[Info-vax] If interested with ! Linux style diff and patch on OpenVMS servers

[hb]

On Jan 18, 12:18 am, Steven Schweda <sms.antin... at gmail.com> wrote:
> > [...]  But none of the GNV diff tools can work on
> > VMS file versions - neither from bash nor from DCL.
>
>    As usual, showing actual commands with their actual output
> can be more informative than vague descriptions or
> interpretations.

bash$ ls whatever
ls: whatever: no such file or directory
bash$ cat >whatever
some text
 Exit
bash$ cat >whatever
more text
 Exit
bash$ dcl dir whatever

Directory EISNER$DRA3:[DECUSERVE_USER]

WHATEVER.;2         WHATEVER.;1

Total of 2 files.
bash$ diff whatever.\;1 whatever.\;2
diff: whatever.;1: no such file or directory
diff: whatever.;2: no such file or directory

bash$ dcl diff whatever.
************
File EISNER$DRA3:[DECUSERVE_USER]WHATEVER.;2
    1   more text
******
File EISNER$DRA3:[DECUSERVE_USER]WHATEVER.;1
    1   some text
************

Number of difference sections found: 1
Number of difference records found: 1

bash$ exit
$ mc PSX$ROOT:[bin]diff whatever.;1 whatever.;2
/_EISNER$LDA1/bin/DIFF.EXE: whatever.;1: no such file or directory
/_EISNER$LDA1/bin/DIFF.EXE: whatever.;2: no such file or directory
$ mc PSX$ROOT:[bin]diff "whatever.;1" "whatever.;2"
/_EISNER$LDA1/bin/DIFF.EXE: whatever.;1: no such file or directory
/_EISNER$LDA1/bin/DIFF.EXE: whatever.;2: no such file or directory
$ rena whatever.;1 whatever.old
$ mc PSX$ROOT:[bin]diff whatever whatever.old
1c1
< more text
---
> some text
$ mc PSX$ROOT:[bin]diff whatever whatever.old;
/_EISNER$LDA1/bin/DIFF.EXE: whatever.old;: no such file or directory
$ mc PSX$ROOT:[bin]diff whatever whatever.old;0
/_EISNER$LDA1/bin/DIFF.EXE: whatever.old;0: no such file or directory
$

>                        I do stuff like this with no trouble (using
> my non-GNV code):
>
> alp $ gdiff junk.txt;-1 junk.txt;
> 1c1
> < old junk
> ---
>
> > new junk
>
>    Do you mean stuff like this?:
>
> alp$ diff 'junk.txt;-1' 'junk.txt;'
> diff: junk.txt;-1: no such file or directory
> diff: junk.txt;: no such file or directory
>
> (Ask me why I often don't rely on GNV.)
Is the latter output from GNV? So, yes, that's the "feature".

> > How is this any different from DIFFERENCE/SLP and EDIT/SUM,
> > other than for perhaps the recursive aspects?
>
>    If someone gives you GNU "diff -u" output, can EDIT/SUM do
> the job with it?

No - same as with patch if you get a DIFF/SLP output.