helpdate(1)




NAME

     ckdate, errdate, helpdate, valdate - prompts for  and  vali-
     dates a date


SYNOPSIS

     ckdate [-Q] [-W width]  [-f format]  [-d default]  [-h help]
     [-e error] [-p prompt] [ -k pid [-s signal]]

     /usr/sadm/bin/errdate [-W width] [-e error] [-f format]

     /usr/sadm/bin/helpdate [-W width] [-h help] [-f format]

     /usr/sadm/bin/valdate [-f format] input


DESCRIPTION

     The  ckdate  utility  prompts  a  user  and  validates   the
     response.  It  defines, among other things, a prompt message
     whose response should be a date, text  for  help  and  error
     messages, and a default value (which will be returned if the
     user responds with a   <RETURN>).  The  user  response  must
     match the defined format for a date.

     All messages are limited in length to 70 characters and  are
     formatted automatically. Any white space used in the defini-
     tion (including newline) is stripped. The -W option  cancels
     the  automatic  formatting.  When  a  tilde is placed at the
     beginning or end of a message definition, the  default  text
     will  be  inserted  at that point, allowing both custom text
     and the default text to be displayed.

     If the prompt, help or error message  is  not  defined,  the
     default message (as defined under NOTES) will be displayed.

     Three visual tool modules are linked to the ckdate  command.
     They  are  errdate (which formats and displays an error mes-
     sage), helpdate (which formats and displays a help message),
     and  valdate  (which  validates  a  response). These modules
     should be used in conjunction  with  FML  objects.  In  this
     instance,  the FML object defines the prompt. When format is
     defined in the errdate and helpdate  modules,  the  messages
     will describe the expected format.


OPTIONS

     The following options are supported:

     -d default
           Defines the default value  as  default.   The  default
           does not have to meet the format criteria.

     -e error
           Defines the error message as error.

     -f format
           Specifies the format against which the input  will  be
           verified. Possible formats and their definitions are:

           %b  = abbreviated month name (jan, feb, mar)

           %B  = full month name %d  = day of month (01 - 31)

           %D  = date as %m/%d/%y (the default format)

           %e  = day of month (1 - 31; single digits are preceded
                 by a blank)

           %h  = abbreviated month name, identical to %b%

           %m  = month number (01 - 12)

           %y  = year within century (for instance, 89)

           %Y  = year as CCYY (for instance, 1989)

     -h help
           Defines the help messages as help.

     -k pid
           Specifies that process ID pid is to be sent  a  signal
           if the user chooses to abort.

     -p prompt
           Defines the prompt message as prompt.

     -Q    Specifies that quit will not be  allowed  as  a  valid
           response.

     -s signal
           Specifies that the process ID pid defined with the  -k
           option   is  to  be  sent  signal  signal when quit is
           chosen.  If no signal is  specified, SIGTERM is used.

     -W width
           Specifies that prompt, help and error messages will be
           formatted to a line length of width.


OPERANDS

     The following operand is supported:

     input Input to be verified against format criteria.


EXIT STATUS


     The following exit values are returned:

     0     Successful execution.

     1     EOF on input, or negative  width  on   -W  option,  or
           usage error.

     3     User termination (quit).

     4     Garbled format argument.


ATTRIBUTES

     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWcsu                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|


SEE ALSO

     attributes(5)


NOTES

     The default prompt for ckdate is:

     Enter the date [?,q]:

     The default error message is:

     ERROR - Please enter a date.  Format is <format>.

     The default help message is:

     Please enter a date. Format is <format>.

     When the quit option is chosen (and allowed), q is  returned
     along  with  the  return code 3. The valdate module will not
     produce any output.  It returns zero for  success  and  non-
     zero for failure.


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