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From: TWADE@CSVAX.UCD.HEA.IRL
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: Mail Files.
Message-ID: <8701201912.AA05626@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 20-Jan-87 14:12:36 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8701201912.AA05626
Posted: Tue Jan 20 14:12:36 1987
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MAIL (since VMS 4.0) uses an ISAM structure for MAIL.MAI rather than
the older sequential format. Messages smaller than 3 blocks are stored
within this file, but for a larger message, a separate file is created
(called MAIL$horrific_number.MAI) and a pointer to it stored within MAIL.MAI.
As you delete messages within MAIL, these files disappear.

This gives greater flexibility and speed when randomly accessing messages
stored in a folder. To avoid seeing all these files, you could move them all
into a subdirectory using the MAIL command SET MAIL_DIRECTORY
	MAIL> Set MAIL_DIRECTORY [.VAXMAIL]

Tom Wade
Systems Programmer
UCD Dept Computer Science
Dublin Ireland

Ean:	twade@csvax.ucd.irl
Hea:	twade@csvax.ucd.hea.irl
Bit:	twade%csvax.ucd.hea.irl@irlearn.bitnet

Official Disclaimer:	"It wasn't me, it was an accident, and besides,
			 I wasn't there."