The PROMPT statement assigns a user-supplied
value to a variable.
Syntax
PROMPT question
[ ATTRIBUTES ( display-attribute [,...] ) ]
FOR [CHAR[ACTER]] variable
[ HELP number ]
[ ATTRIBUTES ( control-attribute [,...] ) ]
[ dialog-control-block
[...]
END PROMPT ]
where
dialog-control-block is one
of:
{ ON IDLE seconds
| ON TIMER seconds
| ON ACTION action-name
| ON KEY ( key-name [,...] )
}
statement
[...]
where
display-attribute is:
{ BLACK | BLUE | CYAN | GREEN
| MAGENTA | RED | WHITE | YELLOW
| BOLD | DIM | INVISIBLE | NORMAL
| REVERSE | BLINK | UNDERLINE
}
where
control-attribute is:
{ ACCEPT [ = boolean ]
| CANCEL [ = boolean ]
| CENTURY = "century-spec"
| FORMAT = "format-spec"
| PICTURE = "picture-spec"
| SHIFT = { "up" | "down" }
| HELP = help-number
| COUNT = row-count
| UNBUFFERED [ = boolean ]
| WITHOUT DEFAULTS [ = boolean ]
}
- question is a string expression displayed as
a message for the input of the value.
- variable is the name of the variable that receives
the data typed by the user.
- The FOR CHAR clause exits the prompt statement
when the first character has been typed.
- number is the help message number to be displayed
when the user presses the help key.
- key-name is an hot-key identifier (such as F11 or Control-z).
- action-name identifies an action that can be
executed by the user.
- seconds is an integer literal or variable that defines a number of
seconds.
- statement is an instruction that is executed
when the user presses the key defined by key-name.
- century-spec is a string specifying the century
input rule, like the CENTURY attribute.
- format-spec is a string defining the display
format for the prompt field, like the FORMAT attribute.
- picture-spec is a string defining the input
format for the prompt field, like the PICTURE attribute.