Command input

Command input

As mentioned before, it is possible to run OSLO using either menus or commands. The commands needed to run the program are given in the reference manual and in the on-line help system. A convenient way to learn commands is to use the History buffer in conjunction with the menu system. You can execute a desired command using the menu system, then recall it from the History buffer to see the actual command, which can be entered from the command line. If the command line is generated by a dialog box and the Command_history_aliases preference is on, the short form of commands will be shown, otherwise the long form will be shown. Most commands other than those that enter data have two forms that are equivalent. The short form is easier to type, the long form is easier to comprehend.

Commands in OSLO are self prompting. If you enter a command with no arguments, default values will be used where possible, and any remaining necessary arguments will be prompted for. If you want to be prompted for all arguments, enter the command followed by a space and question mark.

Commands in OSLO can include numeric expressions. Several commands can be given on a single line, separated by semicolons. Each line can be up to 512 characters (The command line is a scrolled buffer). Loops and other control structures allowed in C can be used on the command line.

Commands can be entered while a spreadsheet cell is highlighted. In OSLO, each cell for numeric data is called a SmartCell. The SmartCell automatically detects and executes these commands right from the spreadsheet. In certain cases, where a cell expects a string entry, it may be necessary to enclose it in quotes to prevent it from being interpreted as a command. For example, if you want to use the string "Paraxial_constants" as a lens id, you must enter it in quotes to prevent Paraxial_constants from being interpreted as a command.

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