MESFIL

The MESFIL command controls the message file and related facilities.

• To send messages only to a message file use MESSAGEFILE filename.

• To send messages both to the standard output and to a message file use MESSAGEFILE COPY filename.

• To send messages only to the standard output use MESSAGEFILE END.

The filename (if required) can be given as a name (with a leading /) or as text (enclosed in single quotes). If the filename contains spaces you must use the text form.

To control echoing of commands from a macro to the message file use the ECHO ON and ECHO OFF commands. If you use a lengthy standard macro, you may wish to include an ECHO OFF at the start and an ECHO ON at the end of the macro. This is done, for example, in the supplied steel section macros.

To write a message directly to the message file use the MESSAGEFILE PRINT message command. The message must be enclosed in single quotes.

>-- MESsagefile --+-- filename ----------.

| |

|-- COPy -- filename --|

| |

|-- END ---------------|

| |

|-- ECHo --+-- ON -----|

| | |

| `-- OFF ----|

| |

`-- Print-- message ---+-->