In article <1995Nov5.163902@miavx1>, [log in to unmask] (R.E. Willia
ms, Jr.) writes:
> For a while now I've been getting an error message when my login.com file
> executes. I finally broke down from boredom and decided to see what's
> happening, so I stuck a bunch of output statements in to see where the error
> is occuring, and well, the results confuse me.
>
> Here is a segment from my login.com:
>
> $ write sys$output ""
> $ write sys$output "Defining SIG$DIR..."
> $ define sig$dir sys_users:[san.williar2.sigs]
>
> $ write sys$output ""
> $ write sys$output "Setting terminal dimensions..."
> $ set term/page=35/width=100
>
> $ write sys$output ""
> $ write sys$output "Preparing to define nicknames..."
>
>
> And here is what this segment produces:
>
> Defining SIG$DIR...
>
> Setting terminal dimensions...
> %DCL-W-SKPDAT, image data (records not beginning with "$") ignored
>
> Preparing to define nicknames...
>
> What is causing the error? There are no lines that do not contain a $.
 
Actually, there are several.  The blank lines are what are causing the
problem.  DCL is fairly forgiving many times.  It lets you leave out
the $ at the beginning of lines sometimes and lets you have blank lines in
your program...sometimes.  This is one of those times, though, when you
can't have blank lines.  The blank line is confusing the SET TERMINAL
command.
 
Also, there is an easier way to debug programs that putting a lot of WRITE
commands in it.  Try issuing the command SET VERIFY before running a .COM
file (or add it to the beginning of your .COM file).  It'll show you all of
the commands as they're being executed.  You can use the SET NOVERIFY
command to turn this back off.
 
--
                                     Kent Covert, Software Coordinator
                                     Miami Computing and Information Services
                                     Miami University, Oxford, OH
                                     [log in to unmask]