SUZY@USC-ECLC.ARPA (09/06/86)
Has anyone noticed a discrepancy in the VMS 4.4 help file differences, between the 750's, 780's and Microvaxes? In particular, when doing a *$ help lexical f$getsyi item* the 750's have a 4 line paragraph that says it's a character string, but doesn't list what the possible item are. I checked this on a Microvax, and it's got MORE information on a smaller machine. It seems to be the case that all the "larger" machines have less info on this query. F$getjpi and f$getdvi are also a little short changed on the helpfiles, but not as much. Anyone else run into this problem? Is it another DEC "feature"? suzy -------
carl@CITHEX.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) (09/07/86)
Actually, I'm not so sure I'd call it a problem: the level of documentation under VMS 4.3 is the same as it's been since VMS 4.0 on 780's, and I found that it wasn't too difficult to merge the helpfiles from a 780 and a VaxStation II to get a help file that was better than came with either system. Given the fact that the document set you get with uVMS is a small fraction of that which comes with real VMS (despite DEC's claims that "VMS is VMS"), the extra information in the uVMS on-line documentation is necessary. You'll also find, as I recall, that the documentation is more complete for most of the other lexical functions on the uVAX, as well as for assorted other items.
cetron%utah-cbd@utah-cs.arpa (Ed Cetron) (09/08/86)
I checked a 750, 780 and a Microvax....it is identical to the situation that you have stated.....but I have no idea why... -ed
LEICHTER-JERRY@YALE.ARPA (09/12/86)
... [D]oing a *$ help lexical f$getsyi item* ... 750's have a 4 line
paragraph that says it's a character string, but doesn't list what the
possible item are.... [O]n a Microvax, ... it's got MORE information
on a smaller machine. It seems to be the case that all the "larger"
machines have less info on this query....
The VMS and MicroVMS help files are different. In general, the MicroVMS
files are shorter (as you'd expect). For many of the help items that lead
to lists of things - several of the lexicals and the system calls, in par-
ticular - the MicroVMS file contains a table of all values with a brief
explanation, while the VMS file contains a whole additional level of help,
with an entry given a fuller explanation of each item. Since the additional
level is there, the table isn't.
Unfortunately, the extra level seems to have gotten lost somewhere along the
way for a couple of these help topics, leading to the amusing situation des-
cribed above: The "smaller" MicroVMS help file actually contains MORE infor-
mation than the "larger" VMS help file.
The problem seems to be getting solved gradually - several instances that
were present in V4.1 were fixed in V4.2. While I haven't looked, I expect
several more were fixed in V4.3 and V4.4. It appears that some remain, how-
ever.
-- Jerry
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