[Info-vax] Suggestion: Adding a /SORT option to DIRECTORY and F$SEARCH ?

[alanfe...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 2:02:34 AM UTC-5, Steven Schweda wrote:
> > How do y'all handle multiple versions of files when sorting by date or 
> > size and such?
> Personally, I'd tend to do what the user requested. Think about it.
> > Do you let them just fall where they may based on what you're sorting
> > by? [...] 
> 
> If that's what the user requested. 

I, as an OpenVMS user for many years, have many requests. DEC/Compaq/hp/VSI have fulfilled none of them. I use what they give me. 

> 
> > [...] Group them together? [...] 
> 
> And _not_ sort them as the user requested? 

Who is this all powerful user you refer to? It is quite rare that a company gives me what I ask for. But it does happen from time to time.

> 
> > [...] Only process the current version of each file? 
> 
> Define "current version". And _not_ show all the files requested by 
> the user? 

Hmmm. I thought this would be clear. I guess not. I will give an example:

file.fil;4
file.fil;2
file.fil;1

If this is the full listing of this file in a given directory, the ;4 is the current version. 

> 
> If the user wants only the highest version (which might not be the 
> latest), then there's a syntax for that: ";0" (or ";"). So far as I 
> know, there's no way to specify "latest".

Many users here in cov have requested many things. Have any of them come to pass?

A semicolon that is not followed by a number is secret code for "the latest."

AEF