(General)
Item: 893 by akcs.husty@hpcvbbs.cv.hp.com [Ali Persian Momeni]
Subj: USER FLAGS; WHY?
Date: 25 Sep 1992

I know very well what the point of system flags is, but would someone
please tell me what good are user flags (1 th 64) and what you can do
with them?????? (I know that flags 1-5 appers on the status line when
set, but I don't know much else.)

thanks, ali.

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Resp: 1 of 1 by sanker@hpcvbbs.cv.hp.com [Greg Sanker]
Date: 25 Sep 1992

User flags are just that: flags for the user to use as needed. For
instance, I could use flag 4 to remind me that I have to pick up
bread on the way home from work. (Like the old string around the
finger story). I set flag 4, and every time I see it, I remember
that I need to buy bread. When I stop at the store and pick up
bread, I clear flag 4. Now when I look at my HP 48, I'm not
reminded to pick up bread.

The same can be true inside a program. If the program detects a
certain condition, a negative argument for instance, it sets a
flag. Later in the program, when it perhaps makes a difference
whether I had a positive or negative value, I test the flag. If it
is set, the number was negative, otherwise it was positive.

There are many examples of how/why one could use flags. Think of
them as bi-state variables. The meaning (if any) assigned to a
given user flag is assigned by the user/programer.

Hope this helps,

Greg (SYSOP)