Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!rosevax!ems!pwcs!zycad!kjb
From: kjb@zycad.UUCP (Kevin Buchs)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: VMS logicals help -> dir and -> sub-dir
Message-ID: <722@zycad.UUCP>
Date: 7 Feb 88 04:26:10 GMT
Organization: ZYCAD, Oakdale, MN
Lines: 64
Keywords: vms4.5, logicals



I would like to define a logical such that it could be used to refer to a
specific directory and could be used to refer to sub-directories of that
directory ( by appending on the [sub-dir] ).  We are at VMS 4.5.

If I define a logical as node::disk:[directory] then there is no way to
refer to subdirectories.  If I instead define the logical as
node::disk:[directory.] (notice the trailing dot) then this logical does
allow [sub-directory] to be appended.  It however cannot be used without
appending a subdirectory, and there is no way to append a null subdirectory.

I started playing with logical lists in an effort at solving my problem.
I noticed some strange behavior.  Here is the transcript of what I did:

$ sho log log1
   "LOG1" = "USER$DISK:[BUCHS.]" (LNM$PROCESS_TABLE)
	= "USER$DISK:[BUCHS]"
$ sho log log2
   "LOG2" = "USER$DISK:[BUCHS]" (LNM$PROCESS_TABLE)
	= "USER$DISK:[BUCHS.]"
$ dir log1

Directory USER$DISK:[BUCHS]

.CSHRC;1            AN.DIR;1            APOLLO.DIR;1        BIN.DIR;1          
...
...
XX.COM;1            ZLS.DIR;1           

Total of 110 files.
$ dir log1:[spike]

Directory USER$DISK:[BUCHS.][SPIKE]

.CMSRC;1            BUFFER.MAC;1        CMS.DIR;1           DEMO.DAT;4         
...
...
STIM5.WAV;1         STUB.COM;4          STUB.COM;3          STUB.DIR;1         
%DIRECT-E-OPENIN, error opening LOG1:[SPIKE] as input
-RMS-F-DIR, error in directory name
TEQ.C;2             TEQ.C;1             

Total of 90 files.
$ dir log1:[spike][.spike]
%DIRECT-E-OPENIN, error opening LOG1:[.SPIKE] as input
-RMS-F-DIR, error in directory name
$ dir log2:[spike]
%DIRECT-E-OPENIN, error opening LOG2:[SPIKE] as input
-RMS-F-DIR, error in directory name
$ dir log2:[.spike]
%DIRECT-E-OPENIN, error opening LOG2:[.SPIKE] as input
-RMS-F-DIR, error in directory name


Notice the output from : dir log1:[spike]?  The error message
comes out in the middle of the first directory listing.  Is a VAX 785 really
a parallel machine?  The logical log1 seems to be somewhat of a solution to
my problem, but I need to get rid of the error message.

If anyone has any good ideas on this please let me know.
-- 
Kevin Buchs   3900 Northwoods Dr. Arden Hills, MN 55112  (612)490-2548
Zycad Corp.   pwcs!zycad!kjb