HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation

HP OpenVMS DCL Dictionary

Creates a window that emulates another terminal type.

Note At present, only DECterm windows are available with this command.

Format

CREATE/TERMINAL [command-string]

Parameter

command-string

Specifies a command string that is to be executed in the context of the created subprocess. You cannot specify this parameter with the /DETACH or the /NOPROCESS qualifier. The CREATE/TERMINAL command is used in much the same way as the SPAWN command.

Description

The CREATE/TERMINAL command creates a subprocess of your current process. When the subprocess is created, the process-permanent open files and any image or procedure context are not copied from the parent process. The subprocess is set to command level 0 (DCL level with the current prompt).

If you do not specify the /PROCESS qualifier, the name of this subprocess is composed of the same base name as the parent process and a unique number. For example, if the parent process name is SMITH, the subprocess name can be SMITH_1, SMITH_2, and so on.

The LOGIN.COM file of the parent process is not executed for the subprocess, because the context is copied separately, allowing quicker initialization of the subprocess. When the /WAIT qualifier is in effect, the parent process remains in hibernation until the subprocess terminates and returns control to the parent by using the ATTACH command.

You should use the LOGOUT command to terminate the subprocess and return to the parent process. You can also use the ATTACH command to transfer control of the terminal to another process in the subprocess tree, including the parent process. (The SHOW PROCESS/SUBPROCESS command displays the process in the subprocess tree and points to the current process.)

Note Because a tree of subprocesses can be established using the CREATE/TERMINAL command, you must be careful when terminating any process in the tree. When a process is terminated, all the subprocesses below that point in the tree are automatically terminated. For example, the SPAWN/NOWAIT CREATE/TERMINAL command creates a subprocess that exits as soon as the DECterm window is created. Once this process exits, the DECterm window disappears. Instead, use the SPAWN/NOWAIT CREATE/TERMINAL/WAIT command to allow the process to continue.

Qualifiers with the CREATE/TERMINAL command must directly follow the command verb. The command-string parameter begins after the last qualifier and continues to the end of the command line.

Qualifiers

/APPLICATION_KEYPAD

Sets the APPLICATION_KEYPAD terminal characteristic in the created terminal window. If the /APPLICATION_KEYPAD or the /NUMERIC_KEYPAD qualifier is not specified, the default is to inherit the characteristic from the parent. (See also /NUMERIC_KEYPAD.)

/BIG_FONT

Specifies that the big font (as specified in resource files) be selected when the created terminal window is initialized. It is an error to specify the /BIG_FONT qualifier in combination with the /LITTLE_FONT qualifier. If you do not specify either the /BIG_FONT or the /LITTLE_FONT qualifier, the initial font is the big font.

/BROADCAST

/NOBROADCAST

Determines whether the terminal window is created with broadcast messages enabled. If neither qualifier is specified, the created terminal window inherits the broadcast characteristic of the parent.

/CARRIAGE_CONTROL

/NOCARRIAGE_CONTROL

Determines whether carriage-return and line-feed characters are prefixed to the subprocess's prompt string. By default, the CREATE/TERMINAL command copies the current setting of the parent process. The CARRIAGE_CONTROL qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/CLI=cli-filespec

/NOCLI

Specifies the name of a command language interpreter (CLI) to be used by the subprocess. The default CLI is the same as that of the parent process (defined in SYSUAF). If you specify the /CLI qualifier, the attributes of the parent process are copied to the subprocess. The CLI you specify must be located in SYS$SYSTEM and have the file type .EXE. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/CONTROLLER=filespec

Specifies the name of the terminal window controller image. This name allows the CREATE/TERMINAL command to create a window on a variant controller, such as for a language not supported by the base product. For a DECterm window, the default is SYS$SYSTEM:DECW$TERMINAL.EXE. The device and directory default to SYS$SYSTEM and the file type defaults to .EXE.

Note The "name" field of the file name as returned by $PARSE is used to form the mailbox logical name. For example, if the file "name" is DECW$TERMINAL, the mailbox logical name will be DECW$TERMINAL_MAILBOX_node::0.0. For backward compatibility, the controller also defines a logical name DECW$DECTERM_MAILBOX_host::0.0 to point to the same mailbox.

/DEFINE_LOGICAL=({logname, TABLE=tablename} [,...])

Specifies one or more logical names that are set to the name of the created pseudo terminal device. Each element in the list is either a logical name or TABLE= followed by the name of a logical name table in which all subsequent logical names will be entered. The default is the process logical name table.

/DETACH

/NODETACH (default)

Determines whether the created terminal process is detached or a subprocess of the current process. The /DETACH qualifier cannot be used with the command-string parameter.

/DISPLAY=display-name

Specifies the name of the display on which to create the terminal window. If this parameter is omitted, the DECW$DISPLAY logical name is used.

/ESCAPE

/NOESCAPE

Sets or clears the ESCAPE characteristic of the created terminal window. The default is to inherit the characteristic of the parent.

/FALLBACK

/NOFALLBACK

Sets or clears the FALLBACK characteristic of the created terminal window. The default is to inherit the characteristic of the parent.

/HOSTSYNC (default)

/NOHOSTSYNC

Sets or clears the HOSTSYNC characteristic of the created terminal window. The default is to inherit the characteristic of the parent.

/INPUT=filespec

Specifies an alternate input file or device to use as SYS$INPUT for the new process. The default is to use the created terminal window for input. This qualifier can be used with or without the /DETACH qualifier.

/INSERT

Creates the terminal window with insert mode as the default for line editing. If the /INSERT or the /OVERSTRIKE qualifier is not specified, the default is to inherit the characteristic from the parent. (See also /OVERSTRIKE.)

