a Command (PROC Processor)

The a command appends the string in the specified input buffer position to the currently active output buffer.

Syntax

a{surround.char}{param.num, num.chars | (start.pos, num.chars)}

Parameter(s)

surround.char	Specifies the character to place before and after the string after it is moved. Can be any nonnumeric character except the left parenthesis. If a backslash is specified, the parameter is moved without any surrounding spaces. This allows picking up item-IDs and values that require double quotes for processing by the AQL processor. NOTE—Specifying a surround character has no affect when moving parameters to the secondary output buffer.
param.num	Specifies the position in the currently active input buffer. Numbering starts at 1, which is the Proc command. Leading spaces are deleted from the string. If no position is specified, then the current position of the buffer pointer is used. If the position does not exist, the command does nothing.
num.chars	Specifies the number of characters to move.
start.pos	Specifies the starting position in the string to move to the output buffer.

Description

The surround.char, param.num, and num.chars parameters are mutually independent and may be used in any combination to achieve the desired result.

Multiple parameters may be moved to the currently active output buffer using a single a command if these parameters are separated by semicolons in the input buffer. The parameters are moved to the active output buffer with the semicolons deleted, separated by spaces, or, if a surround character is specified, enclosed in the specified character. After the a command is executed, the currently active input buffer pointer points to the very next character after the string that was moved.

Example(s)

Appends the contents of input buffer one to the currently active output buffer, string will be surrounded by double quotation marks.

a"1

Appends the second through 999th (or whenever it runs out of characters) to the currently active output buffer.

a(2,999)

Appends the contents of parameter 2 to the currently active output buffer.