WAVV Requirement Form
Date: 08/13/2007 Requirement #: WAVV200801
Title: Provide macro access to
update parameters
Detailed Problem Description: (Description of what you want changed - 400 character entry limit)
When XEDIT is in UPDATE
mode, allow XEDIT macros to access the relevant parameters that XEDIT used to
construct the file.
Requested Completion Date: ASAP
Requirement Type: Ease of Use
Business Justification: When XEDIT is used to maintain source code in CMS UPDATE format, the user identifies the applicable update files through CTL and UNTIL parameters to XEDIT. A common task is to create a new update on top of what is already there. It is attractive to write an XEDIT macro to do that while in XEDIT rather than leaving the editor, update an AUX file, and go back into XEDIT. Unfortunately, writing a robust macro is hard because the macro does not have access to the relevant XEDIT options (like the control file used and optionally the update specified in UNTIL).
Solution: (Optional)(Desired/undesired elements Note: Making a suggestion may limit a vendors ability to deliver a solution)
Probably least
complicated (from a vendor point of view) would be to provide an additional
element that can be inspected with the "EXTRACT"
subcommand.This would allow a macro to read the control file and follow the
trail. It may be an advantage for the macro writer to also expose some other elements
like the last AUX and UPDATE file being used, or maybe even the list of updates
applied (that is displayed when XEDIT is invoked).
Impact: (Optional) (How
will your company’s business be affected if a solution is not delivered?)
The alternative is to
have a wrapper around XEDIT that parses the command and retains some of the
options in GLOBALV. This is tedious and tricky.
Author Name: Author Title:
Rob van der Heij
Company Name:
Velocity
Software, Inc
& Address: 196-D Castro Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
Author E-mail:
rvdheij@velocity-software.com
Telephone: +31 40 223 0817