From J.L.Schonfelder@liverpool.ac.uk Fri Jun 24 07:25:18 1994 Received: from mailhub.liverpool.ac.uk (mail.liv.ac.uk) by dkuug.dk with SMTP id AA13528 (5.65c8/IDA-1.4.4j for ); Fri, 24 Jun 1994 15:25:36 +0200 Received: from liverpool.ac.uk by mailhub.liverpool.ac.uk with SMTP (PP) id <29747-0@mailhub.liverpool.ac.uk>; Fri, 24 Jun 1994 14:25:23 +0100 Date: Fri, 24 Jun 1994 14:25:18 PDT From: Lawrie Schonfelder Subject: Varying String Comment Processing To: SC22WG5@dkuug.dk Message-Id: Priority: Normal Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII X-Charset: ASCII X-Char-Esc: 29 One of the comments I need to deal with is the problem for the GET procedure where the transfer is terminated by the occurance of one of the characters specified in the SET argument. As defined at present the actual terminator character cannot be determined. It would therefore not be read a record piece by piece and to reproduce it again. The suggested fix is to add an optional SEPARATOR argument, like for the analogous SPLIT procedure. However, an alternative approach which might be more appropriate and might allow C style strings to be handled more easily has suggested itself. This is to redefine the semantics of the GET with SET termination to include the actual terminator character in the result string. Similarly this would for compatibility require the removal of the separator argument from SPLIT and a similar semantic change to the definition of SPLIT. Could I have some very rapid responces as to which route I should take. 1. keep the semantics of no terminator in string and add SEPARATOR to the relevant GET, or 2. change semantics to return the terminator in the string(word) and to remove the SEPARATOR from SPLIT? I will act on the responces I have received by Wednesday evening (my time) -- Dr.J.L.Schonfelder Director, Computing Services Dept. The University of Liverpool, UK e-mail J.L.Schonfelder@liv.ac.uk phone: +44(51)794-3716 fax: +44(51)794-3759