[Info-vax] BACKUP/VERIFY/NEW_VERSION: bug or feature

[David Froble]

Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) wrote:
> In article <mm9s1b$bo1$1 at news.kjsl.com>, helbig at asclothestro.multivax.de
> (Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)) writes: 
> 
>> Suppose one wants to a) use BACKUP to copy a file from one directory to
>> another and b) not fail if a file with the same name and version number
>> exists in the target directory and c) verify that the copy was OK.  b)
>> implies /NEW_VERSION and c) implies /VERIFY.  But this combination will
>> always fail if the new file in the target directory is different from
>> the old file, which might be the reason for putting it there in the 
>> first place.
>>
>> Bug or feature?
> 
> Specifying the new version number for the target file will get it to 
> work, but when using wildcards with a large number of files this might 
> be impractical.
> 

Square peg.  Round hole.

The main purpose of BACKUP is to archive and restore data.  Yes, it an 
be used for other purposes, and that is good.  If a user mis-uses it for 
one of those other purposes, don't blame the tool.