.TH g.ask 1grass "" "GRASS 6.4.2" "Grass User's Manual"
.SH NAME
\fI\fBg.ask\fR\fR  - Prompts the user for the names of GRASS data base files.
.SH KEYWORDS
general, map management
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBg.ask\fR
.br
\fBg.ask help\fR
.br
\fBg.ask type\fR=\fIstring\fR  [\fBprompt\fR=\fI"string"\fR]  \fBelement\fR=\fIstring\fR  [\fBdesc\fR=\fI"string"\fR]  \fBunixfile\fR=\fIstring\fR  [--\fBverbose\fR]  [--\fBquiet\fR] 
.SS Parameters:
.IP "\fBtype\fR=\fIstring\fR" 4m
.br
The type of query
.br
Options: \fIold,new,any,mapset\fR
.IP "\fBprompt\fR=\fI"string"\fR" 4m
.br
The prompt to be displayed to the user
.IP "\fBelement\fR=\fIstring\fR" 4m
.br
The database element to be queried
.IP "\fBdesc\fR=\fI"string"\fR" 4m
.br
A short description of the database element
.IP "\fBunixfile\fR=\fIstring\fR" 4m
.br
The name of a unix file to store the user's response
.PP
.SH DESCRIPTION
\fIg.ask\fR is designed for shell scripts that need to
prompt the user for the name of a data base file in the
user's current GRASS location.  After \fIg.ask\fR is
invoked with needed parameters, it will query the user for
a file name of the specified \fItype\fR and
\fIelement\fR.  After the user responds to this query,
the program will write four lines to the UNIX output file
specified by \fIunixfile\fR.
.SH OUTPUT
Upon receiving the user's response to its request for a
file name, \fIg.ask\fR writes four lines to the
specified \fIunixfile\fR; this output file is placed in
the user's current working directory, unless otherwise
specified, and contains the following lines:
\fC
.DS
.br
name='\fIsome_name\fR'
.br
mapset='\fIsome_mapset\fR'
.br
fullname='\fIsome_fullname\fR'
.br
file='\fIsome_fullpath\fR'
.br
.DE
\fR
.PP
The output is \fI/bin/sh\fR commands to set the variable
\fIname\fR to the file name specified by the user (of
the \fIelement\fR and \fItype\fR requested by
\fIg.ask\fR), \fImapset\fR to the GRASS mapset in
which this file resides (or will be created),
\fIfullname\fR is the name with the mapset embedded in
it, and \fIfile\fR to the full UNIX path name
identifying this file.  These variables may be set in the
\fI/bin/sh\fR as follows:
\fB. unixfile\fR
.PP
.PP
The . is a shell command which means read the
\fIunixfile\fR and execute the commands found there.  It
is NOT part of the \fIunixfile\fR name and MUST be
followed by a space.
.SH NOTES
The user may choose to simply hit the return key and not enter a file name.
If this happens the variables will be set as follows:
\fC
.DS
.br
name=
.br
mapset=
.br
fullname=
.br
file=
.br
.DE
\fR
.PP
The following is a way to test for this case:
\fC
.DS
.br
if [ ! "$file" ]
.br
then
.br
	exit
.br
fi
.br
.DE
\fR
.SH SEE ALSO
\fId.ask\fR,
\fIg.filename\fR,
\fIg.findfile\fR,
\fIg.gisenv\fR,
\fIg.parser\fR
.SH AUTHOR
Michael Shapiro,
U.S.Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
.PP
\fILast changed: $Date: 2011-11-08 12:29:50 +0100 (Tue, 08 Nov 2011) $\fR
.PP
Full index
.PP
© 2003-2011 GRASS Development Team