DCL vs. VMS System Service Routines
It is not always necessary to spawn a subprocess to execute a
DCL command from within a program. Often the same result can be
achieved much more quickly by using the appropriate system service
routines. Below is a list comparing DCL commands with the equivalent
VMS operating system provided routines.
DCL COMMAND SYSTEM SERVICES
--------------------------------------------
= (Assignment Statement) LIB$SET_SYMBOL
:= (String Assignment) LIB$SET_SYMBOL
@ (Execute Procedure) LIB$DO_COMMAND, LIB$SPAWN
ACCOUNTING
ALLOCATE {device} SYS$ALLOC
ANALYZE/CRASH_DUMP
ANALYZE/DISK_STRUCTURE
ANALYZE/ERROR_LOG
ANALYZE/IMAGE
ANALYZE/MEDIA
ANALYZE/OBJECT
ANALYZE/PROCESS_DUMP
ANALYZE/RMS_FILE
ANALYZE/SYSTEM
APPEND
ASSIGN SYS$CRELNM
ASSIGN/MERGE SYS$SNDJBC
ASSIGN/QUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
ATTACH LIB$ATTACH
BACKUP
CANCEL SYS$CANWAK
CLOSE SYS$CLOSE (RMS)
CONNECT
CONTINUE interactive
CONVERT CONV$CONVERT (Utility Routines)
CONVERT/RECLAIM CONV$RECLAIM (Utility Routines)
COPY
CREATE SYS$CREATE (RMS)
CREATE/DIRECTORY LIB$CREATE_DIR
CREATE/FDL FDL$CREATE (Utility Routines)
CREATE/NAME_TABLE SYS$CRELNT
DEALLOCATE SYS$DALLOC
DEASSIGN SYS$DELLNM, LIB$DELETE_LOGICAL
DEASSIGN/QUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
DEBUG interactive
DECK card decks
DEFINE SYS$CRELNM, LIB$SET_LOGICAL
DEFINE/CHARACTERISTIC SYS$SNDJBC
DEFINE/FORM SYS$SNDJBC
DEFINE/KEY SMG$DEFINE_KEY, SMG$ADD_KEY_DEF
DELETE LIB$DELETE_FILE, SYS$ERASE (RMS),
SYS$REMOVE (RMS)
DELETE/CHARACTERISTIC SYS$SNDJBC
DELETE/ENTRY SYS$SNDJBC
DELETE/FORM SYS$SNDJBC
DELETE/KEY SMG$DELETE_KEY_ENTRY
DELETE/QUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
DELETE/SYMBOL LIB$DELETE_SYMBOL
DEPOSIT
DIFFERENCES
DIRECTORY LIB$FIND_FILE, LIB$FILESCAN
DISCONNECT
DISMOUNT SYS$DISMOU
DUMP
EDIT/ACL
EDIT/EDT EDT$EDIT (Utility Routines)
EDIT/FDL FDL$CREATE (Utility Routines)
EDIT/SUM
EDIT/TECO
EDIT/TPU TPU$EDIT (Utility Routines)
EOD card decks
EOJ card decks
EXAMINE
EXCHANGE
EXIT SYS$EXIT, SYS$FORCEX, LIB$STOP, LIB$SIGNAL,
LIB$SIGNAL_TO_RET, LIB$SIGNAL_TO_STOP
GOTO program control
HELP LIB$xxxx (Library utilities)
IF program control
INITIALIZE
INITIALIZE/QUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
INQUIRE LIB$GET_COMMAND, LIB$GET_INPUT
JOB
Lexical Functions:
F$CVSI
F$CVTIME SYS$ASCTIM, SYS$BINTIM, SYS$NUMTIM
F$CVUI
F$DIRECTORY SYS$SETDDIR (RMS)
F$EDIT
collapse
compress
lowercase
trim STR$TRIM
uncomment
upcase STR$UPCASE
F$ELEMENT
F$ENVIROMENT
