[Info-vax] Part number encoding

[H Vlems]

On 23 dec, 23:21, gerr... at no.spam.mail.com wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> the thread about factory codes gave me the idea to ask about a thing that
> arouses my curiosity since I started my Hobbyist "career" on OpenVMS: the
> part number encoding. That is the codes in the usual XX-XXXXX-XX form.
>
> The only thing I've understood is that subsequent releases of software and
> manuals usually maintain the same code, except for the fifth character of
> the second group which is increased by one.
>
> Does anyone here can shed some light on this subject?
>
> Thank you very much,
> G.

The same form is also used to identify hardware. E.g. 70-31488-43 is a
hard disk, an SBB actually.
You can verify your idea though. Download the same VMS manual for each
of the versions available on-line.
Say, the Master Index and check the changes in the code.
I'm guessing here but may be if the first two characters are digits
the product code refers to hardware, otherwise it's either software of
documentation.
The last two characters are either a patch level or a (hardware)
variant of the product. Software was issued on various media, called H-
kits.
The reason was that all media kits had product codes that ended in -
Hn.  When n was 9 you got 9 track PE magtape.
Hans