• "Anthony Borla" <ajborla bigpond.com> Oct 30 2005

Greetings,

I'd like to read into a DMDScript script data from a file that has been
redirected as input from the command-line. For example, if I enter the
following command:

    ds myscript.ds < myfile.txt

I would like the contents of 'myfile.txt' available to the script.
Importantly, too, it should be possible to accept 'empty' lines [i.e. lines
consisting solely of the end-of-line terminator] without terminating the
reading process.

I am able to accomplish this task via the Windows Scripting Host using the
following code:

    var fStream = WScript.StdIn;

    var buffer;
    while (!fStream.AtEndOfStream)
    {
        buffer = fStream.ReadLine();
        WScript.Echo(buffer);
    }

I understand that the nearest analog to such functionality in DMDScript is
the 'readln' function, and that the DMDScript equivalent to above code is
something like:

    var buffer = readln();

    while (buffer.length > 0)
    {
        println(buffer);
        buffer = readln();
    }

This code works as long as no 'empty' lines are encountered; it is thus not
possible to read in a textfile containing such lines, something I would
class as more than a mere annoyance.

My question in this case, are:

* Have I perhaps missed someting in my use of 'readln'
  and that it is actually able to read 'empty' lines without
  terminating ?

* If not, then are there any plans for this situation to be
   remedied in a future release of DMDScript ?

I look forward to any response.

Cheers,

Anthony Borla