Command Line Arguments & Environment Variables

Ideas for Straw Votes

by Craig T. Dedo

February 1, 1998

This paper presents several ideas for straw votes on the issue of Command Line Arguments and Environment Variables at Meeting 144 of J3 . The purpose is to stimulate thought and discussion before any straw votes are actually taken at the meeting and to encourage readers to think of other straw votes prior to the time that this issue comes up for discussion.

In no way should the presentation of potential straw vote issues in this paper be interpreted as a conclusive, authoritative list. Nor should anyone consider this list of issues to state or imply that other issues should not be put to a straw vote.

Straw Vote:	Ability to obtain the unparsed command line

•	Yes

•	No

Straw Vote:	What scope should the names for these intrinsics have?

•	Global

•	Module

Straw Vote:	Should we distinguish between non-support of a command argument count and a call where there are zero (0) arguments?

•	Yes - Distinguish between the two conditions

•	No - Do not distinguish between the two conditions

Straw Vote:	How should we implement the functionality of getting the command name?

•	Separate argument name or intrinsic

•	Array element or argument 0

Straw Vote:	Iterative model - Get_System_Argument be Elemental?

•	Yes

•	No

Straw Vote:	How should the value of return status codes be determined?

•	Follow the rules of the operating system if available, otherwise processor-dependent

•	Return zero (0) for success, something else for failure

•	Always processor-dependent

Straw Vote:	Should we allow significant trailing blanks in environment names?

•	Yes

•	No

Straw Vote:	Make Get_Environment elemental?

•	Yes

•	No

Straw Vote:	Which model do you prefer?

•	Everything-at-Once

•	Iterative

•	Variable number of arguments as part of the PROGRAM statement

Straw Vote:	Do we want a series of straw votes on syntax?

•	Yes

•	No

[End of J3 / 98-116]