ckitem(1M) ckitem(1M)
NAME
ckitem, erritem, helpitem - build a menu; prompt for and return a menu
item
SYNOPSIS
/usr/bin/ckitem [-Q] [-W width] [-uno] [-f file] [-l label]
[[-i invis] [, ...]] [-m max] [-d default] [-h help]
[-e error] [-p prompt] [-k pid [-s signal]]
[choice [...]]
/usr/sadm/bin/erritem [-W] [-e error] [choice [...]]
/usr/sadm/bin/helpitem [-W] [-h help] [choice [...]]
DESCRIPTION
ckitem builds a menu and prompts the user to choose one item from a
menu of items. It then verifies the response. Options for this command
define, among other things, a prompt message whose response will be a
menu item, text for help and error messages, and a default value
(which will be returned if the user responds with a carriage return).
Unless otherwise specified, the menu is formatted so that each item
precedes a number and the elements comprising an item appear in
columns on the screen. The column width is determined by the longest
item. The items are arranged alphabetically.
All messages are limited in length to 70 characters and are formatted
automatically. Any white space used in the definition (including new-
line) is stripped. The -W option cancels the automatic formatting.
When a tilde is placed at the beginning or end of a message defini-
tion, 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 mes-
sage (as defined under NOTES) will be displayed.
Two visual tool modules are linked to the ckitem command. They are
erritem (which formats and displays an error message) and helpitem
(which formats and displays a help message). These modules should be
used in conjunction with FML objects. In this instance, the FML object
defines the prompt. When choice is defined in these modules, the mes-
sages will describe the available menu choice (or choices).
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OPTIONS
The options and arguments for this command are:
-Q Specifies that quit will not be allowed as a valid response.
-W Specifies that prompt, help and error messages will be format-
ted to a line length of width.
-u Specifies that menu items should be displayed as an unnumbered
list.
-n Specifies that menu items should not be displayed in alphabet-
ical order.
-o Specifies that only one menu token will be returned.
-f Defines a file, file. which contains a list of menu items to
be displayed. (The format of this file is:
token<tab>description. Lines beginning with a pound sign (#)
are designated as comments and ignored.)
-l Defines a label, label, to print above the menu.
-i Defines invisible menu choices (those which will not be
printed in the menu). (For example, "all" used as an invisible
choice would mean it is a legal option but does not appear in
the menu. Any number of invisible choices may be defined.)
Invisible choices should be made known to a user either in the
prompt or in a help message.
-m Defines the maximum number of menu choices allowed.
-d Defines the default value as default. The default is not vali-
dated and so does not have to meet any criteria.
-h Defines the help messages as help.
-e Defines the error message as error.
-p Defines the prompt message as prompt.
-k Specifies that the process ID pid is to be sent a signal if
the user chooses to abort.
-s Specifies that 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.
choice Defines menu items. Items should be separated by white space
or newline.
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EXIT CODES
0 = Successful execution
1 = EOF on input
2 = Usage error
3 = User termination (quit)
4 = No choices from which to choose
NOTES
The user may input the number of the menu item if choices are numbered
or as much of the string required for a unique identification of the
item. Long menus are paged with 10 items per page.
When menu entries are defined both in a file (by using the -f option)
and also on the command line, they are usually combined alphabeti-
cally. However, if the -n option is used to suppress alphabetical ord-
ering, then the entries defined in the file are shown first, followed
by the options defined on the command line.
The default prompt for ckitem is:
Enter selection [?,??,q]:
One question mark will give a help message and then redisplay the
prompt. Two question marks will give a help message and then redisplay
the menu label, the menu and the prompt.
The default error message is:
ERROR - Does not match an available menu selection.
Enter one of the following:
- the number of the menu item you wish to select
- the token associated withe the menu item
- partial string which uniquely identifies the token for the menu item
- ?? to reprint the menu
The default help message is:
Enter one of the following:
- the number of the menu item you wish to select
- the token associated with the menu item
- partial string which uniquely identifies the token for the menu item
- ?? to reprint the menu
When the quit option is chosen (and allowed), q is
returned along with the return code 3.
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