can read them:

               Jun 14

          -project project
               Adds changes the project field  to  project.  This
               field will be placed in the whois output as:
                    Hacking PROJECT for SUPERVISOR

          -supervisor supervisor
               Adds changes the supervisor field  to  supervisor.
               This field will be placed in the whois output as:
                    Hacking PROJECT for SUPERVISOR

          -remark remark
               Adds changes  the  remark  field  to  remark.  The
               remark  field  is  usually  serveral lines of text
               that the user wishes any user that fingers them to
               see.

NOTES
     inquire is not intended to be  run  by  the  end  user.   It
     should be used as an interface to the database will a shell,
     such as watson(1l), above it.

FILES
     /usr/lib/finger/dbase/*       Database information for whois.

SEE ALSO
     finger(1l), bwiz(8l), watson(1l)

AUTHOR
          Keith M. Gabryelski (ag@amix.commodore.com)







Sun Microsystems          Last change:                          2