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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!gatech!hubcap!ncrcae!usceast!still
From: still@usceast.UUCP (Bert Still)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.sys.dec,comp.org.decus
Subject: 2 questions: VAX-C RTL calls and VMS .DIR file entries
Message-ID: <2405@usceast.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Jun-87 15:00:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: usceast.2405
Posted: Wed Jun 10 15:00:12 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jun-87 06:02:57 EDT
Reply-To: still@usceast.UUCP (Bert Still)
Organization: Math Dept, University of South Carolina,Columbia
Lines: 52
Keywords: shell$xxxx calls in VAXCRTL.OLB, format of a record in a .DIR file
Xref: mnetor comp.os.vms:929 comp.sys.dec:234 comp.org.decus:170


Hi There,

	I have 2 (possibly) strange questions for netland. The first concerns
the VAX-C run-time library. Listed in the VAX-C manual are references to some
run-time functions that are otherwise undocumented. I did a lib/list on the
VAXCRTL.OLB file and verified that the following routines do exist:

	shell$from_vms	-- translate VMS filespecs to UNIX filespecs
	shell$to_vms    -- translate UNIX filespecs to VMS filespecs
	shell$cli_name  -- determine user's command interpreter
	shell$fix_time  -- convert VMS time to UNIX format
	shell$clint     -- interface to argument lists under shell
	shell$wild      -- wildcard expansion to infinite names.

Does anyone have a copy of the correct calling sequences for these ? (I have
tried to experiment, and can guess at some of the arguments, like string
descriptors, etc. but I cannot seem to get them all.) We do not run DEC/Shell
(yet, we probably will buy it in the future), and I suspect that the answer
lies therein. In the meantime, can some kind soul please send me a copy of
the calling sequences to any/all of the above?

	The second question concerns VMS directories. I have perused the
"orange manuals" for the last two weeks looking for something that describes
the VMS directory files' organization. So far, by dumping the contents of
several .DIR files, I have determined that the entries begin with 32767, and
filenames are followed by an ASCII null (\0), and that the version number
immediately follows the filename. Does anyone have a complete description of
an entry in a .DIR file, or know where I can find the information?

(For the curious, I am trying to convert some systems programs that I have
from BSD UNIX to run under VMS, and I need the OPENDIR, READDIR, CLOSEDIR, and
IOCTL functions; hence, I am trying to write them, and meeting with little
success... any help will be greatly appreciated.)
PS. If anyone has any of these functions written for VMS, I would be extremely
appreciative of any advice/aid I might receive.

                                                      Bert  8-}

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UUCP:   {...ihnp4!akgua |            #  US SNAIL:  Bert Still
         ...seismo!ncr-sd!ncrcae}    #             Dept of Mathematics
                      !usceast!still #             University of South Carolina
                                     #             Columbia, SC 29208
BITNET: T410119@UNIVSCVM             #
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