ckdate(1)

ckdate, errdate, helpdate, valdate -- prompt for and validate a date

Synopsis

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

errdate [-W width] [-e error] [-f format]

helpdate [-W width] [-h help] [-f format]

valdate [-f format] input

Description

ckdate 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 is 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 definition (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 is 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 ``Notices'') is displayed.

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

The options and arguments for this command are:

-Q

Do not allow quit as a valid response..

-W

Use width as the line length for prompt, help, and error messages.

-f

Verify input using format. Possible formats and their definitions are:

%b: abbreviated month name (for example, ``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 (same as %b)
%m: month number (01 - 12)
%y: year within century (for example, 91)
%Y: year as CCYY (for example, 1991)

-d

The default value is default. The default is not validated and so does not have to meet any criteria.

-h

The help message is help.

-e

The error message is error.

-p

The prompt message is prompt.

-k

Send process ID pid a signal if the user chooses to abort.

-s

When quit is chosen, send signal to the process whose pid is specified by the -k option. If no signal is specified, use SIGTERM.

input

Input to be verified against format criteria.

Exit codes

0: Successful execution
1: EOF on input
1: Usage error
3: User termination (quit)
4: Garbled format argument

Notices

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 does not produce any output. It returns zero for success and non-zero for failure.