Schema Commands

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Libero
Version 2.32

Schema Commands

You can use the following commands in a schema:

:output filename: Sends output to filename. Any existing data in the file is lost.
:extend filename: Appends output to filename. Creates the file if it does not already exist.
:close: Closes an output file opened by a previous :output or :extend. This command is never required, since Libero does an implicit :close before any :output or :extend, and at the end of the schema. If you use :close when no file is open you'll get a warning message.
:copy fromfile tofile: Copies one file to another. The tofile is silently overwritten if it already exists.
:rename fromfile tofile: Renames one file to another. The tofile may not already exist.
:delete filename: Deletes filename without any error if the file does not exist.
:include [optional] filename [from [to]]: Includes filename in the generated output code. If you specify from, Libero searches the file for a line containing this text by itself, and starts copying from that point on. If you specify to, Libero ends copying when it finds a line containing just this text. You can put quotes around from and to if these contain embedded spaces. If you use the optional keyword, Libero ignores the :include command if it can't find the specified file. The included file can be anywhere on the path value.
:echo text: Echoes text to the standard output, followed by a newline. If the text is enclosed in quotes, leading spaces are not discarded.
:declare [int | string] [$]name [=expression]: Defines a variable for later use in the schema. Except for those that Libero supplies as standard, you have to declare any variables that you want to use. You can specify the variable name with or without a '$' in the name.
Variables are either integers, strings, or variants (either type depending on mood). You cannot assign a string expression to an integer. Otherwise Libero is pretty relaxed about how you mix variable types. The expression provides a default initial value for the variable. If you do not provide an initial value, strings are empty and numbers are zero. You can override any initial value using an -option on the command-line or in the dialog. Use: -opt:var="string" or opt:var=expression.
The name of a variable cannot be int or string. Variable names are case-independent; :declare $drink and :declare $DRINK refer to the same variable. If you declare an existing variable, you'll get an error message.
:set [$]name = expression: Assigns a new value to the variable specified. You can use a '$' before the variable name if you want to. You cannot set a read-only variable.
:push [$]variable [=expression]: Creates a new instance of the variable. If you give an expression the new variable gets this value. The variable must then be a read-write variable. You can push a read-only variable but not specify an expression. This may sound pointless, but can be useful: you can set some read-only variables using the :option command, e.g. :option -style=xxxx.
:pop [$]variable: Removes the last instance of a variable. Use with :push to change a variable within a block, then reset it to its previous value.
:do condition: Starts a code block that is output repeatedly depending on condition. Libero defines a standard set of conditions like :do event. You can also define your own conditions using :do while The do block ends with a matching :enddo.
:do while logical-condition: Repeats the code block while the logical_condition is true.
:enddo [condition]: Ends the closest previous :do block. If you specify condition, the :do and :enddo conditions must match; this makes your schemas more robust against errors, but is not required.
:if logical-condition: Starts a code block that is output if logical_condition is true. The :if block ends with a matching :endif.
:else: Outputs the following block of code if the previous :if condition was false.
:endif [all]: Ends the closest previous :if block. If you specify all, all open :ifblocks are closed.
:exit [level]: Aborts code generation. Use levels 0 for okay, 1 for errors.
:option -name[=value]: Enforces a Libero option For example: :option -style=cobol.
:internal module: Tells the code-generator that module is required by the generated dialog code, but not by the dialog. A typical case is initialise_the_program. This lets Libero correctly indicate unused modules in the source code.
:substr from [size]: Specifies a substring for the next $name or $row insertion. From must be from 1 upwards. If size is not specified, the remainder of the variable's value is used.

Notes

All commands can contain variables anywhere in the line that makes sense.
You can use '#' to start a comment in a command line. Any text following the '#' is ignored. When a '#' is inside a string, or escaped by '\', it is treated as the '#' character, not a comment. You can change the comment character by setting $comment_ind.
A line containing just ':' by itself is ignored. This lets you separate blocks of commands without outputting extra blank lines in the code. For instance:
```
  :if $index > 0
  :  set $counter = $counter + 1
  :endif
  :
  :echo "\ncounter is $counter\n"
```
In a :set or :declare you can give the variable name with or without the $. Your preference will depend on the other languages you use. When I've used Perl a while, I want to stick a '$' everywhere. When I've programmed in a UNIX shell, I want the $ only on the right. When I've been working in any other language I can't understand what all the fuss is about, I just want something that works like I expect it to. So, since the meaning is unambiguous, Libero accepts both.
One or more spaces can come between the ':' and the command name. This is often a nice way to indent commands to show structure.