Prompt Patterns

Option 'p' --> Prompt, Patterns from Std Input. Normally QTGrep reads the search pattern from either the command line or a pattern file specified via the 'f' option. In some cases, the user may desire to read the search patterns from the Standard Input File. For example when redirecting or piping them from another application program or typing them at the console. In either case, this option, and the 'P' option, will read the search patterns from the Standard Input File. Before reading from the standard input file, the following prompt is sent to the Standard Error File, normally the console display:

Input Search Expressions: (<Ctrl-Z> Or Blank Line To Terminate)

An end-of-file, <Ctrl-Z> when input from the keyboard, or a blank line, will terminate the input of search expressions. Note especially that a blank line will terminate the input. The user should be very careful of this restriction and ensure that the redirected or piped input does not contain any unwanted blank lines.

This option cannot be specifed in conjunction with the 'P' option. All search pattern file commands are active as with the 'f' option. See the '-?#' option for an explanation of the search pattern file commands.

Incompatible Options Are:

P	Noprompt, Patterns From Std Input
Z	File Preview
f	ile for Search Patterns