DBMEDIT(ADM)                         UNIX System V


     Name
          dbmedit - edit the mmdf database file


     Syntax
          /usr/bin/dbmedit [-v] [-ddatabase] [cmd...]


     Description
          The dbmedit command lets you edit the dbm(S)  database  used
          by  MMDF.   Use this command for quick and simple changes to
          the database or with careful use of setuid programs to  make
          controlled  changes  on  behalf  of  users.   For example, a
          forwardmail command (that you create) might use  dbmedit  to
          change a user's entry in the dbm database after changing the
          mail forwarding alias file.

          The -v option may be used to get a  verbose  description  of
          the program's activities.

          The -d option may be used to specify an alternate  database.
          The   default  is  given  by  the  ``tbldbm''  configuration
          variable or by the MDBM /usr/mmdf/mmdftailor variable.

          If no arguments are given to dbmedit, then the program  goes
          into  an  interactive  mode,  and  prompts the user for each
          command. Otherwise the arguments are taken as one command.

          Commands in dbmedit  refer  to  keys,  tables,  and  values.
          Tables  (see  tables(F))  are hashed into the database using
          dbmbuild(ADM). (Tables that refer to domain name servers are
          not part of the database).  The keys appear on the left side
          of the tables and the values on the right side. In  general,
          only  the  first  occurence of a value for a given key/table
          pair is significant. For example, the table entries:

               table1:
                    key1: val1
                    key2: val2

               table2:
                    key1: val3
                    key1: val4

          get hashed into the following database entries:

               key1  table1  val1
               key1  table2  val3
               key1  table2  val4
               key2  table1  val2

          (In the current implementation, the  database  is  keyed  on
          only  the key, and table/value pairs are encoded in the data
          portion.  This is likely to change but will not affect  this
          or any other program.)

          The command lines in interactive mode are parsed  using  the
          standard   MMDF  string-to-argument  routines  so  the  same
          quoting and escape conventions are used.   For  example,  if
          you  want double-quotes or spaces in the value, they must be
          escaped with a backslash or the string must be  quoted  (for
          spaces).

          The commands are:

               print key [table]
                   Print the value of  the  key/table  pair.   If  the
                   table is omitted, then print the value of any table
                   entry with this key.

               add key table value
                   Add a key/table entry with  the  given  value.   In
                   verbose  mode,  a warning message is printed if the
                   given key/table pair already has  a  value  in  the
                   database.

               delete key [table [value]]
                   Delete the values for  the  specified  key.   If  a
                   table  is specified, delete only the values for the
                   specified key/table  pair.   If  a  value  is  also
                   specified,  delete  only  entries for the pair with
                   that value.  It  is  an  error  to  try  to  delete
                   something  which does not appear in the database as
                   specified.

               change key table [oldvalue] newvalue
                   Change the value of the specified key/table pair to
                   newvalue.  If  oldvalue  is  specified,  change the
                   entry matching that value.  Otherwise,  change  the
                   value of the first occurence or add a new key/table
                   pair if none already exists.

               help
                   Give a brief summary of the commands

               quit
                   Exit the program.

          All commands may be shortened to their first character only.
          If  the  wrong  number of arguments is given to a command, a
          ``Usage:'' message is displayed.  This program may  be  used
          while  MMDF  processes are running.  All changes are made in
          real time; no temporary copy of the database is  made  while
          editing takes place.


     Files
          $(tbldbm).{dir,pag} - the mmdf database


     See Also
          tables(F), dbmbuild(ADM)


     Credit
          This utility was written by Phil Cockcroft.

          MMDF was developed at the University of Delaware and is used
          with permission.


     (printed 7/26/90)                               DBMEDIT(ADM)