EDIT Mode

Commands RUN and SUBMIT execute two SIC command procedures, the Initialization File Task.init, which defines all parameters needed for example, and the Checker File Task.check, which verifies that all parameters are valid. In the example above, the example.init file is

     
TASK\INTEGER "An integer value"    I$           
TASK\REAL "A value between 0 and 1" A$ 
TASK\CHARACTER "Any character string" CHAIN$ 
TASK\REAL "4 Real values" ARRAY$[4]
TASK\FILE "A valid file name" FILE$ 
TASK\VALUES "Any values"  OLD$
TASK\GO

This is a standard procedure containing commands of a SIC language named TASK$\backslash$. Commands from this language are used to define the parameters required by the task, and cannot be called interactively. The command syntax is always the same :

TASK\Command "Prompt String" Parameter$[Dimensions] [Value [...]]

where

• Command indicates the type of parameter (CHARACTER, FILE, INTEGER, LOGICAL, REAL). A parameter of type FILE is a character string containing a valid file name. VALUES is intended to hold multiple values (which can be mathematical expression), without any prior on the number of values.
• "Prompt String" is a character string used as a prompt to ask for the parameter value(s)
• Parameter$ is the parameter name
• [Dimensions] are the parameter dimensions, in case it is an array. Only REAL and INTEGER parameters may be arrays.
• Value(s) are the parameter values, an array requiring as many values as array elements.

Once all parameters have been assigned values, RUN and SUBMIT commands execute the example.check file, writing the current parameter values in an auxiliary file which will be used by the task example. If a parameter is incorrect, an error is returned, and the task example not executed.

Instead of supplying the parameters in a query mode, the user can use a text editor to edit the .init file using command

     VECTOR> RUN example /EDIT
or 
     VECTOR> SUBMIT example /EDIT

The parameter values can then be typed after the parameter names in the example.init file, using SIC continuation marks (``-'' as the last character of a line) if needed for long command lines. example.init will be executed after exiting the editor. If a parameter value is missing, the user will nevertheless be prompted for it after exiting the editor.

The text editor called is user defined by the command SIC$\backslash$SIC EDITOR or the logical name GAG_EDIT.