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<h4 class="subsection">3.3.4 Formatted Output</h4>

<p>The following functions pertaining to the output of text files or data files with
<a name="index-preamble-562"></a>preambles are declared in the header file <samp><span class="file">formout.h</span></samp>.

<div class="defun">
&mdash; Function: void <b>avm_output</b> (<var>FILE *repository, char *filename, list preamble, list contents, int trace_mode</var>)<var><a name="index-avm_005foutput-563"></a></var><br>
<blockquote>
        <p>This function writes a either a text file or a data file in the format
described in <a href="File-Format.html#File-Format">File Format</a>. The parameters have these
interpretations.

          <dl>
<dt><var>repository</var><dd>is the address of a file opened for writing by the caller, that will be
written from its current position. 
<br><dt><var>filename</var><dd>is the address of a null terminated character string set
by the caller to be the name of the file that will
be reported to the user in the event of an i/o error. 
<br><dt><var>preamble</var><dd>is <code>NULL</code> in the case of a text file, but a list of character string
representations as per <a href="Character-Table.html#Character-Table">Character Table</a>, in the case of a data
file. If a data file has is to be written with an empty preamble, then
this list should have a <code>NULL</code> <code>head</code> and a <code>NULL</code>
<code>tail</code>. 
<br><dt><var>contents</var><dd>is either a list of character string representations in the case of a
text file, or is an unconstrained list in the case of a data file. 
<br><dt><var>trace_mode</var><dd>may be set to a non-zero value by the caller to request that everything
written to a text file should be echoed to standard output. It is
ignored in the case of a data file. 
</dl>

        <p>The effect of calling this function is to write the preamble and
contents to the file in the format indicated by the preamble. The file
is left open when this function returns.

        <p>Line breaks are always written as character code 10, not as 13 10,
<a name="index-line-breaks-564"></a>regardless of the convention on the host system, so that files written
by this function can be reliably read by other functions in the library.

        <p>Leading hashes are automatically added to the beginning of the lines in
the preamble, except where they are unnecessary due to a continuation
character on the previous line. This action enforces consistency with the
file format, ensuring that anything written as a data file can be read
back as one. The hashes are stripped automatically when the file is
read by <code>avm_preamble_and_contents</code>.

        <p>Another feature of this function is that it will mark any output file as
executable if it is a data format file with a prelude whose first
<a name="index-executable-files-565"></a>character in the first line is an exclamation point. This feature makes
it easier for a compiler implemented in virtual code to generate
executable shell scripts directly.

        <p>A fatal error is reported if any of the data required
to be a character representation is not listed in the <a href="Character-Table.html#Character-Table">Character Table</a>. A fatal error can also be caused by a memory overflow. Possible
error messages are the following. 
<a name="index-g_t_0040code_007binvalid-output-preamble-format_007d-566"></a><a name="index-g_t_0040code_007binvalid-text-format_007d-567"></a><a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bcan_0027t-write_007d-568"></a>
          <ul>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: invalid output preamble format</code>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: invalid text format</code>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: can't write to </code><var>filename</var>
</ul>

        <p><a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bstrerror_007d-569"></a>In the last case, the error message will be followed by an explanation
furnished by the standard <code>strerror</code> function if available. 
</p></blockquote></div>

<div class="defun">
&mdash; Function: void <b>avm_output_as_directed</b> (<var>list data, int ask_to_overwrite_mode, int verbose_mode</var>)<var><a name="index-avm_005foutput_005fas_005fdirected-570"></a></var><br>
<blockquote><p>This function writes an ensemble of files at specified paths in either
text or data format, optionally interacting with the user through
standard input and output. The parameters
have these interpretations.

          <dl>
<dt><var>data</var><dd>is a list in which each item specifies a file to be
written. 
<br><dt><var>ask_to_overwrite_mode</var><dd>may be set to a non-zero value by the calling program in order to
have this function ask the user for permission to overwrite existing files. 
<br><dt><var>verbose_mode</var><dd>may be set to a non-zero value by the calling program to have this
function print to standard output a list of the names of the files it
writes. 
</dl>

        <p>A high level interface between virtual code applications and the file
system is provided by this function. The <var>data</var> parameter
format is compatible with the the data structure returned by an
application complying with the conventions in <a href="Output-From-Non_002dinteractive-Applications.html#Output-From-Non_002dinteractive-Applications">Output From Non-interactive Applications</a>.

        <p>Each item in the <var>data</var> list should be a non-empty list whose
<code>head</code> and <code>tail</code> are also non-empty. The fields in each item have
the following relevance to the file it specifies.

