From: CSBVAX::MRGATE!V3.INFERENCE.COM!BJH%scgvaxd.UUCP@oberon.USC.EDU@SMTP 2-MAY-1988 00:13 To: ARISIA::EVERHART Subj: RE: question about edtini.edt in mail Received: from oberon.USC.EDU by KL.SRI.COM with TCP; Fri 29 Apr 88 18:03:04-PDT Received: by oberon.USC.EDU (5.51/5.5) id AA26709; Fri, 29 Apr 88 17:05:03 PDT Received: from engvax by scgvaxd.SCG.HAC.COM (5.51/smail2.5/11-25-87) id AA04904; Fri, 29 Apr 88 15:39:13 PDT Resent-From: BJH@V3.INFERENCE.COM Resent-Message-Id: <8804292239.AA04904@scgvaxd.SCG.HAC.COM> Message-Id: <8804292239.AA04904@scgvaxd.SCG.HAC.COM> Received: from V3.INFERENCE.COM by ENGVAX.SCG.HAC.COM; Fri, 29 Apr 88 16:38 PDT Date: Fri, 29 Apr 88 16:36 PST From: Brian Hagerty x 111 Subject: RE: question about edtini.edt in mail To: info-vax-submit@ENGVAX.SCG.HAC.COM X-Vms-To: IVAX,BJH,BJH Resent-Date: Fri, 29 Apr 88 16:40 PDT Resent-To: info-vax%kl.sri.com@oberon.USC.EDU Replying to Ron Kieffer, University of Calgary, > I have defined my mail command as mail/edit, and I also have an edtini.edt > file which defines a number of the commands that I use regularly in mail. > > these commands however, are only available if my working directory is > the same as the one that contains edtini.edt . > > I have defined edit as edit/edt/command=dev:[dir.dir1.]edtini.edt which > works well when I call up edt from any working directory, but it seems > not to carry through to mail/edt. > > Is there anything that can be done? Good question! - Ay? Many VAX utilities look in a 'standard' place(s) for initialization files or primary data files, and the like. The default VAX editor, EDT, looks first for the initialization file you specify in your /COMMAND qualifier to EDIT/EDT. If you don't specify /COMMAND, EDT looks for the logical name EDTINI; and finally for a file called EDTINI.EDT in your default directory. If all these searches fail, then EDT just comes up without initialization. So! You could define a symbol in your LOGIN.COM ... edit :== edit/command=sys$login:edtini.edt .... but this won't necessarily carry through to MAIL/EDIT. Ah! But MAIL also looks for a standard initialization file. MAIL looks for the procedure pointed to by the logical MAIL$EDIT. If MAIL finds a definition for MAIL$EDIT then it executes this procedure before invoking an editor. There is a standard procedure intended to be used (or copied and altered) by joe-anybody-user. To make a long story short, add these lines to your LOGIN.COM ... edit :== edit/edt/command=sys$login:edtini.edt mail :== mail/edit define mail$edit sys$system:mailedit.com This will work just fine (because MAIL$EDIT will use your EDIT symbol). Actually, I do the following (because I think logicals are more fun) ... edit :== edit/tpu ! EVE(tpu) is my default editor define tpusecini sys$login:tpusecini.tpu ! TPU looks for TPUSECINI define edtini sys$login:edtini.edt ! Lest I forget my roots mail :== mail/edit=(send,reply,forward) ! see MAIL> HELP /EDIT define mail$edit sys$system:mailedit.com ! supplied by Digital ! My editor in mail is TPU since MAIL$EDIT uses my EDIT symbol In fact, the logicals can be defined at the system level by your system manager -- if s/hes's of a fascist nature. There! Now you don't have to R(ead)T(he)F(ancy)M(anuals). Besides, it would probably take you one year to find all this info in the manuals and make heads and tails out of it. (It took me that long!) {Here's a bonus for all you VMS cadets: You can define your own symbol abbreviations. Eg, ed*it :== edit/tpu will allow you to type ed, edi, or edit to invoke the editor, and not have to always type the *lengthy* e-d-i-t. Put the "*" wherever you please. This, again, is more along the lines of what I do.} $ SHOW INTRUSION /TYPE=SUSPECT => Brian Hagerty [sic] => Network Manager & VAX-o-phile => Inference Corporation => Los Angeles, FL