PPL allows user defined constants in the following formats:

A MONEY constant (dollar sign followed by optional dollars followed by decimal point followed by cents; # = 0-9)

An INTEGER hexadecimal constant (# = 0-9 & A-F)

An INTEGER decimal constant (# = 0-9)

An INTEGER octal constant (# = 0-7)

An INTEGER binary constant (# = 0-1)

An INTEGER constant (# = 0-9)

A STRING constant (X = any displayable text)

An INTEGER @X constant (# = 0-9 & A-F)

PPL predefines the following constants:

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (automatically press enter after 10 seconds of no user input)

Parameter passed to DISPTEXT statement (sound a bell when prompt displayed)

These constants were added to avoid confusion when telling the function CRC32 what it is taking the CRC of. CRC_FILE tells CRC32 to calculate the CRC of the file contained within the string argument. CRC_STR tells CRC32 to calculate the CRC of the string argument itself. CRC_FILE has a value of 1 (TRUE) CRC_STR has a value of 0 (FALSE)

Parameter passed to CURUSER()

Parameter passed to various statements for default values

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (echo dots instead of user input)

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (erase the current line when user presses enter)

BOOLEAN FALSE value

Value passed to STARTDISP to force line counting display

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (displays parenthesis to show input field width if ANSI enabled)

Value passed to STARTDISP to force non-stop display

Expired subscription access allowed flag for CONFFLAG and CONFUNFLAG

Mail waiting flag for CONFFLAG and CONFUNFLAG

Registered access allowed flag for CONFFLAG and CONFUNFLAG

Conference selected flag for CONFFLAG and CONFUNFLAG

Conference SysOp access flag for CONFFLAG and CONFUNFLAG

Parameter passed to DISPFILE statement to search for graphics specific files

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (displays parenthesis above current line if FIELDLEN used and ANSI not enabled

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (allow high ascii characters, regardless of current valid character set, if disable high ascii filter set to yes)

Parameter passed to DISPFILE statement to search for language specific files

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR, PROMPTSTR and DISPTEXT statements (send an extra line feed after user presses enter)

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR, PROMPTSTR and DISPTEXT statements (send an extra line feed before prompt display)

Parameter passed to DISPTEXT statement (log text to callers log)

Parameter passed to DISPTEXT statement (log text to callers log, forcing left justification)

Value passed to STARTDISP to not change display mode

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR, PROMPTSTR and DISPTEXT statements (send a line feed after user presses enter)

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (don't clear field at first keypress regardless of ANSI)

Parameter passed to CURUSER()

Parameter passed to FCREATE/FOPEN/FAPPEND to open a file in read only mode

Parameter passed to FCREATE/FOPEN/FAPPEND to open a file in read and write mode

Parameter passed to FCREATE/FOPEN/FAPPEND to open a file in write only mode

Parameter passed to DISPFILE statement to search for security specific files

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (allow semi-colons and spaces in addition to valid character set passed)

Parameter passed to FCREATE/FOPEN/FAPPEND to deny read and write (both) access from other processes

Parameter passed to FCREATE/FOPEN/FAPPEND to allow read and write (deny none) access from other processes

Parameter passed to FCREATE/FOPEN/FAPPEND to deny read access from other processes

Parameter passed to FCREATE/FOPEN/FAPPEND to deny write access from other processes

BOOLEAN TRUE value

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (force user input to upper case)

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (if user hits end of line, save the text at the end of the line for future use)

Parameter passed to INPUTSTR and PROMPTSTR statements (Only allow international yes/no responses)

Return by GetUser - variables are currently undefined

Return by GetUser - User variables are for the current user

PPL predefines the following variables for user record access:

Clear screen between messages status

79 column message editor default

Users current expert status

Users full screen editor default

Prompt for full screen editor status

6 line vs 4 line message header status

Scroll multi-screen message status

The users subscription expiration date

The date that the users password expires and must be changed

The users expired security level

The users page length

The users security level

This constant was added so the PPL programmer could determine how close they are getting to the stack limit when using recursion.

The users address information (if the SysOp has enabled address recording)
0 = First street line
1 = Second street line
2 = City
3 = State
4 = Zip
5 = Country

The users alias (if the SysOp has enabled alias use)

The users business/data phone number

The users city/state information

The users comment field

The SysOps comment field

The users home/voice phone number

Notes about the user (if the SysOp has enabled the note capability)

Subscripts 0-4 hold lines 1-5

The users password

The users default transfer protocol

The users verification string (if the SysOp has enabled user verification)

See also: Predefined Constants