up | previous | next | ttw@shore.net
You normally start LifeLines with the command:
linesdatabase
where database is the name of a LifeLines database.
If LifeLines finds the database, LifeLines opens it and takes
you to LifeLines's main menu.
If the database doesn't exist, LifeLines asks whether it should create it,
and if you answer yes, does so.
You may create any number of databases, but LifeLines can only open one
at a time.
If you built the LifeLines executable from the source package, the
executable may be named lines302 rather than lines.
You may either change its name or invoke LifeLines by using the command
lines302 instead.
The full command line interface to LifeLines is:
lines [-rwfa] [database]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| r | Opens the database with read only access. When in this mode LifeLines will not let you modify the database; no other operations are affected. |
| w | Opens the database with writeable access. If the database cannot be opened with the requested mode LifeLines quits immediately. When you open a database with neither the -r or -w options, LifeLines first tries to open the database with writeable access; if not possible LifeLines then tries to open the database with read-only access; and if this is not possible LifeLines quits. A LifeLines database may be open simultaneously by any number of programs with read-only access; however, if a database is open by a program with writeable access, then it cannot be opened by any other other program. |
| f | Force open the database -- use only in emergency. In rare situations the read/write mode mechanism can fail; when this happens a database may appear unopenable. If this happens use the -f option to force open the database; this will open the database and reset the mode mechanism. This is a dangerous feature; you can use it to open the same database with writeable access more than once; the results are unpredictable and generally disasterous. |
| a | Logs dynamic memory operation; a debugging feature used by the author. |
If you don't give the name of a database on the command line, LifeLines
will prompt you for it.
If you do not use the
LLDATABASES
shell variable, the
name you enter must be the name of a LifeLines database directory expressed
using normal UNIX absolute or relative path naming.
If you do use the LLDATABASES variable, LifeLines will search for the
database in the directories named in the variable; this can be very
convenient.
up | previous | next | ttw@shore.net
1/1/00