Technical data

Using Files and Directories
10.1 Understanding Extended File Specifications Features
Use Traditional File Names in a Mixed-Volume Environment
To avoid ODS-2 and ODS-5 file name incompatibility when working with both
ODS-2 and ODS-5 volumes, and to assure backward compatibility with prior
versions of OpenVMS, use only ODS-2 traditional file names.
Error Messages Can Vary Depending on Parse Style
Error messages displayed to users might vary depending on the parse style.
Syntax errors that were formerly detected at the DCL level are now passed
on to the file system level, RMS and XQP, for example, if the parse style is
EXTENDED. As a result, the messages users receive for file syntax errors might
be slightly different depending on the parse style and volume structure.
The following examples show varying error messages.
• Examples of TRADITIONAL and EXTENDED styles on an ODS-5 volume:
$ SHOW DEVICE DKA500:/FULL
Disk AABOUT$DKA500:, device type RZ25 Disk, is online, allocated, deallocate
on dismount, mounted, file-oriented device, shareable.
Error count 0 Operations completed 155
.
.
.
Volume Status: ODS-5,
! subject to mount verification, file high-water
marking, write-back caching enabled.
$ SET PROCESS /PARSE_STYLE=TRADITIONAL
"
$ OPEN /WRITE FILE z.z.z.z
%DCL-W-PARMDEL, invalid parameter delimiter - check use of special
characters \.Z\ #
$ SET PROCESS /PARSE_STYLE=EXTENDED $
$ OPEN /WRITE FILE z.z.z.z
$ %
!
The volume is ODS-5.
" The parse style is set to TRADITIONAL.
# DCL returns an error on some ODS-5 file names such as this one.
$ The parse style is set to EXTENDED.
% DCL creates the file.
• Examples of TRADITIONAL and EXTENDED styles on an ODS-2 volume:
Disk AABOUT$DKA200:, device type RZ25 Disk, is online, allocated, deallocate
on dismount, mounted, file-oriented device, shareable.
Error count 0 Operations completed 232
.
.
.
Volume Status: ODS-2,
! subject to mount verification, file high-water
marking, write-back caching enabled.
10–6 Using Files and Directories