Intel XENIX 286 Programmers Guide (86) - Tenox.tc

APPENDIX B
PROG RAMMING COMMANDS
This section describes the programming commands available in the XENIX 286 Extended
System product.
Syntax
Unless otherwise noted, commands described in this section accept options and other
arguments according to the following syntax:
name
option
cmdarg
name [option ] ... [ cmdarg] ...
The file name or path name of an executable file.
A single letter representing a command option. By convention, most options
are preceded by a hyphen. Option letters can sometimes be grouped
together, as in -abed. Alternatively they are specified individually, as in -a
-b -c -d. The method of specifying options depends on the syntax of the
command. Some options require argu ments. For example, the -f option for
many commands often takes a following file name argument.
A path name or other command argument not beginning with a hyphen. It
may also be a hyphen alone by itself, indicating the standard input.
Note: Not all commands adhere to the above syntax.
See Also
getopt in "Commands" in the XENIX 286 Reference Manual
getopt in "System Functions" in the XENIX 286 C Library Guide
Diagnostics
Upon termination, each command returns 2 bytes of status, one supplied by the system
and giving the cause for termination, and (in the case of "normal" termination) one
supplied by the program. (See wait and exit in "System Functions" in the XENIX 286 C
Library Guide.) The byte supplied by the system is zero for normal termination; the
byte supplied by the program is customarily zero to indicate successful execution and
nonzero to indicate troubles such as erroneous parameters or bad or inaccessible data.
It is called variously "exit code," "exit status," or "return code," and is described only
where special conventions are involved.
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