Copying a Specification

Catalogues and Specifications Reference Manual

Manipulating the Catalogue Database using SPECONMODE : Copying a Specification

It is sometimes necessary to have two SPECs which are very similar, perhaps differing only in the CATREF and DETAIL pointers of their member SPCOMs. To enable you to create these easily, SPECON allows you to make a copy of an existing SPEC which you can then rename and edit as required. To do so, use the command syntax

COPY specname REName name1 name2

where specname identifies the complete SPEC which is to be copied and name1 and name2 define the old and new name parts, respectively, for the individual SPCOM lines throughout the SPEC. In most cases name1 will be the same as specname.

For example, to create a new Specification /SPEC2 derived from an existing and similar Specification /SPEC1, enter the commands

NEW SPEC /SPEC2
COPY /SPEC1 RENAME /SPEC1 /SPEC2

/SPEC2 will contain exactly the same headings, default settings and SPCOM lines as /SPEC1 except that all SPCOMs which were named /SPEC1/... in the latter will have been renamed /SPEC2/... in the former.

You can now change any individual answers (attribute settings or pointers) in /SPEC2 by using the editing commands described in Editing an Existing Specification.