ckdate(1)                      DG/UX R4.11MU05                     ckdate(1)


NAME
       ckdate, errdate, helpdate, valdate - prompt for and validate a date

SYNOPSIS
       ckdate [-Q] [-W width] [-f format] [-d default] [-h help] [-e error]
       [-p prompt] [-k pid [-s signal]]

       /usr/sadm/bin/errdate [-W] [-e error] [-f format]
       /usr/sadm/bin/helpdate [-W] [-h help] [-f format]
       /usr/sadm/bin/valdate [-f format] input

DESCRIPTION
       Ckdate prompts a user and validates the response.  It defines, among
       other things, a prompt message whose response should be a date, text
       for help and error messages, and a default value (which will be
       returned if the user responds with a carriage return).  The user
       response must match the defined format for a date.

       All messages are limited in length to 70 characters and are formatted
       automatically.  Any white space used in the definition (including
       newline) is stripped.  The -W option cancels the automatic
       formatting.  When a tilde is placed at the beginning 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 NOTES) will be displayed.

       Three visual tool modules are linked to the ckdate command.  They are
       errdate (which formats and displays an error message), helpdate
       (which formats and displays a help message), and valdate (which
       validates a response).  These modules should be used in conjunction
       with FML objects.  In this instance, the FML object defines the
       prompt.  When format is defined in the errdate and helpdate modules,
       the messages will describe the expected format.

       The options and arguments for this command are:
       -Q         Specifies that quit will not be allowed as a valid
                  response.
       -W width   Specifies that prompt, help and error messages will be
                  formatted to a line length of width.
       -f format  Specifies the format against which the input will be
                  verified.  Possible formats and their definitions are: %b
                  =  abbreviated month name
                  %B  =  full month name
                  %d  =  day of month (01 - 31)
                  %D  =  date as %m/%d/%y (the default format)
                  %e  =  day of month (1 - 31; single digits are preceded by
                         a space)
                  %h  =  abbreviated month name (jan, feb, mar)
                  %m  =  month number (01 - 12)
                  %y  =  year within century (e.g. 89)
                  %Y  =  year as CCYY (e.g. 1989)
       -d default Defines the default value as default.  The default does
                  not have to meet the format criteria.
       -h help    Defines the help messages as help.
       -e error   Defines the error message as error.
       -p prompt  Defines the prompt message as prompt.
       -k pid     Specifies that process ID pid is to be sent a signal if
                  the user chooses to abort.
       -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.
       input      Input to be verified against format criteria.

EXIT CODES
       0 = Successful execution
       1 = EOF on input
       2 = Usage error
       3 = User termination (quit)
       4 = Garbled format argument

SEE ALSO
       valtools(1).

NOTES
       The default prompt for ckdate is:

         Enter the date [?,q]:

       The default error message is:

         ERROR - Please enter a date, using the following format: format.

       The default help message is:

         Please enter a date, using the following format: format.

       When the quit option is chosen (and allowed), q is returned along
       with the return code 3.  The valdate module will not produce any
       output.  It returns zero for success and non-zero for failure.


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