SET ALTERNATE
 Echo console output to a text file
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 Syntax

     SET ALTERNATE TO [<xcFile> [ADDITIVE]]
     SET ALTERNATE on | OFF | <xlToggle>

 Arguments

     TO <xcFile> opens a standard ASCII text file for output with a
     default extension of .txt.  The file name may optionally include an
     extension, drive letter, and/or path.  You may specify <xcFile> either
     as a literal file name or as a character expression enclosed in
     parentheses.  Note that if a file with the same name exists, it is
     overwritten.

     ADDITIVE causes the specified alternate file to be appended instead
     of being overwritten.  If not specified, the specified alternate file is
     truncated before new information is written to it.

     ON causes console output to be written to the open text file.

     OFF discontinues writing console output to the text file without
     closing the file.

     <xlToggle> is a logical expression that must be enclosed in
     parentheses.  A value of true (.T.) is the same as ON, and a value of
     false (.F.) is the same as OFF.

 Description

     SET ALTERNATE is a console command that lets you write the output of
     console commands to a text file.  Commands such as LIST, REPORT FORM,
     LABEL FORM, and ? that display to the screen without reference to row
     and column position are console commands.  Most of these commands have a
     TO FILE clause that performs the same function as SET ALTERNATE.  Full-
     screen commands such as @...SAY cannot be echoed to a disk file using
     SET ALTERNATE.  Instead you can use SET PRINTER TO <xcFile> with SET
     DEVICE TO PRINTER to accomplish this.

     SET ALTERNATE has two basic forms.  The TO <xcFile> form creates a DOS
     text file with a default extension of .txt and overwrites any other file
     with the same name.  Alternate files are not related to work areas with
     only one file open at a time.  To close an alternate file, use CLOSE
     ALTERNATE, CLOSE ALL, or SET ALTERNATE TO with no argument.

     The on|OFF form controls the writing of console output to the current
     alternate file.  SET ALTERNATE ON begins the echoing of output to the
     alternate file.  SET ALTERNATE OFF suppresses output to the alternate
     file but does not close it.

 Examples

     .  This example creates an alternate file and writes the results
        of the ? command to the file for each record in the Customer database
        file:

        SET ALTERNATE TO Listfile
        SET ALTERNATE ON
        USE Customer NEW
        DO WHILE !EOF()
           ? Customer->Lastname, Customer->City
           SKIP
        ENDDO
        SET ALTERNATE OFF
        CLOSE ALTERNATE
        CLOSE Customer

 Files   Library is CLIPPER.LIB.

See Also: CLOSE FCREATE() FOPEN() FWRITE() SET CONSOLE