SET ALTERNATE

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Controls the recording of input and output in an alternate text file.

Syntax

SET ALTERNATE on | OFF

SET ALTERNATE TO [<filename> | ? | <filename skeleton> [ADDITIVE]]

<filename> | ? | <filename skeleton>

The alternate text file, or target file, to create or open. The ? and <filename skeleton> options display a dialog box in which you can specify a new file or select an existing file. If you specify a file without including its path, dBASE Plus looks for the file in the current directory, then in the path you specify with SET PATH. If you specify a file without including its extension, dBASE Plus assumes .TXT.

ADDITIVE

Appends dBASE Plus output that appears in the results pane of the Command window to the specified existing alternate file. If the file doesn't exist, dBASE Plus returns an error message.

Default

The default for SET ALTERNATE is OFF. To change the default, set the ALTERNATE parameter in the [OnOffSetting Settings] section of PLUS.ini. To set a default file name for use with SET ALTERNATE, specify an ALTERNATE parameter in the [CommandSettings] section of PLUS.ini.

Description

Use SET ALTERNATE TO to create a record of dBASE Plus output and commands. You can edit the contents of this file with the Text Editor for use in documents, or store it on disk for future reference. You can record, edit, and incorporate command sequences into new programs.

SET ALTERNATE TO <filename> only opens an alternate file, while SET ALTERNATE ON | OFF controls the storage of input and output to that file. Only one alternate file can be open at a time. When you issue SET ALTERNATE TO <filename> to open a new file, dBASE Plus closes the previously open alternate file.

When SET ALTERNATE is ON, dBASE Plus stores output to the results pane of the Command window in the text file you've opened by previously issuing SET ALTERNATE TO <filename>. An alternate file must be open for SET ALTERNATE ON to have an effect. SET ALTERNATE doesn't affect a program's output; it only determines when that output is saved in the alternate file. (Keyboard entries in the Command window aren't stored to the alternate file.)

To prevent your text file from beginning with a blank line, use two question marks (??) before the first word that you send to the alternate file.

Issuing SET ALTERNATE OFF does not close the alternate file. Before accessing the contents of an alternate file, formally close it with CLOSE ALTERNATE or SET ALTERNATE TO (with no file name). This ensures that all data recorded by dBASE Plus for storage in the alternate file is transferred to disk, and automatically turns SET ALTERNATE to OFF.

If SET SAFETY is ON and you don't use the ADDITIVE option, and a file exists with the same name as the target file, dBASE Plus displays a dialog box asking if you want to overwrite the file. If SET SAFETY is OFF and you don't use the ADDITIVE option, any existing file with the same name as the target file is overwritten without warning.