longline(1F)

NAME

     readfile, longline - reads file, gets longest line

SYNOPSIS

     readfile filename

     longline [filename]

DESCRIPTION

     The readfile  function  reads  filename  and  copies  it  to
     stdout. No translation of NEWLINE is done. It keeps track of
     the longest line it reads and if there is a subsequent  call
     to  longline, the length of that line, including the NEWLINE
     character,  is returned.

     The longline function returns the length, including the NEW-
     LINE  character,  of  the  longest  line  in  filename.   If
     filename is not specified, it uses the  file  named  in  the
     last call to readfile.

EXAMPLES

     Example 1: Typical use of readfile and longline

     Here is a typical use of readfile and  longline  in  a  text
     frame definition file:

        .
        .
        .
     text="`readfile myfile`"
     columns=`longline`
        .
        .
        .

ATTRIBUTES

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

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

SEE ALSO

     cat(1), attributes(5)

DIAGNOSTICS

     If filename does not  exist,  readfile  will  return   FALSE
     (that is, the expression will have an error return).

     longline returns  0 if a readfile has  not  previously  been
     issued.

NOTES

     More than one descriptor can call readfile in the same frame
     definition  file.  In  text frames, if one of those calls is
     made from the text descriptor,  then  a  subsequent  use  of
     longline  will  always get the longest line of the file read
     by the readfile associated with the text descriptor, even if
     it was not the most recent use of readfile.