Special Menu Command Tails

%1, %2 .. %9

Prompts for the values to substitute for these variables at run-time, using the Second map option. On the second map, include the text to prompt the user for the values, and include fields numbered 1 to n that correspond to the variables %1 to %n

This option is not very well named. It instructs the DP4 program to use the shell to run the command if an attempt to run it normally fails. This option is required to run .BAT files on MS-DOS or Windows, or shell scripts on Unix/Linux. It is also needed to run internal commands like dir on MS-DOS/Windows.

Note that the shell is only invoked if the program cannot be run normally. Thus %BATCH would not work as intended if you used iut to do something like running an ordinary executable program with command line input/output redirection.

Closes the database whilst an option is executed. You need to do this if the option requires exclusive access to the database files is a non DP4 program that needs access to the database (for example a tape backup utility).

Substitutes the current database name at run-time. For DP4 utilities remember to use this format: -DB %DB

%NOCLEAR

(Text based interface only) Suppresses clearing the screen for a command that does not output to the screen

%NOWAIT

(From 4.620) DP4 does not wait for the command to complete before continuing to execute. This option will only work well for programs that run properly as background tasks.

%PAUSE

Pauses and asks the user to press any key once the program has run. This option may not work as intended on Windows

If using a non-DP4 program to change the user preferences, implements the changes in the current session

(MS-DOS only) Attempts to remove the database manager and user interface manager from memory to increase the available memory