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Exec Messages

The TOPS-20 Command Processor, or EXEC, displays messages in  response
to  errors  or  other  conditions  that  arise  when using the TOPS-20
Command Language.  There are three kinds  of  EXEC  messages:   error,
warning, and information.

Error messages begin with a  question  mark  (?).   An  error  message
indicates  that a failure has occurred and execution of the command or
program has stopped.  If, for example, you type the wrong password  in
a LOGIN or CONNECT command, you receive the message:

     ?Incorrect password

and the command is not executed.

Warning messages begin with percent sign (%).  A warning message  also
indicates that a failure has occurred, but execution of the command or
program usually continues.  For example, suppose you type the command

     DIRECTORY *.PAS, *.REL

to list all the files with the extensions .PAS  and  .REL,  and,  your
connected  directory  does not contain any .REL files.  The EXEC lists
all the files with the .PAS extensions and  then  prints  the  warning
message:

     %No such file type *.REL.

The third type of message you can get from  the  EXEC  (and  sometimes
from  the system) is an information message.  Information messages are
enclosed in square brackets [ ] and inform you about the status of the
system or the result of an EXEC command.  For example, the message

     [DECSYSTEM-20 continued]

indicates that a temporary pause in service has ended.  The message

     [n pages freed]

indicates that your EXPUNGE command  freed  n  disk  pages.   Usually,
information messages require no response from you.

When you need more information than is provided by  an  EXEC  message,
see   the   EXEC   Message  Manual.   This  manual  contains  detailed
descriptions of all EXEC messages, plus actions to take for correcting
errors.