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<h3 class="section">1.2 Controlling <span class="command">ar</span> with a Script</h3>
<pre class="smallexample"> ar -M [ <<var>script</var> ]
</pre>
<p><a name="index-MRI-compatibility_002c-_0040command_007bar_007d-29"></a><a name="index-scripts_002c-_0040command_007bar_007d-30"></a>If you use the single command-line option <span class="samp">-M</span> with <span class="command">ar</span>, you
can control its operation with a rudimentary command language. This
form of <span class="command">ar</span> operates interactively if standard input is coming
directly from a terminal. During interactive use, <span class="command">ar</span> prompts for
input (the prompt is <span class="samp">AR ></span>), and continues executing even after
errors. If you redirect standard input to a script file, no prompts are
issued, and <span class="command">ar</span> abandons execution (with a nonzero exit code)
on any error.
<p>The <span class="command">ar</span> command language is <em>not</em> designed to be equivalent
to the command-line options; in fact, it provides somewhat less control
over archives. The only purpose of the command language is to ease the
transition to <span class="sc">gnu</span> <span class="command">ar</span> for developers who already have scripts
written for the MRI “librarian” program.
<p>The syntax for the <span class="command">ar</span> command language is straightforward:
<ul>
<li>commands are recognized in upper or lower case; for example, <code>LIST</code>
is the same as <code>list</code>. In the following descriptions, commands are
shown in upper case for clarity.
<li>a single command may appear on each line; it is the first word on the
line.
<li>empty lines are allowed, and have no effect.
<li>comments are allowed; text after either of the characters <span class="samp">*</span>
or <span class="samp">;</span> is ignored.
<li>Whenever you use a list of names as part of the argument to an <span class="command">ar</span>
command, you can separate the individual names with either commas or
blanks. Commas are shown in the explanations below, for clarity.
<li><span class="samp">+</span> is used as a line continuation character; if <span class="samp">+</span> appears
at the end of a line, the text on the following line is considered part
of the current command.
</ul>
<p>Here are the commands you can use in <span class="command">ar</span> scripts, or when using
<span class="command">ar</span> interactively. Three of them have special significance:
<p><code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code> specify a <dfn>current archive</dfn>, which is
a temporary file required for most of the other commands.
<p><code>SAVE</code> commits the changes so far specified by the script. Prior
to <code>SAVE</code>, commands affect only the temporary copy of the current
archive.
<dl>
<dt><code>ADDLIB </code><var>archive</var><dt><code>ADDLIB </code><var>archive</var><code> (</code><var>module</var><code>, </code><var>module</var><code>, ... </code><var>module</var><code>)</code><dd>Add all the contents of <var>archive</var> (or, if specified, each named
<var>module</var> from <var>archive</var>) to the current archive.
<p>Requires prior use of <code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code>.
<br><dt><code>ADDMOD </code><var>member</var><code>, </code><var>member</var><code>, ... </code><var>member</var><dd><!-- FIXME! w/Replacement?? If so, like "ar r @var{archive} @var{names}" -->
<!-- else like "ar q..." -->
Add each named <var>member</var> as a module in the current archive.
<p>Requires prior use of <code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code>.
<br><dt><code>CLEAR</code><dd>Discard the contents of the current archive, canceling the effect of
any operations since the last <code>SAVE</code>. May be executed (with no
effect) even if no current archive is specified.
<br><dt><code>CREATE </code><var>archive</var><dd>Creates an archive, and makes it the current archive (required for many
other commands). The new archive is created with a temporary name; it
is not actually saved as <var>archive</var> until you use <code>SAVE</code>.
You can overwrite existing archives; similarly, the contents of any
existing file named <var>archive</var> will not be destroyed until <code>SAVE</code>.
<br><dt><code>DELETE </code><var>module</var><code>, </code><var>module</var><code>, ... </code><var>module</var><dd>Delete each listed <var>module</var> from the current archive; equivalent to
<span class="samp">ar -d </span><var>archive</var> <var>module</var><span class="samp"> ... </span><var>module</var>.
<p>Requires prior use of <code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code>.
<br><dt><code>DIRECTORY </code><var>archive</var><code> (</code><var>module</var><code>, ... </code><var>module</var><code>)</code><dt><code>DIRECTORY </code><var>archive</var><code> (</code><var>module</var><code>, ... </code><var>module</var><code>) </code><var>outputfile</var><dd>List each named <var>module</var> present in <var>archive</var>. The separate
command <code>VERBOSE</code> specifies the form of the output: when verbose
output is off, output is like that of <span class="samp">ar -t </span><var>archive</var>
<var>module</var><span class="samp">...</span>. When verbose output is on, the listing is like
<span class="samp">ar -tv </span><var>archive</var> <var>module</var><span class="samp">...</span>.
<p>Output normally goes to the standard output stream; however, if you
specify <var>outputfile</var> as a final argument, <span class="command">ar</span> directs the
output to that file.
<br><dt><code>END</code><dd>Exit from <span class="command">ar</span>, with a <code>0</code> exit code to indicate successful
completion. This command does not save the output file; if you have
changed the current archive since the last <code>SAVE</code> command, those
changes are lost.
<br><dt><code>EXTRACT </code><var>module</var><code>, </code><var>module</var><code>, ... </code><var>module</var><dd>Extract each named <var>module</var> from the current archive, writing them
into the current directory as separate files. Equivalent to <span class="samp">ar -x
</span><var>archive</var> <var>module</var><span class="samp">...</span>.
<p>Requires prior use of <code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code>.
<br><dt><code>LIST</code><dd>Display full contents of the current archive, in “verbose” style
regardless of the state of <code>VERBOSE</code>. The effect is like <span class="samp">ar
tv </span><var>archive</var>. (This single command is a <span class="sc">gnu</span> <span class="command">ar</span>
enhancement, rather than present for MRI compatibility.)
<p>Requires prior use of <code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code>.
<br><dt><code>OPEN </code><var>archive</var><dd>Opens an existing archive for use as the current archive (required for
many other commands). Any changes as the result of subsequent commands
will not actually affect <var>archive</var> until you next use <code>SAVE</code>.
<br><dt><code>REPLACE </code><var>module</var><code>, </code><var>module</var><code>, ... </code><var>module</var><dd>In the current archive, replace each existing <var>module</var> (named in
the <code>REPLACE</code> arguments) from files in the current working directory.
To execute this command without errors, both the file, and the module in
the current archive, must exist.
<p>Requires prior use of <code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code>.
<br><dt><code>VERBOSE</code><dd>Toggle an internal flag governing the output from <code>DIRECTORY</code>.
When the flag is on, <code>DIRECTORY</code> output matches output from
<span class="samp">ar -tv </span><small class="dots">...</small>.
<br><dt><code>SAVE</code><dd>Commit your changes to the current archive, and actually save it as a
file with the name specified in the last <code>CREATE</code> or <code>OPEN</code>
command.
<p>Requires prior use of <code>OPEN</code> or <code>CREATE</code>.
</dl>
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