Some general remarks

Arcgsh does its job by calling other programs, usually archivers. These programs are subsequently referred to as dependent programs. The calling of such programs follows a common scheme. Here only a short outline is given; detailed explanations you can find below.

• Select the program you want to start from the ``File'' menu, e. g. ``Zoo ...''.

• A dialog box will show up where you have to specify the program parameters. This can be done by clicking at buttons, selecting filenames or typing text into fields.

  Many text fields serve to hold a filename or folder name. If you doubleclick at such a field the GEM file selector box will show up and let you select a file resp. folder. If the field does not hold any text a single click is sufficient to let the file selector box appear. Does the field contain some text already a single click only positions the text cursor into the field and allows editing of the text.

  To select a folder just navigate the file selector box into that folder, select any file or simply click at .

  The selector box automatically appears to select a mandatory filename parameter, e. g. the archive file handled by an archiver.

  For further details on filename fields refer to section (page ).

• Execution of the selected dependent program starts when you click at the button in the parameter dialog box. If the dependent program is of type TOS or TTP the screen is cleared and switched to alphanumeric mode before launching the program. If Arcgsh does not know where the program resides it will display the GEM file selector box asking you to locate the program.

• Upon termination of the dependent program Arcgsh will (optionally) beep to let you know about the termination (very useful for long-running programs). The dependent program's output is (optionally) kept on the screen until you press any key or click with the left mouse button.

  Beware: If an error occurred the dependent program itself may hold the screen and ask you to type any key. In this case you will have to hit the key twice: once for the dependent program and once for Arcgsh. If the dependent program exits with a return code not equal to zero that code will be displayed in an alert box.