FORM 3/1/79 FORM NAME FORM -- produces form letter by prompting user for information SYNOPSIS form [-c] [+c] [file ...] DESCRIPTION Form reads input files and writes them to the standard output. Any time it encounters some characters surrounded by angle brackets ('<' and '>') it prints the string between the characters as a prompt to the user. It then reads from the standard input and replaces the bracketed string with what was read. Normally only one line of input is accepted from the standard input. However, a response can be continued on succeeding lines by terminating each line to be continued with a minus ('-'). The prompts inside the file may also span line boundaries if so desired. The user's answers to prompts are remembered, so duplicate prompts are replaced without repeating the prompt to the user. If the standard input is not a terminal, no prompts are issued. The '-c' flag may be used to reset the initial character signalling a prompt. The character 'c' then replaces the '<'. The '+c' flag may be used to reset the terminating character of a prompt. The character 'c' then replaces '>'. FILES The user's terminal is opened at READ access. SEE ALSO The Unix form-letter tool DIAGNOSTICS If an input file cannot be opened, a message is printed and execution is terminated. A message is also printed if either the prompt or the response is too long for the tool's internal buffer. AUTHORS Debbie Scherrer -1- FORM 3/1/79 FORM BUGS -2-