[Info-vax] naming convention in VMS MAIL

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2018-12-19 21:25:49 +0000, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply said:

> VMS MAIL has files like MAIL$45870BB2000500B0.MAI;1.  The digits are 
> not random, but are related to (at least) the date and time.

It's an opaque string.  Use the callable MAIL API.

> What is the  exact format?

It's an opaque string, subject to change without notice, etc.  Use the 
callable MAIL API.

> Has it changed in the last 25 years?

The format of that string has changed once or twice over the existence 
of MAIL—and the new name to one not in the best possible format—but I 
don't recall exactly when that change happened.  If you're not sure how 
to use the callable MAIL API, there are examples including one linked 
below.  Available repair tools for orphan files and related include 
VFYMAIL and some other giblets on the Freeware.  But again... use the 
callable MAIL API.  Dealing with these differences is what that API 
exists for.

Reading:
https://www.digiater.nl/openvms/freeware/v40/vfymail/freeware_readme.txt
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.os.vms/9t7O6n6XuXo/PQkUe4XIcfAJ
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.os.vms/h8hziYcHOis/T9tjktjE2ZIJ
https://community.hpe.com/t5/Operating-System-OpenVMS/MAIL-MAI-file-structure/m-p/4982812#.XBq-qi2ZMW8 


And I doubt the answer has changed since some yutz wrote the following 
an aeon or two ago:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.os.vms/l7L2SbFdP2I/RsteYU4bjnYJ

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