intro_prm1(1)                                                 intro_prm1(1)

NAME
     introprm1 - introduction to programming commands

DESCRIPTION
     This section describes the programming commands in alphabetical order.

SYNOPSIS
     Unless otherwise noted, the commands accept options and other argu-
     ments according to the following syntax:

          name [-option(s)] [cmdarg(s)] [nvarg(s)]

     The different syntax elements have the following meaning:

     [ ]       Selectable option or argument

     name      Name of an executable file (command)

     option    (always with a preceding "-"): noargletter(s) or:
               argletter optarg

               noargletter    One or more single letters each representing
                              an option without an argument (e.g. -i or
                              -dna).

               argletter      A single letter representing an option
                              requiring an argument (optarg), e.g. t in
                              -t file.

               optarg         An argument (character string) satisfying
                              preceding argletter (e.g. file in -t file).

     cmdarg    Variable argument(s) (character string) for a command, e.g.
               a pathname, directory, target device etc.; "-" indicates the
               standard input. Examples:

               devfree key [device [...]]
               or: colltbl [file | -]

     nvarg     One or more arguments that cannot be modified, e.g.
               on | off, demand

     ...       Repetition: One or more options or arguments can be speci-
               fied several times. Example: [attribute ...]

     |         Alternative: Only one option or one argument of several com-
               mands can be specified. Example: -v |-p |-a

     { }       Grouping: At least one option or argument from this group
               must be specified. Example: {special | mountpoint}





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intro_prm1(1)                                                 intro_prm1(1)

VARIABLES
     Throughout the manual pages there are references to TMPDIR, INCDIR,
     and LIBDIR. These represent directory names whose value is specified
     on each manual page as necessary. For example, TMPDIR might refer to
     /var/tmp. These are not environment variables and cannot be set.
     (There is an environment variable called TMPDIR which can be set [see
     tmpnam(3S)].) There are also references to LIBPATH, the default search
     path of the link editor and other tools.

DIAGNOSTICS
     Upon termination, each command returns two bytes of status, one sup-
     plied by the system and giving the cause for termination, and (in the
     case of normal termination) one supplied by the program. The former
     byte is 0 for normal termination; the latter is customarily 0 for suc-
     cessful execution and non-zero to indicate troubles such as erroneous
     parameters, or bad or inaccessible data. It is called variously exit
     code, exit status, or return code, and is described only where special
     conventions are involved [see wait(2) and exit(2)].

WARNINGS
     Some commands produce unexpected results when processing files con-
     taining null characters. These commands often treat text input lines
     as strings and therefore become confused upon encountering a null
     character (the string terminator) within a line.

DIRECTORIES
     INCDIR
          Standard directory for #include files (usually /usr/include)

     LIBDIR
          Usually /usr/ccs/lib

     TMPDIR
          Temporary directory, which defaults to /var/tmp

SEE ALSO
     getopts(1), exit(2), wait(2), getopt(3C).

















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