Editing Multics (section)

==Commands==
The following is a list of programs and [[command (computing)|commands]]<ref>{{cite book
| last       = Honeywell Bull, Inc.
| title       = Multics Commands and Active Functions (AG92-06)
| url       = http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/honeywell/large_systems/multics/AG92-06B_multicsCmds_Nov87.pdf
| access-date       = March 30, 2023
| date       = Feb 1985
}}</ref> for common computing tasks that are supported by the Multics [[command-line interface]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.multicians.org/unix.html| title = Unix and Multics}}</ref><ref name="multics-commands">{{cite web| url = https://www.multicians.org/multics-commands.html| title = Multics Commands}}</ref>

=== File and directory access commands ===
* {{mono|[[cd (command)|change_wdir]]}} ({{mono|cwd}}) - change the [[working directory]]
* {{mono|[[mkdir|create_dir]]}} ({{mono|cd}}) - create a directory
* {{mono|[[copy (command)|copy]]}} ({{mono|cp}}) - copy files
* {{mono|[[ls|list]]}} ({{mono|ls}}) - list files and directories
* {{mono|[[cat (Unix)|print]]}} ({{mono|pr}}) - print the contents of a text file
* {{mono|[[pwd|print_wdir]]}} ({{mono|pwd}}) - print the [[working directory]]
* {{mono|[[mv (Unix)|move]]}} ({{mono|mv}}) - move a file or directory to a different directory
* {{mono|rename}} ({{mono|rn}}) - rename a file without moving it

=== Text editors ===
* {{mono|edm}} - a simple [[line editor]]
* {{mono|emacs}} - [[Multics Emacs]]
* {{mono|[[TECO (text editor)|teco]]}}

=== Document formatters ===
* {{mono|[[TYPSET and RUNOFF#Multics|runoff]]}} ({{mono|rf}})

=== Compilers, assemblers, and interpreters ===
{{Div col|colwidth=10em}}
* {{mono|alm}}
* {{mono|[[APL (programming language)|apl]]}}
* {{mono|[[BASIC|basic]]}}
* {{mono|[[C (programming language)|c]]}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Multics C User's Guide |date=November 1987 |publisher=Honeywell Bull |url=https://bitsavers.org/pdf/honeywell/large_systems/multics/HH07-01_C_UsersGuide_Nov87.pdf |access-date=March 26, 2024}}</ref>
* {{mono|[[COBOL|cobol]]}}
* {{mono|[[fortran]]}} ({{mono|ft}})
* {{mono|[[Pascal (programming language)|pascal]]}}
* {{mono|[[PL/I|pl1]]}}
{{Div col end}}

=== Email ===
{{Div col|colwidth=10em}}
* {{mono|mail}} ({{mono|ml}})
* {{mono|read_mail}} ({{mono|rdm}})
* {{mono|send_mail}} ({{mono|sdm}})
{{Div col end}}

=== On-line documentation ===
{{Div col|colwidth=10em}}
* {{mono|[[help (command)#Multics|help]]}}
{{Div col end}}

=== Scripting ===
* {{mono|[[echo (command)|echo]]}}
* {{mono|[[if (command)|if]]}}

=== Data processing ===
* {{mono|gcos}} ({{mono|gc}}) - simulator to run [[General Comprehensive Operating System|GCOS]] programs
* {{mono|sort}}, {{mono|merge}} - sorting and merging of text and binary files

=== Login sessions ===
* {{mono|[[logout (command)|logout]]}}
* {{mono|[[who (Unix)|who]]}}

=== Active functions ===
The Multics [[shell (computing)|shell]] language supports "active functions", which are similar to commands, but which return a string value.  An active function is called by putting the active function name and the arguments to the active function in square brackets {{mono|[}} and {{mono|]}}. The string returned by the active function is substituted into the command in place of the call to the active function.  For example, when the command {{mono|echo [working_dir]}} is processed, the active function {{mono|working_dir}} is run; it returns the full path of the [[working directory]], which is substituted into the command, so that the {{mono|echo}} command prints the working directory.

Some programs can act either as commands or as active functions; when run as a command, its result is printed, and when run as an active function, its result is returned as a string.<ref name="multics-commands" />

Some common active functions are:

* {{mono|[[Floor and ceiling functions|ceil]]}} - returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to the argument
* {{mono|[[Floor and ceiling functions|floor]]}} - returns the largest integer less than or equal to the argument
* {{mono|home_dir}} ({{mono|hd}}) - returns the [[home directory]]
* {{mono|[[ltrim]]}}
* {{mono|[[rtrim]]}}
* {{mono|[[Truncation|trunc]]}} - returns the integer part of the argument
* {{mono|working_dir}} ({{mono|wd}}) - returns the [[working directory]]