ALIAS command

Syntax: | `ALIAS ALIAS name ALIAS name value ALIAS\EXPAND name value`
Qualifiers: | `\EXPAND`
Defaults: | `\-EXPAND`
Examples: | `ALIAS XRED SET XAXISCOLOR RED`

The `ALIAS` command allows the user to create new commands by equating a keyword to a command string. The command string must begin with a valid command. For example, it cannot be a file name that is to be used with other commands (use a character variable for that).

If the `ALIAS` command is entered with no parameters, all the current aliases will be displayed. If the `ALIAS` command is entered with one parameter, the parameter is assumed to be an alias name, and the command string associated with that name will be displayed. If a `name` and a `value` are entered, and if `name` already exists as an alias, the command string value will be updated to the new `value`. If `name` does not exist, a new alias will be created.

Use the `DEALIAS` command to eliminate an alias.

If the `\EXPAND` qualifier is used, and if the second parameter is a character variable (or character expression), then the value of the variable (or of the expression) will become the command string. This allows you to construct commands in a script and alias them to single word commands. For example:

         TT = 'GRAPH X '
         VECTOR V 1
         INQUIRE 'Enter a vector >>' V
         ALIAS\EXPAND PLOT TT//VARNAME(V)

and you can then just enter the new command `PLOT` to draw the graph.