AmigaDOS wait for user input

[Sinphaltimus]

EDIT: Found it - here - http://www.amigawiki.de/doku.php?id=...commands_large

It's the ASK command.

Leaving topic for future ref in case someone else has same question otherwise, Please disregard the following:

I've read the AmigaDOS references and searched but cannot find an example to show me how a lot of ths should work.

I don't understand what this topic refers to, I downloaded the lha linked and don't know how to check it out..

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=69399

Basically, I want a script to run, prompt the user to press RETURN to continue.
As long as the user does not press enter, just sit there and wait for them to press enter.

As soon as they do press enter - finish running the rest of the script.

I don't understand how to use CON: or .KEY

Can someone explain this to me? And give a simple example?

[mark_k]

There's the Ask command which sort-of does what you want. Just have this in a script:
Ask "Press Return to continue."

Ask is intended for Yes/No responses though. So it accepts either Y, yes, N, no or nothing (just press return). If the user types something else then presses Return, the prompt message is shown again.

Edit: Whoops, didn't see your edit in time.

[Sinphaltimus]

Thanks Mark, I actually read your answer after posting this question so I guess it's a follow up question now.

OK, another question. I now do not understand how to use IF WARN to check for an answer.

If I ask a Yes or No questions.

If Yes continue script, if NO echo a msg then exit script.

Can you explain this to me? And give a simple example?

[Amiga1992]

ask Would you please answer Sinphaltimus' question?

if warn
   echo this is how you use it
else 
   echo get out of here noob!
endif

For future reference:
http://wiki.amigaos.net/wiki/AmigaOS...mand_Reference

[daxb]

Try this in a shell:

requestchoice "title" "body" "ok"

echo >con:20/100/300/200/title/wait

For .key usage have a look at sys:s/spat or dpat.

[Sinphaltimus]

Originally Posted by Akira

ask Would you please answer Sinphaltimus' question?

if warn
   echo this is how you use it
else 
   echo get out of here noob!
endif

For future reference:
http://wiki.amigaos.net/wiki/AmigaOS...mand_Reference

I stayed away from that reference because it's not AmigaDOS 3.1 "Copyright (c) 2012-2016 Hyperion Entertainment and contributors." It contains commands that don't exist for me like DISMOUNT.

But thank you, your example works for me as intended. That's exactly what I needed.

For refs, I was using:
http://www.amigawiki.de/doku.php?id=...commands_large

But I was unable to formulate proper usage. so again, thanks for your example.

[kolla]

What about this?

lab ask
set answer _x
echo noline "What is your name? "
set >NIL: answer ?
if "$answer" eq "_x"
  echo "Sorry, I demand an answer!"
  skip back ask
else
  echo "Hello $answer"
endif

As long as you don't answer that your name is _x of course - be creative

[Sinphaltimus]

Thanks kolla, I'm sure I'll need to know that at some point. Akira's answer pretty much nailed it.

[kolla]

Originally Posted by Sinphaltimus

Thanks kolla, I'm sure I'll need to know that at some point. Akira's answer pretty much nailed it.

Let me come with a small update - as I wrote the previous, I was puzzling over what trick I would use to check if a variable is not set - and now it just dawned upon me

lab ask
unset answer
echo noline "What is your name? "
set >NIL: answer ?
if "$answer" eq "*$answer"
  echo "Sorry, I demand an answer!"
  skip back ask
else
  echo "Hello $answer"
endif

See that trick? Unlike "sensible" shells of other operating systems, Amiga shell will treat unset variables as literal strings, including the dollar sign. So the solution is of course to check if "$var" is the same as "*$var", where the latter is the actual string with the dollar sign explicitly escaped (using *).

So now you can go ahead and call yourself _x or whatever you like

[Sinphaltimus]

Originally Posted by kolla

Let me come with a small update - as I wrote the previous, I was puzzling over what trick I would use to check if a variable is not set - and now it just dawned upon me

lab ask
unset answer
echo noline "What is your name? "
set >NIL: answer ?
if "$answer" eq "*$answer"
  echo "Sorry, I demand an answer!"
  skip back ask
else
  echo "Hello $answer"
endif

See that trick? Unlike "sensible" shells of other operating systems, Amiga shell will treat unset variables as literal strings, including the dollar sign. So the solution is of course to check if "$var" is the same as "*$var", where the latter is the actual string with the dollar sign explicitly escaped (using *).

So now you can go ahead and call yourself _x or whatever you like

Wow, this trick made one fo my scripts so much better. Since assign dismount SD0: does not dismount the volume on SD0: (assuming only one volume), I was able to customize this to ask user for the name of the SD0: mounted volume and it will dismount both.

Thanks kolla!

[kolla]

There are ways to get volume name via scripting, instead of user input, here is a script than can be named "unmount" for example...

.key DEV/A
.bra [
.ket ]

set fromdir "`cd`"
cd [DEV]
set VOL "`cd`"
cd "$fromdir"

assign [DEV] dismount
assign "$VOL" dismount

The dirty trick is that it enters into the device to get volume name using the cd command - there are times when entering the device is undesired (stale network drive f.eks). C:Info could do well with an update and LFORMAT option... something for the wish list

Anyways, here is a program you may be interested in

http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/Dismount

[Sinphaltimus]

Thanks. I'll check it out.