[Info-vax] wrong file format

[Dave Froble]

On 12/31/2020 10:54 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:

> Does a call to printf/scanf in a C program use RMS?
> (Really, can someone answer that question?)

I think I can handle this one.

If using RMS for file I/O on VMS, and yes, as far as I know, C and most 
other VMS languages do so, then the files are RMS files.  Indexed (fixed 
and variable length), relative, and sequential (fixed and variable 
length).  RMS has been modified to also support the stream file type(s).

For example, in Basic, a file open can specify the file organization. 
I'm assuming that other languages also allow this, and RMS also supports 
this.

So if one is doing a write to a disk file on VMS, it will use RMS and be 
an RMS file

There is lower level file I/O available on VMS, which I'm rather 
familiar with, but the languages as far as I know all use RMS for file I/O.


> Really?  then why did Phillip have the problem that started this whole
> discussion?  VMS did not give him what he needed.  I butchered a file
> he brought over from somewhere on the web.  Of course, Unix will do
> that too, but Unix never told you it wouldn't.  :-)

That was not specifically a VMS problem.  As Phillip finally confessed, 
he was pulling a file using HTTP, which can vary widely, based upon what 
the sender chooses to do.

Garbage coming in, garbage stored in the output file.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486