ICL 1900 Series George 3 Operating System Commands

BRACKETS (BR)

Function

Changes the command delimiters at the current command level.

Format

BRACKETS new starter,new stopper

If either parameter is null, that command delimited is left unchanged.

Forbidden contexts

NO USER

Execution

Various checks are made that must all be satisfied before the delimiters at the current level are changed. The conditions that must be satisified are as follows:

1. The source of the command must either be a job description file or a macro definition file. If it is not, an error is reported.
2. The parametrs of the command must have the correct format for a delimiter. However, if either parameter is more than four characters long, only the first four characters are considered.
3. The starter and stopper to be set by the BRACKETS command may not be the same, and the delimiters are left unchnaged. Otherwise, the three conditions being satisfied, the delimiters at the current level are set to their new values.

Example

BRACKETS ««««,»»»»
BRACKETS ,!!!!

Notes

1. Great care must be taken when using this command because the GOTO command takes as the delimiters for a file those which are set when the GOTO command is read. Any GOTO command will not notice the BRACKETS command in a file and this may lead either to a label not being noticed or to the wrong label being picked up.
2. When the INPUT command is used to input a file, care should be taken that there can be no confusion between delimters in a file and the terminator for INPUT.

Error Messages

PARAMETER FORMAT ERROR
STARTER AND STOPPER MAY NOT BE THE SAME