2.4.1 Invoking query-pr

From the shell, simply type query-pr, followed by any search parameters you wish to exercise. From Emacs, type M-x query-pr. query-pr prompts you for search parameters in the minibuffer.

query-pr can also be accessed by electronic mail, if your version of gnats is configured for this. To use this feature, simply send mail to the address query-pr@your-site with command line arguments or options in the Subject line of the mail header. gnats replies to your mail with the results of your query. The default settings for the query-pr mail server are

     --restricted --state="open|analyzed|feedback|suspended"

To override the --state parameter, specify --state=state in the Subject line of the mail header. You can not query on confidential Problem Reports by mail.

The usage for query-pr is:

     query-pr [--debug | -D] [--help | -h] [--version | -V]
              [--output file | -o file] [--list-databases]
              [--list-fields] [--list-input-fields]
              [--responsible-address name] [--field-type field]
              [--field-description field]
              [--field-flags field]
              [--adm-field field] [--adm-subfield subfield]
              [--adm-key key]
              [--valid-values field]
              [--format format | -f format]
              [--full | -F] [--summary | -q]
              [--database database | -d database] [--and | -&]
              [--or | -|] [--expr expr] [PR Number]

Non-network-mode options:

              [--print-sh-vars] [--print-directory-for-database]

Network-mode-only options:

              [--host host | -H host] [--port port]
              [--user user | -v user] [--passwd passwd | -w passwd]
              [--print-server-addr]

Deprecated Options:

              [--list-categories | -j] [--list-states | -T]
              [--list-responsible | -k] [--list-submitters | -l]
              [--category category | -c category]
              [--synopsis synopsis | -y synopsis]
              [--confidential confidential | -C confidential]
              [--multitext multitext | -m multitext]
              [--originator originator | -O originator]
              [--release release | -A release]
              [--class class | -L class] [--cases cases | -E cases]
              [--quarter quarter | -Q quarter]
              [--keywords keywords | -K keywords]
              [--priority priority | -p priority]
              [--responsible responsible | -r responsible]
              [--restricted | -R] [--severity severity | -e severity]
              [--skip-closed | -x] [--sql | -i] [--sql2 | -I]
              [--state state | -s state]
              [--submitter submitter | -S submitter]
              [--text text | -t text]
              [--required-before date | -u date]
              [--required-after date | -U date]
              [--arrived-before date | -b date]
              [--arrived-after date | -a date]
              [--modified-before date | -B date]
              [--modified-after date | -M date]
              [--closed-before date | -z date]
              [--closed-after date | -Z date]

The options have the following meaning:

--help, -h

Prints a help message.

--version, -V

Displays the program version to stdout.

--output file, -o file

The results of the query will be placed in this file.

--database database, -d database

Specifies the database to be used for the query. If no database is specified, the database named default is assumed. (This option overrides the database specified in the GNATSDB environment variable; see Environment for more information.)

--list-categories, -j

Lists the available PR categories for the selected database.

--list-states, -T

Lists the valid PR states for PRs in this database.

--list-responsible, -k

Lists the users that appear in the database's responsible list.

--list-submitters, -l

Lists the valid submitters for this database.

The previous –list-* options are deprecated and may be removed in future releases of gnats; their functionality can be replaced with

     query-pr --valid-values field

where field is one of Category, Class, Responsible, Submitter-Id, or State.

--list-databases

Lists the known databases.

--list-fields

Lists the entire set of field names for PRs in the selected database.

--list-input-fields

Lists the fields that should be provided when creating a new PR for the currently-specified database. The fields are listed in an order that would make sense when used in a template or form.

--field-type field

Returns the data type contained in PR field field. The current set of data types includes text, multitext, enum, multienum, enumerated-in-file, multi-enumerated-in-file, date and integer.

--field-description field

Returns a human-readable description of the intended purpose of field.

--field-flags field

Returns the flags set for the field in the dbconfig file associated with the database, such as textsearch and readonly. See Individual field configuration.

--adm-field field

Used together with the --adm-key option, this returns a record from the administrative file (if any) associated with the field. For more material on administrative files, see Enumerated field administrative files.

--adm-subfield subfield

Used together with the --adm-field and --adm-key options, this returns the contents of a particular subfield from the record specified by --adm-field and --adm-key. Subfields are treated in Enumerated field administrative files.

--adm-key key

Used together with --adm-field to select a record from the administrative file associated with the field specified by --adm-field. See Enumerated field administrative files.

--valid-values field

For fields of type enum, a list of valid values (one per line) is returned. Otherwise, a regular expression is returned that describes the legal values in field.

--responsible-address name

The mail address of name is returned; name is assumed to be a name either appearing in the database's responsible list, or is otherwise a user on the system.

--print-sh-vars

A set of /bin/sh variables is returned that describe the selected database. They include:

GNATSDB

The name of the currently-selected database.

GNATSDB_VALID

Set to 1 if the selected database is valid.

GNATSDBDIR

The directory where the database contents are stored.

DEBUG_MODE

Set to 1 if debug mode has been enabled for the database.

DEFAULTCATEGORY

The default category for PRs in the database.

DEFAULTSTATE

The default state for PRs in the database.

--print-server-addr

Prints the information about a remote server database in the format suitable for the GNATSDB environment variable. This option works only in the network mode.

--print-directory-for-database

Returns the directory where the selected database is located.

--format format, -f format

Used to specify the format of the output PRs, See Formatting query-pr output for a complete description.

--full, -F

When printing PRs, the entre PR is displayed. This is exactly equivalent to

          query-pr --format full
     

--summary, -q

When printing PRs, a summary format is used. This is exactly equivalent to

          query-pr --format summary
     

--debug, -D

Enables debugging output for network queries.

--host host, -H host

Specifies the hostname of the gnatsd server to communicate with. This overrides the value in the GNATSDB environment variable.

--port port

Specifies the port number of the gnatsd server to communicate with. This overrides the value in the GNATSDB environment variable.

--user user, -v user

Specifies the username to login with when connecting to the gnatsd server. This overrides the value in the GNATSDB environment variable.

--passwd passwd, -w passwd

Specifies the password to login with when connecting to the gnatsd server. This overrides the value in the GNATSDB environment variable.

--and, -&, --or, -|

These options are used when connecting multiple query operators together. They specify whether the previous and subsequent options are to be logically ANDed or logically ORed.

--expr expr

Specifies a query expression to use when searching for PRs. See Query expressions.

The remaining deprecated options are not described here, since their use is fairly obvious and their functionality is completely replaced by the use of the --expr option.