message(1F)
UNIX System V(Form and Menu Language Interpreter Utilities)
message(1F)


NAME
      message - put arguments on FMLI message line

SYNOPSIS
      message [-t] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]
      message [-f] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]
      message [-p] [-b [num]] [-o] [-w] [string]

DESCRIPTION
      The message command puts string out on the FMLI message line.  If there
      is no string, the stdin input to message will be used.  The output of
      message has a duration (length of time it remains on the message line).
      The default duration is "transient": it or one of two other durations can
      be requested with the following mutually-exclusive options:

      -t      explicitly defines a message to have transient duration.
              Transient messages remain on the message line only until the user
              presses another key or a CHECKWORLD occurs.  The descriptors
              itemmsg, fieldmsg, invalidmsg, choicemsg, the default-if-not-
              defined value of oninterrupt, and FMLI generated error messages
              (i.e., from syntax errors) also output transient duration
              messages.  Transient messages take precedence over both frame
              messages and permanent messages.

      -f      defines a message to have "frame" duration.  Frame messages
              remain on the message line as long as the frame in which they are
              defined is current.  The descriptor framemsg also outputs a frame
              duration message.  Frame messages take precedence over permanent
              messages.

      -p      defines a message to have "permanent" duration.  Permanent
              messages remain on the message line for the length of the FMLI
              session, unless explicitly replaced by another permanent message
              or temporarily superseded by a transient message or frame
              message.  A permanent message is not affected by navigating away
              from, or by closing, the frame which generated the permanent
              message.  The descriptor permanentmsg also outputs a permanent
              duration message.

      Messages displayed with message -p will replace (change the value of) any
      message currently displayed or stored via use of the permanentmsg
      descriptor.  Likewise, message -f will replace any message currently
      displayed or stored via use of the framemsg descriptor.  If more than one
      message in a frame definition file is specified with the -p option, the
      last one specified will be the permanent duration message.

      The string argument should always be the last argument.  Other options
      available with message are the following:

      -b [num]
            rings the terminal bell num times, where num is an integer from 1
            to 10.  The default value is 1.  If the terminal has no bell, the


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message(1F)
UNIX System V(Form and Menu Language Interpreter Utilities)
message(1F)


            screen will flash num times instead, if possible.

      -o    forces message to duplicate its message to stdout.

      -w    turns on the working indicator.

EXAMPLES
      When a value entered in a field is invalid, ring the bell 3 times and
      then display Invalid Entry: Try again!  on the message line:

            invalidmsg=`message -b 3 "Invalid Entry: Try again!"`

      Display a message that tells the user what is being done:

            done=`message EDITOR has been set in your environment` close

      Display a message on the message line and stdout for each field in a form
      (a pseudo-"field duration" message).

            fieldmsg="`message -o -f "Enter a filename."`"

      Display a blank transient message (effect is to "remove" a permanent or
      frame duration message).

            done=`message  ""` nop

NOTES
      If message is coded more than once on a single line, it may appear that
      only the right-most instance is interpreted and displayed.  Use sleep(1)
      between uses of message in this case, to display multiple messages.

      message -f should not be used in a stand-alone backquoted expression or
      with the init descriptor because the frame is not yet current when these
      are evaluated.

      In cases where `message -f "string"` is part of a stand-alone backquoted
      expression, the context for evaluation of the expression is the
      previously current frame.  The previously current frame can be the frame
      that issued the open command for the frame containing the backquoted
      expression, or it can be a frame given as an argument when fmli was
      invoked.  That is, the previously current frame is the one whose frame
      message will be modified.

      Permanent duration messages are displayed when the user navigates to the
      command line.

SEE ALSO
      sleep(1) in the UNIX System V User's Reference Manual






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