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From: MCGUIRE@GRIN2.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Symbols
Message-ID: <8708060601.AA07123@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Wed, 5-Aug-87 13:34:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8708060601.AA07123
Posted: Wed Aug  5 13:34:00 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Aug-87 07:47:12 EDT
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> Date:         3 Aug 87 18:43:00 GMT
> From:         uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!uiucuxe!heisterb@a.cs.uiuc.edu
> Subject:      Re: Why not abbreviate DCL symbols?
>
> Another good example of the problem with abbreviated symbols is
>     $ del*ete == "DELETE/LOG"
> Then try to delete the symbol delete!

I didn't have any trouble.
  $ DELETE/SYMBOL/GLOBAL DELETE
gave me a `qualifier ignored' informational message and it went ahead and
deleted the symbol.  Now, if you don't like informational messages:

  $ DELEET/SYMBOL/GLOBAL DELETE
The DELEET command works because 1) DCL searches the symbol table and can't find
DELEET in it; 2) DCL searches the command table and only looks at the first 4
characters of any command.

Alternately, you can do
  $ DELETE == "DELETE"
  $ DELETE/SYMBOL/GLOBAL DELETE
but that takes two commands, doesn't it?  :-)
---- Ed McGuire, Systems Coordinator, Grinnell College, MCGUIRE@GRIN2.BITNET