Commands and Processes

The tables shown in this section contain all commands and processes available in all Datamine Studio products. Each table represents a group of commands and processes starting with a particular letter, with design commands shown above file processes.

This Help content will provide availability status for each command or process; some commands are only available in certain applications, such as COKRIG in Studio RM, for example. If you wish to discuss expanding your Datamine software suite, please contact your local Datamine representative.

Using the Command and Process Tables

The leftmost column indicates the name of the command or process, as you would type it into the Command Line to launch it.

The next series of columns represent each Studio product, with a symbol indicating command or process availability:

A green tick indicates that the module is part of the core system licensing for the specified product - no additional module is required

X A red cross indicates the module is not part of the listed system and any commands held within it cannot be run (a separate product will be required)

� A blue diamond indicates the module is an optional extra for the specified system

What's the difference between a "command" and a "process"?

• A command is a function that works on or with a data object already loaded into memory (e.g. 'new-string', 'edit-attributes') or creates a data object.

• A process is a file-in-file-out operation; data in memory is unaffected, and where an input file is required, it is selected from disk. Similarly a file is output to disk if the process creates one.

What is a Superprocess?

Similar to a macro, a Superprocess is a series of processes and other macro commands (see below) that can be performed sequentially to achieve a more complex outcome than is possible for a single command. Superprocesses appear as other processes and are created by compiling a superprocess macro via the LOADCF process (yes, a process is used to create superprocesses!).

TONGRAD is an example of a superprocess. There are many others.

Macro Commands

Macro commands are used to support processes. They provide a wide range of options, from manipulating variables to checking the syntax of a macro.

The following is a complete list of all macro commands, available in all Studio applications. A link is provided to each command's help topic.

Command Name	Description
BACKTO	Unconditionally branches to a specified screen name or label within a macro or menu.
ECHO	Display a message in the Command control bar.
ELSE	Evaluate one or more logical expressions involving substitution variables and constants in a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
ELSEIF	Evaluate one or more logical expressions involving substitution variables and constants in a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
END	End a macro or menu within a macro file (macro/menu use only).
ENDIF	Terminate one or more logical expressions involving substitution variables and constants in a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
FIELD	Detects the existence of a database field from within a menu or macro (macro/menu use only).
FILE	Detects the existence of a database file from within a menu or macro, and, optionally, the number of records in the file (macro/menu use only).
GOSUB	Stores the current macro position and branches to a specified command label within a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
GOTO	Unconditionally branches to a specified command label within a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
HOLD	Stop exit from macro or menu on fatal error (macro/menu use only).
IF	Evaluate one or more logical expressions involving substitution variables and constants in a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
INCLUDE	Enable records from a Datamine file to be incorporated as normal data and/or statement lines within a Macro or Menu (macro/menu use only).
KBOFF	Toggle OFF the keyboard after using KBON (macro/menu use only).
KBON	Toggle ON the use of the keyboard as a means of data entry into a running macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
LET	Set values of substitution variables. Arithmetic and functions are provided (macro/menu use only).
LOADCF	Load a macro file (*.mac) into a menu file (*.men) for faster execution.
MACEND	Terminates the storage of interactive input in a character format system file.
MACST	Starts the storage of all subsequent interactive input in a character format system macro file.
MDEBUG	Interactively debug macros and menus.
MENU	Initiate the currently established menu. The menu name is requested. This must be the name of a binary random access menu file loaded by the !LOADCF command.
NOHOLD	Exit from a macro or menu when a fatal error is encountered or if '!' is entered by the user (macro/menu use only).
NOMENU	Check the syntax of the currently established menu. !NOMENU works in the same way as !MENU, except that the menu is not executed.
NOXRUN	Check a macro for syntax.
ONERR	Transfer control to a specified label in the menu or macro if a fatal error occurs (macro/menu use only).
OPSYS	Transfer control to a specified label in the menu or macro if a fatal error occurs (macro/menu use only).
PAUSE	Pause a macro for a time proportional to the @DELAY parameter (macro/menu use only).
PROMPT	Display prompts and messages on screen (macro/menu use only).
REM	Record comments in a macro or menu file (macro/menu use only).
RETURN	Transfer control back to the next statement following a GOSUB statement in a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
RUNPROG	Run any external process from a macro, such as a batch file or executable
SCROFF	Divert text screen output into a system file during macro execution (macro/menu use only).
SCRON	Restore screen output previously diverted by a !SCROFF command (macro/menu use only).
START	Start a macro or menu (macro/menu use only).
STKPAR	Retrieve substitution variables and their values from a system character format file (macro/menu use only).
STKSAV	Write substitution variables and their values to a system character format file (macro/menu use only).
SYSFILE	Check if a system file exists (macro/menu use only).
VARINIT	Initialize the number of substitution variables to zero for the current macro level (macro/menu use only).
VARLOAD	Read substitution variables from a system text file (macro/menu use only).
VARSAVE	Save or merge substitution variables into a system text file (macro/menu use only).
XRUN	Run a macro or menu.

Related topics and activities

• Introduction to Commands and Processes

• Retrieval Criteria

• Command and Processes Table - A

• Command and Processes Table - B

• Command and Processes Table - C

• Command and Processes Table - D

• Command and Processes Table - E

• Command and Processes Table - F

• Command and Processes Table - G

• Command and Processes Table - H

• Command and Processes Table - I

• Command and Processes Table - J

• Command and Processes Table - K

• Command and Processes Table - L

• Command and Processes Table - M

• Command and Processes Table - N

• Command and Processes Table - O

• Command and Processes Table - P

• Command and Processes Table - Q

• Command and Processes Table - R

• Command and Processes Table - S

• Command and Processes Table - T

• Command and Processes Table - U

• Command and Processes Table - V

• Command and Processes Table - W

• Command and Processes Table - X

• Command and Processes Table - Y

• Command and Processes Table - Z