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From: nagy%43198.hepnet@LBL.ARPA
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: RE: Batch log files and EDT
Message-ID: <8704162141.AA16138@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Thu, 16-Apr-87 14:29:25 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8704162141.AA16138
Posted: Thu Apr 16 14:29:25 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Apr-87 09:24:30 EST
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For some reason, DCL insists on writing text files as VFC files
(variable with fixed control) with the record attribute as "Print
File Carriage Control".  This is true for batch logs (I did a
DIR/FULL on a .LOG file for this information), or files written
with OPEN/WRITE.  In this VFC file, the control bytes (2) contain
the carriage control information (1 byte for spacing before printing
the line and 1 byte for spacing after printing the line).

EDT, TPU and many other VMS utilities and layered products which
deal with text files expect text files to be written in VAR format
(variable length records) with "Carriage Return Carriage Control"
as the record attribute.  If the file is not in the expected format,
then EDT and TPU output an error message but are otherwise quite
happy.

If you want a real joke, try using a VAX C program to write a file
and then read THAT file with EDT.  VAX C writes its text files in
Stream-LF format.  The last time I looked, EDT did not like Stream
format files at all!