[mod.computers.vax] for mod.computers.vax re: SET DEFAULT

cook@unc.CSNET.UUCP (02/19/87)

Someone recently said it was 'sad' that SET DEFAULT does not
complain when you set to a non-existent directory.

I hope they don't "fix" this.  My common method of creating a
new directory (since I'm almost always going to work in it very
next thing) is:

$ SET DEFAULT [.ONE.TWO.THREE]
$ CREATE/DIR []

VMS will create not only the current directory, but the preceeding
levels if it needs to.

Checking whether a directory you're setting to exists is easily
done in a command procedure, and I don't notice that it takes
enough longer to matter (and my procedure allows 'push' and 'pop'
of directories, sets the prompt to the directory name, and uses
the logical for the directory name if you give that as an argument).