Reference: Action Definitions

Reference sections cover:

General syntax.
A summary of fields.
An alphabetical listing of all the fields.

See Also.

General syntax for action definitions

Field structure. An action definition consists of a series of fields. The definition begins with the mandatory ACTION field and ends with the keyword END. Each field begins with a keyword and ends with a newline character:

   ACTION action_name

     KEYWORD  value

     KEYWORD  value

      ...

   END

Spaces. Extra spaces at the beginning or end of lines are ignored, so you can use spaces to indent lines for easier reading.

Fields longer than one line. The \ character at the end of a line indicates that the field continues onto the next line.

Comments. To comment a line, use the # character at the beginning of the line. The # can be preceded by spaces. You cannot comment partial-lines.

Example. The following lines define a COMMAND action named Xrdb_Merge_Nocpp. Many fields are omitted because the default values are appropriate.

   ACTION             Xrdb_Merge_Nocpp

      DESCRIPTION     Merges a file into your resource database

      WINDOW-TYPE     NO-STDIO

      EXEC-STRING     xrdb -nocpp -merge %(File)Arg_1%

   END

Example. The next action, IslandPaintOpenDoc, includes fields for custom action bitmaps. It starts Island Paint™ with a file argument.

   ACTION            IslandPaintOpenDoc

      L-ICON         Ipaint.l.bm

      S-ICON         Ipaint.s.bm

      WINDOW-TYPE     NO-STDIO

      EXEC-HOST       hpthere

      EXEC-STRING     /opt/IslandPaint/bin/IslandPaint %(File)Arg_1"File to open:"%

   END

Example. This next action definition creates a synonym action for Open_gif.

   ACTION       Open_gif_file

      TYPE      MAP  Open_gif

   END

Summary of Fields for COMMAND Actions

Required Fields.

Field: Description (Default)
ACTION: Begins the definition, contains the action name.
END: Ends the definition.
EXEC-STRING: Contains the command to be executed.

Icons.

Field: Description (Default)
DESCRIPTION: A description of the action, displayed when the user obtains item help on the action icon. (No help.)
L-ICON, S-ICON: Absolute path of the large (L) and small (S) action icons in File Manager. (action.l and action.s.)

Optional Fields.

Field: Description (Default)
ARG-COUNT: The number of file arguments the action can have.
ARG-TYPES: Filetypes for which the action is valid (*, 0, or >1).
CWD: The current working directory.
EXEC-HOST: The name of the host on which the application or command should be executed %DatabaseHost%, %LocalHost%, %DataHost%, hostname, "prompt").
TYPE: COMMAND.
WINDOW-TYPE: The windowing support required to run the action (PERM-TERMINAL, TERMINAL, or NO-STDIO).

Summary of Fields for MAP Actions

Required Fields.

Field: Description (Default)
ACTION: Begins the definition, contains the action name.
END: Ends the definition.

Icons.

Field: Description (Default)
DESCRIPTION: A description of the action, displayed when the user obtains item help on the action icon. (No help.)
L-ICON, S-ICON: Absolute path of the large (L) and small (S) action icons in File Manager.

ACTION field

Begins the definition and specifies the action name.
Required field for all actions.

The action name cannot contain spaces.

Example.

   ACTION  MergeResources

ARG-COUNT field

Specifies the number of arguments the action can accept.
Optional for COMMAND and MAP actions.
Defaults to * (zero or more arguments).
Allowable values:
0
Zero arguments.
>1
More than one argument.
*
Zero or more arguments.
Values of 0 and >1 have precedence over *.

Use the ARG-COUNT field to enrich an action with different drop and double-click functionality. To do this, create two different actions with different ARG-COUNT values and EXEC-STRINGs.

Do not use the ARG-COUNT field to specify that an action prompt you for a file name when the action icon is double-clicked. This functionality is provided automatically by using the EXEC-STRING syntax %(File)Arg_n"prompt"% for file arguments.

Precedence of actions using ARG-COUNT. When two actions have the same name and different ARG-COUNT values, the one with the more specific ARG-COUNT (0 or >1) has precedence over *.

Example.

   ARG-COUNT >1

See Also.

“To provide different double-click and drop function for an action” explains how to write an action that uses ARG-COUNT.
“How HP VUE chooses between two actions with the same name” covers using ARG-COUNT and ARG-TYPES together.

ARG-TYPES field

Specifies the filetypes that can be used as data.
Optional field for COMMAND or MAP actions.
Defaults to * (all filetypes).

This field consists of a list of filetypes for which the action is valid. Items in the list are separated by commas. No spaces are allowed in the list of filetypes.

If this field contains only *, the action is valid for all filetypes.

You can create an action that behaves differently for different filetypes by creating multiple action definitions, each of which specifies a different filetype.

Precedence of actions using ARG-TYPES. When two actions have the same name and different ARG-TYPES values, the one with the more specific ARG-TYPE (not *) has precedence over *.

Example.

   ARGTYPES   XWD,TIFF

See Also.

“How HP VUE chooses between two actions with the same name” covers using ARG-COUNT and ARG-TYPES together.

CWD field

Specifies the current working directory for the action.
Optional for COMMAND actions.
Cannot be used with MAP actions.
Uses the syntax:
[hostname:]/path/filename
If hostname is omitted, the database host (host containing the action) is used.
Defaults to /HomeDirectory/ when an action is invoked by double-clicking.

Default current working directory. If CWD is not set in the action definition:

When the action is invoked by dropping a file argument, the current-working directory is the directory containing the file.
When the action is invoked by dropping a directory argument, the argument becomes the current working directory.
If the action has no file arguments:
- If it is started from a toolbox, the home directory is the current working directory.
- If it is started elsewhere, the directory containing the action icon becomes the current working directory.
- If the action starts a remote application, the home directory on the local system becomes the current working diretory if the directory is NFS-mounted onto the execution host. Otherwise, the home directory on the execution host becomes the current working directory.

