How to execute a macro in batch mode ?

PAW should be started as follows:

on Unix
paw -b macro_name

on VMS
PAW/batch=macro_name

If the macro produce a PostScript file, the first parameter of the command METAFILE (LUN) must be negative:

    Macro macro_name
    For/File  1 filename.ps
    Metafile -1 -111
      .
      .
      here put your graphic commands
      .
      .
    close 1

To know if a PAW session is running in batch or interactive mode mode, it is enough to put the following lines in the pawlogon.kumac file:

    if $INDEX($ARGS,'-b') = 0 then
       a/cr batch 0
    else
       a/cr batch 1
    endif

Then every where you need to know the running mode it is enough to test the value of the alias batch.

Arguments passing

It is NOT possible to pass directly arguments to a macro executed in batch. Nevertheless this problem can be bypass using environment variables.

On Unix (csh)
setenv arg1 hello paw -b macro_name

On Unix (ksh)
export arg1=hello paw -b macro_name

On VMS
arg1 :== hello PAW/batch=macro_name

In all cases (UNIX, VMS ...) in the macro "macro_name" it is enough to use $ENV(arg1) to get the value of the global variable. arg1
Example:

 mess $ENV(arg1)

On Unix (csh)	setenv arg1 hello paw -b macro_name
On Unix (ksh)	export arg1=hello paw -b macro_name
On VMS	arg1 :== hello PAW/batch=macro_name