          <ul>
<li>The <code>head</code> of the <code>head</code> is <code>NULL</code> if the file is
to be opened for appending, and non-<code>NULL</code> if it is to be
overwritten. 
<li>The <code>tail</code> of the <code>head</code> represents a path as a list of
character string representations, in a form suitable as an argument to
<code>avm_path_name</code>. 
<li>The <code>head</code> of the <code>tail</code> represents the preamble of the
file, as either <code>NULL</code> for a text file or a non-empty list of
character string representations for a data file. 
<li>The <code>tail</code> of the <code>tail</code> represents the contents of the
file, either as a list of character string representations for a text
file or as a list in an unconstrained format for a data file. 
</ul>

        <p>For each item in the list, the function performs the following steps.
          <ol type=1 start=1>
<li>It decides whether to open a file
for overwriting or appending based on the <code>head</code> of the
<code>head</code>. 
<li>It uses the <code>tail</code> of the <code>head</code> to find out the
file name from <code>avm_path_name</code>, in order to open it. 
<li>If the
<var>ask_to_overwrite_mode</var> flag is set and the file is found to
exist already, the function will print one of the following messages to
standard output, depending on whether the file is to be overwritten or
appended.
               <ul>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: overwrite </code><var>filename</var><code>? (y/n)</code>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: append to </code><var>filename</var><code>? (y/n)</code>
</ul>
          It will then insist on either <kbd>y</kbd> or <kbd>n</kbd> as an answer before continuing. 
<li>If the <var>ask_to_overwrite</var> flag has not been set, or the file did
not previously exist, or the answer of <kbd>y</kbd> was given, the preamble
and contents of the file are then written with <code>avm_output</code>. 
<li>If permission to write or append was denied, one of the following
messages is reported to standard output, and the data that were to be
written are lost. 
<a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bnot-writing_007d-file-name-571"></a><a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bwriting_007d-file-name-572"></a>
               <ul>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: not writing </code><var>filename</var>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: not appending </code><var>filename</var>
</ul>

          <li>If permission was granted to write or append to the file or the <var>verbose_mode</var> flag is
set, one of the messages

               <ul>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: writing </code><var>filename</var>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: appending </code><var>filename</var>
</ul>

          <p>is sent to standard output.
             </ol>

        <p><a name="index-standard-output-573"></a>If any files are to be written to standard output, which would be
indicated by a <code>NULL</code> path, they are not written until all other
files in the list are written. This feature is in the interest of
<a name="index-security-574"></a>security, as it makes it more difficult for malicious or inept virtual
code to alter the appearance of the console through standard output until after
the interactive dialogue has taken place. Permission is not solicited
for writing to standard output, and it will not be closed.

        <p>Any of the fatal errors or i/o errors possible with <code>avm_output</code> or
<code>avm_path_name</code> are also possible with this function, as well as
the following additional ones. 
<a name="index-g_t_0040code_007binvalid-file-specification_007d-575"></a><a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bcan_0027t-close_007d-576"></a><a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bcan_0027t-write_007d-577"></a>
          <ul>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: invalid file specification</code>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: can't close </code><var>filename</var>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: can't write </code><var>filename</var>
</ul>

        <p>The last two are non-fatal i/o errors that will be accompanied by an
<a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bstrerror_007d-578"></a>explanation from the <code>strerror</code> function if the host supports
it. The other message is the result of a badly formatted
<var>data</var> parameter.

        </blockquote></div>

<div class="defun">
&mdash; Function: void <b>avm_put_bytes</b> (<var>list bytes</var>)<var><a name="index-avm_005fput_005fbytes-579"></a></var><br>
<blockquote>
        <p>This function takes a list of character representations, converts them
to characters, and sends them to standard output. There is no chance of
a memory overflow, but the following other errors are possible. 
<a name="index-g_t_0040code_007binvalid-text-format_007d-580"></a><a name="index-g_t_0040code_007bcan_0027t-write_007d-581"></a>
          <ul>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: invalid text format (code </code><var>nn</var><code>)</code>
<li><var>program-name</var><code>: can't write to standard output</code>
</ul>

        <p>The latter is non-fatal, but the former causes the program to abort. 
It is caused when any member of the list <var>bytes</var> is not a
character representation appearing in <a href="Character-Table.html#Character-Table">Character Table</a>. 
</p></blockquote></div>

<div class="defun">
&mdash; Function: void <b>avm_initialize_formout</b> ()<var><a name="index-avm_005finitialize_005fformout-582"></a></var><br>
<blockquote><p>This function initializes some data structures used locally by the other
functions in this section, and should be called at the beginning of a
run before any of them is called. 
</p></blockquote></div>

<div class="defun">
&mdash; Function: void <b>avm_count_formout</b> ()<var><a name="index-avm_005fcount_005fformout-583"></a></var><br>
<blockquote><p>This function doesn't do anything in the current version of the library,
but should be called after the last call to any of the other functions
in this section. Future versions of the library might use this function
for cleaning up some internal data structures, and client programs that
call it will maintain compatibility with them. 
</p></blockquote></div>

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