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214 Chapter 3
Command Definitions C-E
ECHO
ECHO
Displays a message on the standard list device. (Native Mode)
Syntax
ECHO[ message]
Parameters
message The message to be displayed to the $STDLIST.
Operation Notes
Displays its argument, message, on the standard list device ($STDLIST). The command
ignores delimiters. Quotation marks are not required around message. The ECHO command
does not perform dereferencing of any kind. If you want variable dereferencing you must
use explicit dereferencing (!) in the argument. A null message (
Return ) displays a
linefeed.
The ECHO command is not suppressed by OPTION NOLIST in a UDC or command file, or by
any setting of the HPMSGLEVEL variable.
Use
This command is available in a session, job, program, or in BREAK. Pressing Break has no
effect on this command.
Examples
In the following example, although there is a variable named a that has a string value,
ECHO simply displays the character a because no dereferencing has been specified.
SETVAR a, 'hi there'
ECHO a
a
This time ECHO is given the value of the variable a argument. Explicit dereferencing has
been specified and the dereferencing is done before ECHO is executed.
ECHO !a
hi there
Two exclamation points are resolved to one exclamation point by string substitution, and
MPE/iX is prohibited from making the value substitution (even number rule).
ECHO a
!a
Triple (or any odd number of) exclamation points treat the argument as !a, which resolves
to ! and !a, giving !hi there (odd number rule).