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form(1) - Unix First Edition Manual Page
11/3/71FORM (I)

NAME form -- form letter generator
SYNOPSIS form proto arg1 ...
DESCRIPTION form generates a form letter from a prototype letter, anassociative memory, arguments and in a special case, the


current date.


If form is invoked with the argument x, the followingfiles come into play:


x.f prototype inputx.r form letter output x.am associative memoryform.am associative memory if x.am not found.


Basically, form is a copy process from the file x.f to thefile x.r. If an element of the -form \n (where n is a digit from 1 to 9) is encountered, The nth argument is insertedin its place, and that argument is then rescanned. If \0 is encountered, the current date is inserted. If the desiredargument has not been given, a message of the form "\n:" is typed. The response typed in then is used for thatargument.


If an element of the form [name] is encountered, the nameis looked up in the associative memory. If it is found, the contents of the memory under this name replaces theoriginal element (again rescanned.) If the name is not found, a message of the form "name: " is typed. Theresponse typed in is used for that element. If the associative memory is writable, the response is entered inthe memory under the name. Thus the next search for that name will succeed without interaction. In both of the above cases, the response is typed in byentering arbitrary text terminated by two new lines. Only the first of the two new lines is passed with the text.The process is instantly terminated if an end of file is encountered anywhere except in the associative memory.
FILES x.f input filex.r output file


x.am associative memoryform.am associative memory


SEE_ALSO type
DIAGNOSTICS "settup error" when the appropriate files cannot belocated or created.


BUGS "settup" is misspelled.


11/3/71FORM (I)

OWNER rhm, ken