Example.

   CWD $HOME/project1

DESCRIPTION Field

Provides item help for the action icon.
Optional field.
Defaults to NULL (nothing).
Can be used in COMMAND and MAP actions.

The field can contain any characters but newline (Return). Line breaks are automatically inserted to wrap the text to fit in the item help box. Extra spaces between words are ignored.

Example.

   DESCRIPTION  Converts an xwd or tiff graphics file to pcl format.  Start \

                the action by dropping a graphics file on it or by          \

                double-clicking the action icon.

EXEC-HOST field

Specifies the host where the command will be executed.
Optional for COMMAND actions.
Cannot be used for MAP actions.
Defaults to the host containing the action (%DatabaseHost%).

This field specifies which system in the network will execute the command.

EXEC-HOST Value: Description
%DatabaseHost%: The host where the action definition resides.
%LocalHost%: The host where HP VUE is running.
%DataHost%: The host containing the first file argument.
hostname: The named host.
%"prompt"%: Prompts the user for the host name each time the action is invoked.

Example.

   EXEC-HOST %DataHost%

See Also.

“Using Actions to Run Remote Applications” explains how to write actions that run remote applications.

EXEC-STRING field

Contains the command executed by the action.
Required field for COMMAND actions.
Cannot be used in MAP action.

Syntax for arguments.

Keyword: Meaning
%(File)Arg_n%: Substitute the nth file argument. If the argument uses the syntax remote_hostname:/path/filename, the argument is converted to the form /net/remote_hostname/path/filename.
%Arg_n%: Substitute the nth file argument. Do not translate names from the form remote_hostname:/path/filename to the form /net/remote_hostname/path/filename.
%(File)Arg_n"prompt"%: Substitute the nth file argument. If it is not found, prompt the user for a file name and substitute the response. If the argument uses the syntax remote_hostname:/path/filename, the argument is converted to the form /net/remote_hostname/path/filename.
%(File)"prompt"%: Prompt the user for a file name and substitute the response. If the argument uses the syntax remote_hostname:/path/filename, the argument is converted to the form /net/remote_hostname/path/filename.
%(File)Args%: Substitute all of the remaining arguments.
%"prompt"%: Prompt the user and substitute the response. Do not use this syntax when prompting for a file name.

Syntax to a invoke shell.

/usr/bin/sh -c 'string': Invokes csh. The string can be the shell script or the filename of a shell script.
/usr/bin/ksh -c 'string': Invokes ksh. The string can be the shell script or the filename of a shell script.

See Also.

“Environment variables in definitions” covers using environment variables for actions.
“Building the Execution String for a COMMAND Action” explains how to write an execution string.
“To provide shell capabilities in an action” covers writing execution strings that invoke shells.

L-ICON and S-ICON fields for actions

Specify the icons for the action.
- L-ICON: displayed in File Manager views By Name and Icon.
- S-ICON: displayed in File Manager views By Name and Small Icon.
Default: action.l, action.s

The value for the L-ICON and S-ICON fields can be:

The absolute path.
A filename. The system searches the icon search path. If the action or filetype is defined on a remote system, the remote system's search path is used.

Icon file names. There are no name requirements. You can use .bm or .pm extensions to distinguish between bitmaps and pixmaps.

Icon sizes. Icons can be any size. These are the default sizes.

Icon Type: Icon Size (Width×Height)
L-ICON: 32 × 32 pixels
S-ICON: 16 × 16 pixels

Example.

   L-ICON frame.l.pm

   S-ICON frame.s.pm

See Also.

“Where to put icon files” explains where the system looks for icons when you use a filename for L-ICON or S-ICON.

The TYPE field

Describes whether the action contains a command or is mapped to another action.
Allowable values: COMMAND or MAP.
Defaults to COMMAND.

COMMAND type. A COMMAND-type action is a command that will be executed. The action definition for a COMMAND action must include the execution string for the command (EXEC-STRING field).

Example.

   ACTION Remote_PCL_Print

     TYPE COMMAND

     EXEC-HOST   hpthere

     EXEC-STRING /usr/bin/sh -c 'cat %(File)Arg_1"File to convert:"% | \

                 /usr/bin/X11/xwd2sb | \

                 /usr/bin/pcltrans -s -R -e%"magnification"% > \

                 %(File)"Destination:"%'

   END

MAP type.

   ACTION PRINT

        ARGTYPES    XWD

        MAP          PRINT_XWD

          ...

     

   ACTION PRINT

        ARGTYPES    TIFF

        MAP          PRINT_TIFF

          ...

The WINDOW-TYPE Field

Specifies the windowing support required by the command.
Optional for COMMAND actions.
Cannot be used with MAP actions.
Defaults to PERM-TERMINAL.

PERM-TERMINAL: The command must be executed in a permanent terminal emulation window (the window is not closed when the command terminates). Use with commands that take some input, produce some output, then terminate.
TERMINAL: The command must be executed in a terminal window. The window is closed when the command is exited. Use with full-screen commands (for example, vi).
NO-STDIO: No windowing support is required. Use with applications and X clients create their own windows, or with commands that produce no displayed output (for example, print commands).

Example.

   WINDOW-TYPE NO-STDIO

Reference: Action Definitions

Technical documentation

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General syntax for action definitions

Summary of Fields for COMMAND Actions

Summary of Fields for MAP Actions

ACTION field

ARG-COUNT field

ARG-TYPES field

CWD field

DESCRIPTION Field

EXEC-HOST field

EXEC-STRING field

L-ICON and S-ICON fields for actions

The TYPE field

The WINDOW-TYPE Field