3. Commands
Prev | Chapter 5. The YAZ client | Next

## 3. Commands

When the YAZ client has read options and connected to a target, if given, it will display `Z>` and await your command. Commands are executed by hitting the return key. You can always issue the command `?` to see the list of available commands.

The commands are (the letters in parenthesis are short names for the commands):

`open` `zurl`

  Opens a connection to a server. The syntax for `zurl` is the same as described above for connecting from the command line.

  Syntax:

  [`(tcp|ssl|unix|http)':'`]`host` [:`port`][/`base`]

`quit`

  Quits YAZ client

`find` `query`

  Sends a Search Request using the `query` given. By default the query is assumed to be PQF. See command `querytype`.

`delete` `setname`

  Deletes result set with name `setname` on the server.

`base` `base1` `base2` ...

  Sets the name(s) of the database(s) to search. One or more databases may be specified separated by blanks. This commands overrides the database given in `zurl`.

`show` [`start`[+`number`]]

  Fetches records by sending a Present Request from the start position given by `start` a number of records given by `number`. If `start` is not given, then the client will fetch from position of the last retrieved record plus 1. If `number` is not given, then one record will be fetched at a time.

`scan` `term`

  Scans database index for a term. The syntax resembles the syntax for `find`. If you want to scan for the word `water` you could write

          scan water

  but if you want to scan only in, say the title field, you would write

          scan @attr 1=4 water

`scanpos` `pos`
  Sets preferred position for scan. This value is used in next scan. By default position is 1.
`scansize` `size`
  Sets number of entries to be returned by scan. Default number of entries is 20.
`scanstep` `step`
  Set step-size for scan. This value is used in next scan sent to the target. By default step-size is 0.
`sort` `sortspecs`

  Sorts a result set. The sort command takes a sequence of space-separated sort specifications, with each sort specification consisting of two space-separated words (so that the whole specification list is made up of an even number of words). The first word of each specification holds a field (sort criterion) and the second holds flags. If the sort criterion includes `=` it is assumed that the `SortKey` is of type `sortAttributes` using Bib-1: in this case the integer before `=` is the attribute type and the integer following `=` is the attribute value. If no `=` is in the criterion it is treated as a sortfield of type InternationalString. The flags word of each sort specification must consist of `s` for case sensitive or `i` for case insensitive, and `<` for ascending order or `>` for descending order.

`sort+`

  Same as `sort` but stores the sorted result set in a new result set.

`authentication` `openauth`

  Sets up a authentication string if a server requires authentication (v2 OpenStyle). The authentication string is first sent to the server when the `open` command is issued and the Z39.50 Initialize Request is sent, so this command must be used before `open` in order to be effective. A common convention for the `authopen` string is that the username - and password is separated by a slash, e.g. `myusername/mysecret`.

`sru` `method`

  Selects SRU method. Must be one of `POST`, `GET`, `SOAP` (default).

`list_all`

  This command displays status and values for many settings.

`lslb` `n`

  Sets the limit for when no records should be returned together with the search result. See the Z39.50 standard for more details.

`ssub` `n`

  Sets the limit for when all records should be returned with the search result. See the Z39.50 standard for more details.

`mspn` `n`

  Sets the number of records should be returned if the number of records in the result set is between the values of `lslb` and `ssub`. See the Z39.50 standard for more details.

`status`

  Displays the values of `lslb`, `ssub` and `mspn`.

`setname`

  Switches named result sets on and off. Default is on.

`cancel`

  Sends a Trigger Resource Control Request to the target.

`format` `oid`

  Sets the preferred transfer syntax for retrieved records. yaz-client supports all the record syntaxes that currently are registered. See Z39.50 Standard for more details. Commonly used records syntaxes include usmarc, sutrs, grs1 and xml.

`elements` `e`

  Sets the element set name for the records. Many targets support element sets are B (for brief) and F (for full).

`close`

  Sends a Z39.50 Close APDU and closes connection with the peer

`querytype` `type`

  Sets the query type as used by command `find`. The following is supported: `prefix` for Prefix Query Notation (Type-1 Query); `ccl` for CCL search (Type-2 Query), `cql` for CQL (Type-104 search with CQL OID), `ccl2rpn` for CCL to RPN conversion (Type-1 Query). `cql2rpn` for CQL to RPN conversion (Type-1 Query).

`attributeset` `set`

  Sets attribute set OID for prefix queries (RPN, Type-1).

`refid` `id`

  Sets reference ID for Z39.50 Request(s).

`itemorder` `type` `no`

  Sends an Item Order Request using the ILL External. `type` is either 1 or 2 which corresponds to ILL-Profile 1 and 2 respectively. The `no` is the Result Set position of the record to be ordered.

`update` `action` `recid` `doc`

  Sends Item Update Request. The `action` argument must be the action type: one of `insert`, `replace`, `delete` and `update`. The second argument, `recid`, is the record identifier (any string). Third argument which is optional is the record document for the request. If doc is a quoted string (double quotes) the string content is used verbatim. If doc is not a quoted string, it is assumed to be a filename which is read, then sent as the docuemnt content. If doc is omitted, the last received record (as parf of present response or piggybacked search response) is used for the update.