/KEYPAD (default)

/NOKEYPAD

Determines whether keypad definitions and the current keypad state are copied from the parent process. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/LINE_EDITING

/NOLINE_EDITING

Determines whether the terminal window is created with line editing enabled. If neither qualifier is specified, the created terminal window inherits the line editing characteristic of the parent.

/LITTLE_FONT

Specifies that the little font (as specified in resource files) be selected when the created terminal window is initialized. It is an error to specify the /LITTLE_FONT qualifier in combination with the /BIG_FONT qualifier. If you do not specify either the /BIG_FONT or the /LITTLE_FONT qualifier, the initial font is the big font.

/LOGGED_IN (default)

/NOLOGGED_IN

Determines whether a prompt for a user name and password are supplied (/NOLOGGED_IN) or the created terminal window is logged in automatically (/LOGGED_IN). This qualifier is used only with the /DETACH qualifier.

/LOGICAL_NAMES (default)

/NOLOGICAL_NAMES

Determines whether the created terminal window inherits the parent's logical names. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/NOTIFY

/NONOTIFY (default)

Determines whether a notification message is broadcast to the parent when the created terminal window exits. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/NUMERIC_KEYPAD

Sets the NUMERIC_KEYPAD terminal characteristic in the created terminal window. If the /NUMERIC_KEYPAD or the /APPLICATION_KEYPAD qualifier is not specified, the default is to inherit the characteristic from the parent. (See also /APPLICATION_KEYPAD.)

/OVERSTRIKE

Creates the terminal window with overstrike mode as the default for line editing. If the /OVERSTRIKE or the /INSERT qualifier is not specified, the default is to inherit the characteristic from the parent. (See also /INSERT.)

/PASTHRU

/NOPASTHRU

Sets or clears the PASTHRU characteristic in the created terminal window. The default is to inherit the characteristic of the parent.

/PROCESS (default)

/PROCESS=process-name

/NOPROCESS

Specifies the name of the process or subprocess to be created. The /NOPROCESS qualifier causes a window to be created without a process. You can log in from this window.

If you specify the /PROCESS qualifier without a process name, a unique process name is assigned with the same base name as the parent process and a unique number. The default process name format is username_n. If you specify a process name that already exists, an error message is displayed. This qualifier is used with either the /DETACH or the /NODETACH qualifier.

/PROMPT=prompt

Specifies the prompt string of the created terminal window. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/READSYNC

/NOREADSYNC

Sets or clears the READSYNC terminal characteristic in the created terminal window. The default is to inherit the characteristic from the parent.

/RESOURCE_FILE=filespec

Specifies that the created terminal window use the resource file "filespec" instead of the default resource file, DECW$USER_DEFAULTS:DECW$TERMINAL_DEFAULT.DAT.

/SYMBOLS (default)

/NOSYMBOLS

Determines whether the subprocess inherits the parent's DCL symbols. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/TABLE=command-table

Specifies the name of an alternate command table to be used by the subprocess. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/TTSYNC

/NOTTSYNC

Sets or clears the TTSYNC terminal characteristic in the created terminal window; the default is to inherit the characteristic of the parent.

/TYPE_AHEAD

/NOTYPE_AHEAD

Sets or clears the TYPE_AHEAD terminal characteristic in the created terminal window. The default is to inherit the characteristic of the parent.

/WAIT

/NOWAIT (default)

Requires that you wait for the subprocess to terminate before you enter another DCL command. The /NOWAIT qualifier allows you to enter new commands while the subprocess is running. This qualifier is used only with the /NODETACH qualifier.

/WINDOW_ATTRIBUTES=(parameter [,...])

Specifies initial attributes for the created terminal window to override the defaults read from the resource file. These parameters include:

Parameter	Description
BACKGROUND	The background color.
FOREGROUND	The foreground color.
WIDTH	The width, in pixels.
HEIGHT	The height, in pixels.
X_POSITION	The x-position, in pixels.
Y_POSITION	The y-position, in pixels.
ROWS	The number of rows in the window, in character cells. If the Auto Resize Window option is enabled, the ROWS and COLUMNS parameters override the size specified by the WIDTH and HEIGHT parameters.
COLUMNS	The number of columns in the window, in character cells. If the Auto Resize Window option is enabled, the ROWS and COLUMNS parameters override the size specified by the WIDTH and HEIGHT parameters.
INITIAL_STATE	The initial state of the window, either ICON or WINDOW.
TITLE	A character string specifying the window title.
ICON_NAME	A character string specifying the window icon name.
FONT	The name of the font to be used in the window. If you specify the /LITTLE_FONT qualifier, or omit both the /LITTLE_FONT and /BIG_FONT qualifiers, this overrides the name of the little font that is set in the resource files; otherwise it overrides the name of the big font. The font name can be a logical name, and it can be (but does not have to be) the base font in a complete font set.

Examples

$ CREATE/TERMINAL=DECTERM/DETACH -
_$ /DISPLAY=MYNODE::0 -
_$ /WINDOW_ATTRIBUTES=( -
_$ ROWS=36, -
_$ COLUMNS=80, -
_$ TITLE="REMOTE TERMINAL", -
_$ ICON_NAME="REMOTE TERMINAL" )

      

In this example, the command creates a detached process in a DECterm window on node MYNODE:: that is 36 rows by 80 columns and has its title and icon name set to "Remote terminal".

$ CREATE/TERMINAL=DECTERM -
$_ /NOPROCESS -
$_ /DEFINE_LOGICAL=(TABLE=LNM$GROUP,DBG$INPUT,DBG$OUTPUT)
      

In this example, the command creates a DECterm with no associated process. The command defines DBG$INPUT and DBG$OUTPUT in the group table as the new terminal for the purposes of debugging a problem with a detached process that is subsequently created.