Re: BEWARE the _at_CON

From: Alan Anderson <aranders_at_kosepc01.delcoelect.com>
Date: 1995/10/25
Message-ID: <46lupo$jfe_at_kocrsv08.delcoelect.com>#1/1


roywagner_at_aol.com (Roy Wagner) writes:
>When using PO7 and in Oracle SQL*Plus, if I enter _at_CON and a carriage
>return, my computer locks up and the only way out is a reboot. I can't
>seem to find any documentation on this "command".

The "_at_" is indeed documented -- it's a lot like the "start" command. You asked SQL*PLUS to start reading a script from a file called "CON". Most operating systems treat CON as a special filename, referring to the "console". Unless it is redirected, it means to read characters from the keyboard and write characters to the screen. The end-of-file character from the keyboard is usually a control-Z; if you had typed a control-Z then pressed Enter, you might have regained control of your computer. You would also have given SQL*PLUS some junk that it would try to process, and likely complain about.

>(I discovered it when I entered it by mistake.)

..An interesting accidental entry. What were you TRYING to enter?

>I'm not sure this will affect all users, but it certainly does cause a
>problem on my computer.

You identified PO7 and SQL*PLUS, but what computer/operating system are you using? I can't imagine (anything except maybe Windows 3.1) being completely locked up due to giving a command to a program.

  • === === === = = = === === === === = = === = = = === = = === = # Alan Anderson # Ignorance can be fixed, but stupidity is permanent. # (I do not speak for Delco Electronics, and DE does not speak for me.)
Received on Wed Oct 25 1995 - 00:00:00 CET

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