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WRITE

Annotations

controlmnemonic

Introduced in the 1995 ANSI M[UMPS] language standard.

This metalanguage symbol represents the name of a device control function. The meaning and effect of device control functions is described in the definition of the mnemonicspace (function library) of which these control functions are a part.

A controlmnemonic can start with either an alphabetic character or a question mark (?); any further characters should be alphabetic characters or digits.

ffformat

Approved for inclusion in a future M[UMPS] language standard.

This metalanguage symbol represents a format item that causes a form-feed in a Read or Write command. Such a format is written as a number sign (#).

format

Introduced in the 1977 ANSI M[UMPS] language standard.

This metalanguage symbol represents special formatting commands that may occur as arguments of both the Read and the Write commands.

Formatting specifications may include form feed instructions (number sign (#)), line feed instructions (exclamation mark (!)) and tabulation instructions (question mark (?) followed by column specification).

Examples:

#
!
?5
#!!!!!?25
###
#?5

Note: The format specification itself does not allow for indirection, but a format specification is an argument of a Read or Write command, and that argument may be indirected. As a result:

$EXTRACT("!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!",1,WHTSPACE)

is a valid way to create a variable number of line feeds.

Addition in the 1995 ANSI M[UMPS] language standard.

Formatting specifications may also include device control functions (see the metalanguage symbol controlmnemonic).

Examples:

WRITE /CUP(20,5),"Header goes here"
WRITE /SGR(1),"This appears in boldface"

nlformat

Approved for inclusion in a future M[UMPS] language standard.

This metalanguage symbol represents a format item that causes a line-feed in a Read or Write command. Such a format is written as an exclamation mark.

positionformat

Approved for inclusion in a future M[UMPS] language standard.

This metalanguage symbol represents a format item that may occur in an argument of a Read or a Write command.

Such format items may be ffformat (form-feeds), nlformat (line-feeds) or tabformat (tabulations).

tabformat

Approved for inclusion in a future M[UMPS] language standard.

This metalanguage symbol represents a format item that causes a tabulation in a Read or Write command. Such a format is written as a question mark followed by a numeric expression.

writeargument

Introduced in the 1977 ANSI M[UMPS] language standard.

This metalanguage symbol represents an occurrence of an argument of the Write command. Examples of valid arguments for the Write command appear in an earlier section. The argument of the Write command is either one of a list described below, or an indirection operator (@) followed by an expression that evaluates to a list (separated by commas) of such arguments.

A directly specified Write argument can be a format specification, an expression, or an asterisk followed by an expression.

Addition in the 1995 ANSI M[UMPS] language standard.

A format specification can also be a reference to a device control function (see the metalanguage symbols mnemonicspace and controlmnemonic.

Button for 1977 Button for 1984 Button for 1990 Button for 1995 Button for MDC Button for notes Button for examples

Copyright © Standard Documents; 1977-2024 MUMPS Development Committee;
Copyright © Examples: 1995-2024 Ed de Moel;
Copyright © Annotations: 2003-2008 Jacquard Systems Research
Copyright © Annotations: 2008-2024 Ed de Moel.

Some specifications are "approved for inclusion in a future standard". Note that the MUMPS Development Committee cannot guarantee that such future standards will indeed be published.

This page most recently updated on 15-Nov-2023, 18:57:54.

For comments, contact Ed de Moel (demoel@jacquardsystems.com)