Using the write_now ~output feature

Write_now, ~output option

The write_now ~output option causes the output file to be written out immediately, without calling any proc in an execute block.

The ~input and ~output operators have all of the options necessary to read in and write out data files of any format and size that one islikely to need. To use the write_now keyword, a simple spec with an appropriate ~input and ~output statement is needed and include the write_nowoption on the ~output statement.

This is of particular importance to Survent only clients who have no Mentor access keys. Mentor only checks for a key during ~execute blocks.Therefore, the write_now keyword allows Survent clients to translate and change the size of their data files without having a Mentor key.

NOTE: When the write_now option is used, neither the input nor the output files that were used are closed until a new input oroutput statement sppears in the run. Thus if the proc named “write” below contained a writecase statement, and one were to spec:

~input filein~output fileout write_now~exc proc=write

The records written out by executing proc=write will be APPENDED to the open output file. If you do not want this, useeither a blank ~output or restart the ~input file.

~comment&writenow.doc~defproc={proc1:m [1.50$]="This was changed by proc1"writecase}proc={display: print "s" [1.50$L] }~input $~output writenow write_now~input writenow.asc ascii=80~output writenow write_now~input writenow total_length=100~output writenow dta_format write_now~exc proc=proc1~input writenow dta_format~exc proc=display~end