Other Supervisor Commands

Ctrl-C or System set break command

This returns the supervisor from run mode to command mode. Use the “PAUSE” command to control how long to stay at the prompt between commands (120 seconds by default). Pressing Enter or Esc returns you to run mode.

Activate_Timed_Command/ACTTIMED

Let’s you reactivate a suspended command.

Syntax:

ACTTIMED 3

Allow_Quit_While_Background_Processes_Are_Active/ALLOWQUITBACKGROUND

Allows the supervisor process to quit when there are still background processes either running or queued up that were started by this supervisor.  Useful for creating scripts that will do operations like hide/reveal/etc that don’t have to wait for the background process to finish.  Most Console operations used this option.

Syntax:

ALLOW_QUIT_BACKGROUND

AT

Says to do the command one time only at some later time.

Syntax:

AT <time> <command>

The <time> may be any valid time supported in the Survox® software. The <command> may be any valid SURVSUPR command.

NOTE: The <command> may be an external file reference such as ”&suprcomd” to read a set of commands to be executed.

Example:

AT mon 3:30pm QSS bank

Begin/End

You can also write your own command files which can be used to automatically do procedures that would otherwise require a lot of work for the supervisors.

The rules for writing command files in SURVSUPR are slightly different than in other programs.

• Commands start processing after the keyword BEGIN and will continue to attempt to process each line as a command until the keyword END is encountered.
• Each command must be on its own line.
• Commands that require further interaction will pause and ask for the needed information before continuing.

Command files are intended to help automate a large interviewing shop which would more efficiently operate by having a programmer enter the commands in a file and then allow supervisors to read the file into SURVSUPR with a simple command like “&start.spx”.

Example:

File START.SPX - BEGIN
PAUSE 120
STS 1-20 study1
STS 21-70 study2
END

File STOP.SPX - BEGIN
STP 1-20
STP 21-70
SDS study1
SDS study2
SERVER:DOWNNOW QUIT
END

Default_Screen

Parmfile option to make that the default screen.  Default goes to this screen instead of dotting.  This option keeps refreshing.

Syntax:

default_screen <command>

Delete_Timed_Command/DELTIMED

Let’s you override a current timed command.

Syntax:

DELTIMED 2

Disallow

Disallow supervisor commands.  This will disallow particular commands from the supervisor.

Syntax:

DISALLOW <command>

The command DISALLOW QSS MOD will disallow modifying quotas, but will not disallow looking at quotas.

This would typically be placed in the SUPRINIT file so that it activates each time a supervisor logs on. Once commands are disallowed, they cannot be allowed during that supervisor session. You must restart the supervisor without the DISALLOW command on.

Emergency_QuitNow

Quits the supervisor now.   This is used to quit out of the Supervisor even if interviewers are logged on. If you do use this command, however, the socket and LDEV used by the supervisor will not be closed. To open a new supervisor session you would need to use a new LDEV number.

Enablebreak

Allows you to break out of the supervisor.

Exit

Takes you out of the supervisor session.

Every

Says to do the command at regular intervals as long as that particular SUPERVISOR is running under the server. As with the AT command, the <command> may be an external file reference to read a set of commands to be executed.

EXAMPLES:
EVERY [#] MINUTES <command> EVERY [#] HOURS <command>
EVERY HOUR_ON_THE_HOUR <command> EVERY STARTUP <command>
EVERY 10 MINUTES SPI FRED will do the SPI command on study FRED every 10 minutes.
EVERY HOUR QSS J123 will do a quota display for job J123 every hour starting now.
EVERY HOUROTH DIS will do the DIS command every hour on the hour.
EVERY STARTUP will do the <command> at every supervisor startup from now on.

AT and EVERY write commands to a file cfmt<ldev> in the CFMCCFG or IPCFILES area. This file is read (if it exists) at supervisor startup time and startup commands are executed.

This command applies to a particular Supervisor only.

Help

Displays the help menu, which is a list of the most often used options. If you have options that you want to include in the HELP display, you can alter the HELP screen in the Survox® msgfile.raw file and remake the system message file using the MAKEMSG program.

LPDEV

Print screens to this device or file.  Enables you to print screens to a file or printer from QSS, DAI, DIALSTAT, DIS, SPI, or STUDY commands that end with LP, or PRINT_ALL commands. LPDEV OFF turns off the sending of information to that file or device.

Syntax:

LPDEV <name/$name.ext/*name/#### LP!/OFF> <PRINTER=name>

Example:

LPDEV screens SPI study1234 LP LPDEV OFF

This would print the output of the SPI command for study1234 to the file screens.prt. “LPDEV OFF” would close the file screens.prt so you could look at or print it.

If you just specify a name it prints name.prt. To print to other names you need to precede the filename with a “$”, for instance, LPDEV $save.me would print to the file save.me.

To direct the output to a printer, use the syntax:

LPDEV <name> PRINTER=<print program name>

“Name” is a file to print to, and “print program name” is the name of the program to use to print the file. The print program name would be lp in SCO Unix and lpr on Linux, and it may be either on other Unix systems.

Using LP on any of the QSS, DAI, DIALSTAT, DIS, SPI, or STUDY commands, says to print to the file indicated on the previous LPDEV command and keep the file open for further output. Using LP! says to write the information and then close that file immediately (typically so that file could be printed or read right now).

If you don’t specify LPDEV <name>, commands using the LP parameter will send their output to a file named LPSTUFF.PRT.

Pause

Set keyboard timeout at command prompt.  Lets you change the automatic keyboard timeout to give you more time to enter commands. The default value is 120 seconds; you can enter any positive number from 10 to 300.

Syntax:

PAUSE <seconds>

Example:

PAUSE 60 - Pause for 60 seconds
PAUSE 500# - Using the # will allow you to define any number

Print_All

Print all info for a study, including the QSS, SPI, DAI and DIS screens.  The output goes to the file specified on the LPDEV command.

Syntax:

PRINT_ALL <study>

NOTE: If the LPDEV parameter has not been specified, the output for this command will flash by on the computer screen.

Quit

Quits the program.   The supervisor cannot quit until all interviews have been completed or terminated and all stations are signed off (status not RUNNING, MONITOR, ACTIVE or ENDEDINT on DAI screen) unless they use the EMERGENCY_QUITNOW command.

Server:Taskdelay

Delays HIDE/REVEAL operations to limit CPU usage.  This sets a delay in milliseconds for batch operations such as HIDE, REVEAL,CHANGE_OWNER, and COPY. This will keep those tasks from slowing down your system too much. The delay will be after every five cases read for the task.

Syntax:

SERVER:TASKDELAY <milliseconds>

Example:

SERVER:TASKDELAY 20

Show_Timed_Commands/SHOWTIMED

Let’s you view the existing timed commands.

Suspend_Timed_Command/SUSPTIMED

Let’s you temporarily suspend a command.

Syntax:

SUSPTIMED 3