LOCATE(1)

NAME
locate - identify a UNIX system command using keywords

SYNOPSIS
[ help ] locate

[ help ] locate [ keyword1 [ keyword2 ] ... ]

DESCRIPTION
The locate command is part of the UNIX System help Facility, and provides on-line assistance with identifying UNIX system commands.

Without arguments, the initial locate screen is displayed from which the user may enter keywords functionally related to the action of the desired UNIX system commands they wish to have identified. A user may enter keywords and receive a list of UNIX system commands whose functional attributes match those in the keyword list, or may exit to the shell by typing q (for ``quit''). For example, if you wish to print the contents of a file, enter the keywords ``print'' and ``file''. locate would then print the names of all commands related to these keywords.

Keywords may also be entered directly from the shell, as shown above. In this case, the initial screen is not displayed, and the resulting command list is printed.

More detailed information on a command in the list produced by locate can be obtained by accessing the usage module of the UNIX System help Facility. Access is made by entering the appropriate menu choice after the command list is displayed.

From any screen in the facility, a user may execute a command via the shell (sh(1)) by typing a ! and the command to be executed. The screen will be redrawn if the command that was executed was entered at a first level prompt. If entered at any other prompt level, only the prompt will be redrawn.

By default, the help facility scrolls the data that is presented to the user. If a user prefers to have the screen clear before printing the data (non-scrolling), a variable must be defined in the user's .profile file called SCROLL. The variable SCROLL must be set to no and exported for non-scrolling to occur. If the user later decides that scrolling is desired, the variable SCROLL must be set to yes or deleted from the user's .profile file.

Further information on the UNIX System help Facility can be found on the help(1), usage(1), starter(1), and glossary(1) manual pages.

SEE ALSO
help(1), usage(1), starter(1), glossary(1).

WARNINGS

If the TERM variable is not set in the user's .profile file, then TERM will default to the terminal value type 450 ( a hardcopy terminal ). For a list of valid terminal types, refer to term(5) in the UNIX Programmer's Manual. The help facility assumes that tabs are set on the user's terminal.