valstr(1)

NAME

     ckstr, errstr, helpstr, valstr - display  a  prompt;  verify
     and return a string answer

SYNOPSIS

     ckstr [-Q] [-W width] [ [-r regexp]  [...]]  [-l length]  [-
     d default]  [-h help]  [-e error]  [-p prompt]  [  -k pid [-
     s signal]]

     /usr/sadm/bin/errstr [-W width] [-e error] [-l length] [  [-
     r regexp] [...]]

     /usr/sadm/bin/helpstr [-W width] [-h help] [-l length] [  [-
     r regexp] [...]]

     /usr/sadm/bin/valstr [-l length] [ [-r regexp] [...]] input

DESCRIPTION

     The ckstr utility prompts a user and validates the response.
     It  defines,  among  other  things,  a  prompt message whose
     response should be a string, text for help  and  error  mes-
     sages,  and  a default value (which are returned if the user
     responds with a <RETURN>).

     The answer returned from this command must match the defined
     regular  expression  and be no longer than the length speci-
     fied. If no regular expression is given, valid input must be
     a  string  with  a  length  less than or equal to the length
     defined with no internal, leading or trailing  white  space.
     If no length is defined, the length is not checked.

     All messages are limited in length to 79 characters and  are
     formatted automatically. Tabs and newlines are removed after
     a single white space character in a message definition,  but
     spaces are not removed. When a tilde is placed at the begin-
     ning 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 EXAMPLES) is displayed.

     Three visual tool modules are linked to the  ckstr  command.
     They are errstr (which formats and displays an error message
     on the standard output), helpstr (which formats and displays
     a  help  message  on the standard output), and valstr (which
     validates a response). These modules should be used in  con-
     junction  with   Framed  Access  Command  Environment (FACE)
     objects. In this instance,  the   FACE  object  defines  the
     prompt.

OPTIONS

     The following options are supported:

     -d default
           Defines the default value as default. The  default  is
           not  validated  and  so does not have to meet any cri-
           teria.

     -e error
           Defines the error message as  error.

     -h help
           Defines the help message as  help.

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

     -l length
           Specifies the maximum length of the input.

     -p prompt
           Defines the prompt message as prompt.

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

     -r regexp
           Specifies a regular expression,  regexp, against which
           the  input  should  be  validated.  May  include white
           space. If multiple expressions are defined, the answer
           need match only one of them.

     -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 length and/or reg-
           ular expression criteria.

EXAMPLES

     Example 1: Default prompt

     The default prompt for ckstr is:

     example% ckstr
     Enter an appropriate value [?,q]:

     Example 2: Default error message

     The default error message is  dependent  upon  the  type  of
     validation  involved.  The user will be told either that the
     length or the pattern matching  failed.  The  default  error
     message is:

     example% /usr/sadm/bin/errstr
     ERROR: Please enter a string which contains no embedded,
     leading or trailing spaces or tabs.

     Example 3: Default help message

     The default help message is also dependent upon the type  of
     validation  involved.   If  a  regular  expression  has been
     defined, the message is:

     example% /usr/sadm/bin/helpstr -r regexp
     Please enter a string which matches the following pattern:
     regexp

     Other messages define the length requirement and the defini-
     tion of a string.

     Example 4: Using the quit option

     When the quit option is chosen (and allowed), q is  returned
     along  with  the  return  code 3. Quit input gets a trailing
     newline.

     Example 5: Using the valstr module

     The valstr module will produce a usage message on stderr. It
     returns 0 for success and non-zero for failure.

     example% /usr/sadm/bin/valstr
     usage: valstr [-l length] [[-r regexp] [...]] input

EXIT STATUS

     The following exit values are returned:

     0     Successful execution.

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

     2     Invalid regular expression.
     3     User termination (quit).

ATTRIBUTES

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

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

SEE ALSO

     face(1), signal(3HEAD), attributes(5)