[Info-vax] Very simple DCL question

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2023-01-01 17:26:59 +0000, Robert A. Brooks said:

> On 1/1/2023 12:17 PM, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> 
>> Lots of old code around with old limits, and probably some old doc with 
>> old limits, too.
> 
> 
> CMS, even the version that was updated for ODS-5, still had a hardcoded 
> limit of 8 depths of directories.

Ayup. Lots of my old code sorta-kinda tolerates ODS-5, but doesn't use 
it, and doesn't allow its full use.

> That issue was fixed in some VSI CMS release.

Yes; for those using CMS, the VSI updates have fixed various issues. If 
you're using CMS, get the latest VSI version.

I've wondered whether it was possible to bridge the CMS API into a 
DVCS. Bridging into git might be trouble here given its 
less-than-portable design, but there are other DVCS options. But 
pragmatically, I'm usually using the DVCS elsewhere, and copying the 
files to or from OpenVMS.

But I digress.

There are a number of other areas of APIs and apps with ODS-5 issues 
and limits.

Most stuff just doesn't try using the full capabilities of ODS-5, and 
thus kinda-sorta works.

For some common issues in code that anyone here is maintaining, scan 
for 255-byte buffers and NAM$C_MAXRSS or similar references for 
filename buffers, for just one area of issues. (NAML$C_MAXRSS is your 
friend.) Same checks for any FH2DEF and for various NAMDEF references. 
(OO APIs are just vastly easier here, too.)

I'd expect most user-written code that tries to parse a filename 
locally—local parsing, without using the system APIs—is broken, too. As 
an example of broken local-to-the-app parsing, PCSI mishandled < and > 
for many years, and that's not even remotely new syntax.


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