Calling the Batch Interpreter

The Interpreter can be used in an interactive mode or with the help of a file, containing the batch program. When using a file no input from the keyboard is necessary. The interactive mode can be activated by just calling the interpreter:

/Unix> batchman

which produces:

SNNS Batch Interpreter V1.0. Type batchman -h for help.
No input file specified, reading input from stdin.
batchman>

Now the interpreter is ready to accept the user's instructions, which can be entered with the help of the keyboard. Once the input is completed the interpreter can be put to work with Ctrl-D. The interpreter can be aborted with Ctrl-C. The instructions entered are only invoked after Ctrl-D is pressed.

If the user decides to use a file for input the command line option -f has to be given together with the name of the interpreter:

/Unix> batchman -f myprog.bat

Once this is completed, the interpreter starts the program contained in the file myprog.bat and executes its commands.

The standard output is usually the screen but with the command line option -l the output can be redirected in a protocol file. The name of the file has to follow the command line option:

/Unix> batchman -l logfile

Usually the output is redirected in combination with the reading of the program out of a file:

/Unix> batchman -f myprog.bat -l logfile

The order of the command line options is arbitrary.

More command line options are:

• -p: Programs should only be parsed but not executed. This option tells the interpreter to check the correctness of the program without executing the instructions contained in the program. Run time errors can not be detected. Such a run time error could be an invalid SNNS function call.

• -q: No messages should be displayed except those caused by the print()-function.

• -s: No warnings should be displayed.

• -h: A help message should be displayed which describes the available command line options.

All following input will be printed without the shell-text.