VBB - VME/VXI Bus Browser                                        R. Claus
                                                                 8/30/93

Command format:

> verb/modifiers subject/mods subject/mods ...

A blank line command re-executes the previous command.

All input entry should be in lowercase.

Only as many characters as are needed to make a word unique need be entered.

Modifiers come in two forms: global and local.  Global means the modifier may
appear anywhere in the command and it will be executed before the verb is
executed.  Local means that the modifier belongs with the verb or subject and
will be executed before the corresponding verb or subject is executed.  A line
is analyzed from left to right, so if contradicting modifiers appear on a line,
the right-most one "wins".  Local modifiers override global ones.  None of the
verbs have local modifiers.

Usually, several subjects may follow a verb.  If a subject is not recognized,
it is treated as a verb.  Thus several commands may be given on one line.

No continuation character is available.  Line lengths are limited to 256
characters.

The commands "<filename.ext", "@filename.ext" and "set input <filename.ext>"
mean "take input from the given filename.ext until end of file".  There is no
default extension.  Do "set verify" to see lines read from the input file as
they're being executed.

Similarly, ">filename.ext" and "set output <filename.ext>" mean send output to
filename.ext.  To make stdout the output device, issue ">" or "set output" sans
filename or do ">stdout" or "set output stdout".

If you need to include a path with the filename when using the "<", "@" or ">"
commands, insert the entire file specification in single or double quotes,
e.g., @"/u/ec/claus/fdbk/tst.vbb".  You can also use the "set input" or "set
output" formats of these commands with quoted strings as file spec arguments.
Note that the tilda (~) character has no special significance in Vbb filenames.

The "set log" command sends copies of the input and output to a file created in
the current directory.  The default filename is "vbb.log", but this may be
changed by adding a filename argument.  As with "set input/output", enter the
file specification in singler or double quotes if a directory specification is
to be included.  To avoid accidently overwriting an existing log file, the file
is opened with the append attribute.

There are two comment characters: "#" and "!".  They may appear anywhere on
the line and cause everything upto the next newline to be ignored.  A comment
line is not the same as a blank line.

String arguments (not the same as filename arguments) must be enclosed in
single or double quotes.

read or write with /loop=0 goes forever.  Only way out is ctrl-c.

Width is the number of character columns on the page.  Default (80) is usually
the right value.  Columns is the number columns of output created by read.
Default (0) means as many as will fit in width.

Do "show all" right after invoking Vbb to see startup defaults.

The 'cmd' command allows you to issue a VxWorks command in the context of the
task running Vbb.  The VxWorks command must be enclosed in single or double
quotes.  Useful for changing the host login parameters so that you can "set
output" without loosing Vbb context.

Vbb can also be started up with redirection on the command line as in:
Vbb < /exe/tst.vbb.  This will run Vbb with the commands in /exe/tst.vbb and
then exit Vbb.  Good for load a VME device's registers.  For some reason, the
lines in the input file are printed out as they are read in.  This can be
suppressed by redirecting output to the null device: Vbb < tst.vbb > /null
Of course, any lines in the input file expressly producing output then have no
effect.  Also, be careful of blank lines in input files since they will cause
the previous non-blank line to be repeated.


Verb	Globals		Subject		Locals		Value
----	-------		-------		------		-----
read	/decimal	<adx>		/decimal	none
write	/hexadecimal	<adx>;<cnt>	/hexadecimal	<write value>
rmw   	/local		<beg>:<end>	/local		<search pattern>
search	/vsbsys				/vsbsys
	/vsbalt				/vsbalt
	/vsbio				/vsbio
      	/a16				/a16
	/a24				/a24
	/a32				/a32
	/byte				/byte
	/word				/word
	/long				/long

read	/columns=<no.>	as above	as above
	/[no]output

read	/loop=<count>	as above	as above
write

set	none		radix		none		decimal
show					none		hexadecimal
			space		none		a16
					none		a24
					none		a32
			size		none		byte
					none		short
					none		word
					none		long
			input		none		<filename>
			output		none		<filename>
			prompt		none		<string>
			width		/decimal	<number>
					/hexadecimal
			columns		/decimal	<number>
					/hexadecimal
			[no]verify	none
			[no]log		none		<filename>

show	none		all		none

<	none		<filename>	none

@	none		<filename>	none

>	none		<filename>	none

cmd     none            <string>        none

exit	none		none

quit	none		none