Modify the system prompt '>'?

Working with a group of developers, I'd like to modify the system prompt in UniVerse from the standard '>' to include the account in which they are working. The 'WHO' command can give misleading results as it shows the folder in which they are running which may or may not be the UniVerse account. For instance, my developers each have a folder that contains the various accounts that they need for testing and source control. An example might be '/bl1/DEV_ABC/COM' and the 'WHO' command returns 'COM' but the UV.ACCOUNT record for this path is 'COM_ABC'. So, I'd like to modify the system prompt to show 'COM_ABC>'. I would assume that this could be set either in the 'LOGIN' script or in 'UV.LOGIN'. That will provide a visual cue that they are not in a production account. So far, searching the documentation has not produced an answer.

TIA!

Have you tried writing your own CLI?  I call mine XTCL.  The prompt is customizable.  For example, I made mine so an active-list inverts and flashes the prompt rather than just doubling it (>>).  I can send you the code, if you like.

Working with a group of developers, I'd like to modify the system prompt in UniVerse from the standard '>' to include the account in which they are working. The 'WHO' command can give misleading results as it shows the folder in which they are running which may or may not be the UniVerse account. For instance, my developers each have a folder that contains the various accounts that they need for testing and source control. An example might be '/bl1/DEV_ABC/COM' and the 'WHO' command returns 'COM' but the UV.ACCOUNT record for this path is 'COM_ABC'. So, I'd like to modify the system prompt to show 'COM_ABC>'. I would assume that this could be set either in the 'LOGIN' script or in 'UV.LOGIN'. That will provide a visual cue that they are not in a production account. So far, searching the documentation has not produced an answer.

TIA!

Hi Jeff,

To my knowledge, the only thing directly available in UniVerse is the UVPROMPT command. This allows you to change the prompt character from the default ">". But you can only change a single character. There is no capability to change it to a string. So doing something las suggested by Marcus may be the best solution.

Thanks,

Neil

Thanks for the quick reply. That's an interesting idea and I'd be interest in seeing how you implemented. Seems like the database would allow some customization, similar to Linux, Windows, etc.

You can use the undocumented  ASSIGN and SYSTEM 4001 & 4002 

4001 - 4002 Assign a string to TCL prompt, instead of single character:
        STELPROMPT = @WHO : '>' ; * normal
        STELPROMPT<2> = @WHO : '>>' ; select list active
        STELPROMPT<3> = '+' ; multi-line command
        ASSIGN 1 TO SYSTEM(4001)
        ASSIGN STELPROMPT TO SYSTEM(4002) 

We actually use

ASSIGN 1 TO SYSTEM(4001)
ASSIGN @(-13):@WHO:@(-14):' >':@FM:@(-13):@WHO:@(-14):' >>':@FM:'+' TO SYSTEM(4002)

I created this from @Andy Baum's snippet.

* Setting the TCL prompt
*
* Author:  Gregor Scott
* Date  :  07-09-2023
*
* Derived from a post in the Rocket Forum by Andy Baum, responding to the
* thread "Re: Modify the system prompt '>'? " on 06-Aug-2023:
*__________________________________________________________________________
* You can use the undocumented  ASSIGN and SYSTEM 4001 & 4002 
* 4001 - 4002 Assign a string to TCL prompt, instead of single character:
*         STELPROMPT = @WHO : '>' ; * normal
*         STELPROMPT<2> = @WHO : '>>' ; select list active
*         STELPROMPT<3> = '+' ; multi-line command
*         ASSIGN 1 TO SYSTEM(4001)
*         ASSIGN STELPROMPT TO SYSTEM(4002) 
* We actually use
* ASSIGN 1 TO SYSTEM(4001)
* ASSIGN @(-13):@WHO:@(-14):' >':@FM:@(-13):@WHO:@(-14):' >>':@FM:'+' TO SYSTEM(4002)
*__________________________________________________________________________
*
*
* SYNTAX:   TCL.PROMPT SET [{value}]
*           TCL.PROMPT RESET
*
* if {value} is not supplied with the SET command, then the
* current @WHO value will be used.

*
* First, get our command line options
*
get(arg.) the.CMD else the.CMD = ""
b.SET = (upcase(the.CMD) = "SET")
b.RESET = (upcase(the.CMD) = "RESET")
if not(b.SET) and not(b.RESET) then
   crt "SYNTAX:   TCL.PROMPT SET [{value}]"
   crt "          TCL.PROMPT RESET"
   crt
   crt "The SET command assigns a custom string as the TCL prompt."
   crt "If {value} is not supplied then the current @WHO value is used."
   crt
   crt "The RESET command resets the prompt back to the system default."
   crt
   stop
end

begin case
   case b.SET
      get(arg.) the.PROMPT else the.PROMPT = ''
      if len(the.PROMPT) = 0 then the.PROMPT = @WHO
      assign 1 to system(4001)
      assign @(-13):the.PROMPT:@(-14):' >':@AM:@(-13):the.PROMPT:@(-14):' >>':@AM:'+' to system(4002)
      
   case b.RESET
      assign 0 to system(4001)

end case
stop

On our UV 11.3.5 it produces an interesting result:

The "active select" prompt is using the UVPROMPT active select value and then showing the custom default text value.

It seems that the "undocumented" feature has been compromised in recent releases.

I also found that when SYSTEM(4001)= 1 then the TCL prompt no longer processes the <BACKSPACE> key!

After running the TCL.PROPT RESET to turn it off the <BACKSPACE> key works again.

Looks like a custom TCL prompt is a cleaner approach.

------------------------------
Gregor Scott
Software Architect
Pentana Solutions Pty Ltd
Mount Waverley VIC AU
------------------------------

it is interesting to note that the UVPROMPT command on  11.3.5 does allow for adjusting the prompt characters:

>uvprompt # + >
#SELECT VOC SAMPLE 1

1 record(s) selected to SELECT list #0.
+#LIST VOC _
>F1

LIST VOC  F1 11:09:51  07-09-23  PAGE    1
VOC......... F1.............

LOOP         K

1 records listed.
#

I have yet to find a system function which identifies what the current prompt characters are, which makes it a challenge to implement a TCL CLI that properly responds to the UV setup.

Did a quick test with 11.3.5 and the select prompt and the backspace appear to work fine.

>RUN BP SETPROMPT
DEV-1 >SELECT VOC SAMPLE 1

1 record(s) selected to SELECT list #0.
DEV-1 >>
DEV-1 >>.L RELLEVEL

     RELLEVEL
001 X
002 11.3.5
003 NEWACC
004
005 11.3.5
DEV-1 >>