Command Input Files

As some of the tools provide a lot of switches and parameters, it is possible to store the command-line arguments in files and load them into the command line with @<filename>. This also has the advantage that there is no need to quote and escape special characters that are usually interpreted by the shell.

A command input file has the same format as the configuration files (Section ). Additional notes:

• The input read from the file simply replace @<filename> in the command line. Thus, it is possible to specify both switches and arguments in command input files.

• Command input files may be nested.

• Every line yields a single argument of the command line.

• Each argument is passed to the tools as a single ``word'' with spaces in the argument escaped to glue the word together and special characters escaped to preserve their integrity. Two exceptions are:
  1. Switches that require a value:
     (See  for more information about the format of command-line switches.) Usually one must put the value directly after the short switch name:

                -lnew_log
     

     or after an = when using the long switch name:

                --log=new_log
     

     For convenience, white space is allowed in command input files between the name of the switch and its value:

                 -l new_log
                 --name new_name
     

  2. The first line that is not a switch:
     If this line contains spaces, it will be split into several words (see example below).

Example:

labrun.opt

# command-line options for labrun
--cvs=~/steiner_c
--log=~/tmp/exptest
--exec=~/steiner_c
--name=test

--env=LD_LIBRARY_PATH
--comment=tagtest2
--comment=EnvTest=$PATH
--comment=FileTest=@~/.cshrc:PATH\s+(.*)
--comment=ExecTest=`head -1 ~/.cshrc`:.*\s(.+)
-v
steiner
 grid_solve.str 
 problem=dmxa1200.stp
# There are different ways to specify the command to be executed. You
# need not indent it. And you can put everything on one line:
#
#      steiner grid_solve.str problem=dmxa1200.stp
#
# As it is the first argument for labrun and it contains spaces, this
# line will be split into three lines. The following is equivalent:
#
#   steiner grid_solve.str
#   + problem=dmxa1200.stp
#
# Note that only the first line is split. Thus, the following won't 
# work; it calls "steiner" with one argument containing a space.
#
#   steiner
#   grid_solve.str problem=dmxa1200.stp
#
# Because we don't want to have the same mess with special characters
# as with the shell, the following is illegal in command-line files 
# and will be rejected:
#
#   steiner 'some argument containing a space' 'another argument'

NEX
# with NEX starts the next experiment
-v
--cvs=~/steiner_c
--log=~/tmp/exptest
--exec=~/steiner_c
--name=grid_solve2
steiner grid_solve2.str problem=dmxa1200.stp

Notice that, though section separators (e.g., SPMquot[labrun]") are possible in command input files, they are not necessary if the file contains options for only a single tool since all commands before the first separator are used by all tools.