cli.doc

MMURTL(tm) Computer Operating System Ver x0.8, source code.

Copyright 1991-1993,  R.A. Burgess

The MMURTL Command Line Interpreter

The MMURTL Command Line Interpreter (called CLI) is a program that accepts commands and executes them for you.

The CLI screen is divided into two sections. The top line is the status line. It provides information to you such as Date, Time, CLI version, Job number for this CLI and your current path.  

The rest of the screen is an interactive display area that will contain your command prompt.  The Command Prompt is a Greater-Then symbol followed by a reverse video line.  This line is where you enter commands to be executed by the CLI.


INTERNAL COMMANDS

The CLI has several built-in commands and can also execute external commands (load and execute ".RUN" files).

The internal commands are:

	Cls      - Clear Screen
	Copy     - Copy a file
	Dir      - Directory listing
	Debug    - Enter Debugger
	Dump     - Hex dump of a file
	Exit     - Exit and terminate CLI (return to Monitor)
	Help     - Display list of internal commands
	Monitor  - Return to Monitor (leave this CLI running)
	MD       - Make Directory
	Path     - Set file access path (New path e.g. D:\DIR\)
	RD       - Remove directory
	Rename   - Rename a file (Current name  New name)
	Run      - Execute a run file (replacing this CLI) 
	Type     - Type the contents of text file to the screen 


Cls	(Clear Screen)

The Clear Screen command removes all the text from the CLI screen and places the command prompt at the top of the screen.


Copy  (Copy a file)

This makes a copy of a file with a different name.  If the file exists you are prompted to overwrite unless you spcifiy /O as a command line option.


	Copy THISFILE.TXT  THATFILE.TXT  (Enter)


Dir  (Directory listing)

This lists ALL the files for you current path or a path that you specifiy.

	Dir  C:\SOURCE\   (Enter)

The listing fills a page and prompts you to press Enter for the next screen full. Pressing Escape will stop the listing.
The listing is in multiple columns as:

  FILENAME   SIZE  DATE TIME  TYPE   FIRST-CLUSTER


Debug  (Enter Debugger)

This enters MMURTL's built-in Debugger.  TO exit the Debugger press Escape.  For more information on the Debugger see the Debugger Manual.


Dump   (Hex dump of a file)

This dumps the contents of a file in hexidecial format as follows (16 bytes per line):

	ADDRESS  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 xxxx


Exit   (Exit the CLI)

This exits this CLI and terminates this job.  The Keyboard and video will be assigned to the monitor if this was the active job.


Help  (List internal commands)

This opens a file called CLI.Hlp (if it exists) and displays it on the screen.  The file should located in the MMURTL system directory.


Monitor  (Return to Monitor)

If this is the active CLI (the one displayed) this will assign the keyboard and video back to the monitor.  This CLI will still be executing.


MD      (Make Directory)

This creates an empty directory in the current path or the path specified on the command line.

	MD OLDSTUFF
	MD C:\MMURTL\OLDSTUFF


Path  (Set file access path)

This sets the file access path for this Job. 

Do not confuse the term Path for the MS-DOS equivilent.  In MMURTL, a job's path is simply a prefix used by the file system to make complete file specification from a filename.  

With any file system operation (opening, renaming, listing, etc.), if you don't specify a full file specification (including the drive), the file system appends your specification to your current path.

The path you set in the CLI will remain the path for any job that is run, or command that is executed for this CLI.  The path may also be set programatically (by some program you run).  So don't be surprised if you return to this CLI with a different path.  The current path is displayed on the status line in the CLI.

The path MUST end with the BACKSLASH.  Examples:

	Path  D:\DIR\  (Enter)
	PATH  C:\      (Enter)
	

RD   (Remove Directory)

This removes an empty directory in the current path or the path specified on the command line.

	RD OLDSTUFF
	RD C:\MMURTL\OLDSTUFF

The directory must be empty.  The only entries allowed are the two default entries (. & ..)


Rename   (Rename a file)

This changes the name of a file.  If the new filename exists you are prompted to overwrite unless you spcifiy /O as a command line option in which case it will not prompt you (It will overwrite it).

	Copy OLDNAME.TXT  NEWNAME.TXT  (Enter)


Run   (Execute a .RUN file)

This executes the named runfile in place of this CLI (same job number).  The Path remains the same as was set in the CLI. Examples:

	Run C:\MMURTL\Edit.run New.Txt
	Run D:\MMDEV\Test.run 

Any parameters specified after the runfile name are passed to the run file.

Type   (View a text file on the screen)

This displays the contents of text file to the screen one page at a time.


EXTERNAL COMMANDS

External commands are those not built-in to the CLI.  These are run files located in various directories on your disk.

MMURTL looks for external commands in two places:

	1) Your current path (shown on the status line)

	2) Listed in the File COMMANDS.CLI

The file COMMANDS.CLI must be located in your active MMURTL System Directory (See the Monitor manual for more info on the System Directory).

The contents of the file COMMANDS.CLI tells the CLI what run file to execute for a command name.  It is a simple text file with one command per line.  The first item on the line is the command name. It is followed with the full file specification for the run file to execute.  An example of COMMANDS.CLI follows:

;Any line beginning with SEMI-COLON is a comment.
EDIT 	C:\MMURTL\Edit.run
FILEMGR 	C:\MMURTL\FIleMgr.run
CM32 	C:\CM32\CM32.run
DASM 	D:\DASM\DASM.run
;End of Command.cli

There must be at least one space or tab between the command name and the runfile. Additional spaces and tabs are ignored.

Any parameters you specifiy on the command line in the CLI are passed to the run file that is executed.  You may also add parameters to the line in COMMANDS.CLI.  In this case, the paramters you specified on the command line are appended to those you have in the COMMANDS.CLI file.



GLOBAL "HOT KEYS"

The system recognizes certain keys that are not passed to applications to perform system-wide functions.  Global Hot Keys are those that are pressed while the CTRL and ALT keys are held down.  The CLI doesn't recognize any Hot Keys, but other application might.

CTRL-ALT-PAGE DOWN - switches video and keyboard to next job or the monitor.  This key sequence is received and acted upon by the Monitor program.

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