Interface
The command-line interface is the main, and most powerful, user interface for a VOS system.
Users may be locked into "form" based sub-system by command macro scripts if required, although a skilled user would be able to break out of this and get command-line access. (It is, in fact, possible for a Stratus system administrator to set up a user's account such that an attempt to break out of FMS—the Stratus Forms Management System—to the command line results in the user being logged out. Therefore this is not an approach to be recommended.)
Command macros and programs can be invoked with an argument to display a form listing all the available parameters, which the user can navigate using the "tab" key. Each parameter is generally restricted to control what the user can input. This includes lists of valid values, numeric-only, text-only, etc. Parameters can also be hidden using a "secret" tag, or made mandatory.
All commands in VOS are defined in full with underbars to separate words, for example change_current_dir to change directory to a given path. The VOS help system uses this convention to assist users who are looking for a subset of possible commands; for instance, those referring to "change." The command-line call to find this subset is help -match change.
Every user has a file which contains a list of standard abbreviations for common commands, command strings, or commands with common variables. Command abbreviations are conventionally named after the first letters of the command they represent, so ccd foodir may be expanded to change_current_dir foodir.
The user can add, delete or modify the abbreviations, and many experienced VOS users have an abbreviations file built up over a long time that they bring with them to new systems and jobs.
VOS processes run a start-up command start_up.cm on login. Optionally, and on a per-line basis, this may apply to non-interactive processes. This command macro can be used for a variety of purposes including loading multiple custom abbreviations files, setting custom file-paths, loading emacs customisations etc. Experienced users will also generally have a custom start-up command macro that they may wish to use on new systems.
Read more about this topic: Stratus VOS