`source` `filename`

  Executes list of commands from file `filename`, just like source on most UNIX shells. A single dot (`.`) can be used as an alternative.

`!` `args`

  Executes command `args` in subshell using the `system` call.

`push_command` `command`

  The push_command takes another command as its argument. That command is then added to the history information (so you can retrieve it later). The command itself is not executed. This command only works if you have GNU readline/history enabled.

`set_apdufile` `filename`

  Sets that APDU should be logged to file `filename`. Another way to achieve APDU log is by using command-line option `-a`.

`set_auto_reconnect` `flag`

  Specifies whether YAZ client automatically reconnect if target closes connection (Z39.50 only).

  `flag` must be either `on` or `off`.

`set_auto_wait` `flag`

  Specifies whether YAZ client should wait for response protocol packages after a request. By default YAZ client waits (on) for response packages immediately after a command (find, show) has been issued. If `off` is used, YAZ client does not attempt to receive packages automatically. These will have to be manually received when command `wait_response` is used.

  `flag` must be either `on` or `off`.

`set_marcdump` `filename`

  Specifies that all retrieved records should be appended to file `filename`. This command does the thing as option `-m`.

`schema` `schemaid`

  Specifies schema for retrieval. Schema may be specified as an OID for Z39.50. For SRU, schema is a simple string URI.

`charset` `negotiationcharset` [`displaycharset`] [[`marccharset`]]

  Specifies character set (encoding) for Z39.50 negotiation / SRU encoding and/or character set for output (terminal).

  `negotiationcharset` is the name of the character set to be negotiated by the server. The special name `-` for `negotiationcharset` specifies no character set to be negotiated.

  If `displaycharset` is given, it specifies name of the character set of the output (on the terminal on which YAZ client is running). To disable conversion of characters to the output encoding, the special name `-` (dash) can be used. If the special name `auto` is given, YAZ client will convert strings to the encoding of the terminal as returned by `nl_langinfo` call.

  If `marcharset` is given, it specifies name of the character set of retrieved MARC records from server. See also `marcharset` command.

  ### Note

  Since character set negotation takes effect in the Z39.50 Initialize Request you should issue this command before command `open` is used.

  ### Note

  MARC records are not covered by Z39.50 character set negotiation, so that's why there is a separate character that must be known in order to do meaningful converson(s).

`negcharset` `charset`

  Specifies character set for negotiation (Z39.50). The argument is the same as second argument for command `charset`.

`displaycharset` `charset`

  Specifies character set for output (display). The argument is the same as second argument for command `charset`.

`marccharset` `charset`

  Specifies character set for retrieved MARC records so that YAZ client can display them in a character suitable for your display. See `charset` command. If `auto` is given, YAZ will assume that MARC21/USMARC is using MARC8/UTF8 and ISO-8859-1 for all other MARC variants. The charset argument is the same as third argument for command `charset`.

`set_cclfile` `filename`

  Specifies that CCL fields should be read from file file `filename`. This command does the thing as option `-c`.

`set_cqlfile` `filename`

  Specifies that CQL fields should be read from file file `filename`. This command does the thing as option `-q`.

`register_oid` `name` `class` `OID`

  This command allows you to register your own object identifier - so that instead of entering a long dot-notation you can use a short name instead. The `name` is your name for the OID, `class` is the class, and `OID` is the raw OID in dot notation. Class is one `appctx`, `absyn`, `attet`, `transyn`, `diagset`, `recsyn`, `resform`, `accform`, `extserv`, `userinfo`, `elemspec`, `varset`, `schema`, `tagset`, `general`. If you're in doubt use the `general` class.

`register_tab` `command` `string`

  This command registers a TAB completion string for the command given.

`sleep` `seconds`

  This command makes YAZ client sleep (be idle) for the number of seconds given.

`wait_response` [ `number`]

  This command makes YAZ client wait for a number of response packages from target. If `number` is omitted, 1 is assumed.

  This command is rarely used and is only useful if command `set_auto_wait` is set to off.

`xmles` `OID` `doc`

  Sends XML Extended Services request using the OID and doc given.

`zversion` `ver`

  This command sets Z39.50 version for negotiation. Should be used before `open`. By default 3 (version 3) is used.

`options` `op1 op2..`

  This command sets Z39.50 options for negotiation. Should be used before `open`.

  The following options are supported: `search`, `present`, `delSet`, `resourceReport`, `triggerResourceCtrl`, `resourceCtrl`, `accessCtrl`, `scan`, `sort`, `extendedServices`, `level_1Segmentation`, `level_2Segmentation`, `concurrentOperations`, `namedResultSets`, `encapsulation`, `resultCount`, `negotiationModel`, `duplicationDetection`, `queryType104`, `pQESCorrection`, `stringSchema`.

Prev | Up | Next
2. Invoking the YAZ client | Home | 4. Searching