F$EXTRACT STR$LEN_EXTR, STR$POS_EXTR, STR$LEFT,
STR$RIGHT
F$FAO SYS$FAO, LIB$SYS_FAO, LIB$SYS_FAOL
F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES SYS$DISPLAY (RMS)
F$GETDVI SYS$GETDVI, LIB$GETDVI
F$GETJPI SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
F$GETQUI SYS$GETQUI, LIB$GETQUI
F$GETSYI SYS$GETSYI, LIB$GETSYI
F$IDENTIFIER
F$INTEGER
F$LENGTH
F$LOCATE STR$POSITION,
STR$FIND_FIRST_SUBSTRING,
STR$FIND_FIRST_IN_SET,
STR$FIND_FIRST_NOT_IN_SET,
LIB$MATCHC,
LIB$SCANC,
INDEX (FORTRAN)
F$LOGICAL SYS$TRNLNM, LIB$SYS_TRNLOG
F$MESSAGE SYS$GETMSG, LIB$SYS_GETMSG, SYS$PUTMSG,
LIB$SIGNAL
F$MODE SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
F$PARSE SYS$FILESCAN, SYS$PARSE (RMS)
F$PID SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
F$PRIVILEGE SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
F$PROCESS SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
F$SEARCH SYS$FILESCAN, SYS$SEARCH (RMS)
F$SETPRV SYS$SETPRV
F$STRING
F$TIME LIB$DATE_TIME, LIB$DAY, LIB$DAY_OF_WEEK
TIME (FORTRAN), DATE (FORTRAN)
F$TRNLNM SYS$TRNLNM, LIB$SYS_TRNLOG
F$TYPE
F$USER SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
F$VERIFY
LIBRARY LBR$xxxx (Utility Routines)
LINK
LOGIN Procedure SYS$CREPRC, LIB$SPAWN, SYS$SYSTEM:LOGINOUT.EXE
LOGOUT SYS$EXIT, LIB$STOP
MACRO
MAIL
MERGE
MESSAGE
MONITOR
MOUNT SYS$MOUNT
ON set error trap routines
OPEN SYS$OPEN (RMS)
PASSWORD
PATCH
PHONE
PRINT SYS$SNDJBC
PURGE
READ SYS$READ (RMS)
RECALL
RENAME LIB$RENAME_FILE, SYS$RENAME (RMS)
REPLY SYS$BRKTHRU
REQUEST SYS$SNDOPR
RUN LIB$RUN_PROGRAM, LIB$DO_COMMAND, LIB$SPAWN,
SYS$CREPRC, LIB$CALLG
RUNOFF
RUNOFF/CONTENTS
RUNOFF/INDEX
SEARCH
SET
ACCOUNTING SYS$SNDJBC
ACL SYS$CHANGE_ACL
AUDIT
BROADCAST
CARD_READER
CLUSTER/QUORUM
COMMAND
CONTROL LIB$ENABLE_CTRL, LIB$DISABLE_CTRL
DAY
DEFAULT SYS$SETDDIR (RMS)
DEVICE SYS$QIO
DEVICE/ACL
DEVICE/SERVED
DIRECTORY
DIRECTORY/ACL
FILE
FILE/ACL SYS$CHANGE_ACL
HOST
HOST/DTE
KEY
LOGINS
MAGTAPE SYS$QIO
MESSAGE
ON SYS$SETEXV
OUTPUT_RATE
PASSWORD
PRINTER
PROCESS
/NAME=string SYS$SETPRN
/PRIORITY=n SYS$SETPRI
/PRIVILEGES=privilege SYS$SETPRV
/RESOURCE_WAIT SYS$SETRWM
/RESUME SYS$WAKE
/SUSPEND SYS$SUSPND
/SWAPPING SYS$SETSWM
PROMPT
PROTECTION
PROTECTION/DEFAULT SYS$SETDFPROT (RMS)
PROTECTION/DEVICE SYS$QIO
QUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
QUEUE/ENTRY SYS$SNDJBC
RESTART_VALUE used in DCL command procedures only
RMS_DEFAULT
TERMINAL SYS$QIO
TIME SYS$SETIME
UIC
VERIFY
VOLUME SYS$QIO
WORKING_SET SYS$ADJWSL
SHOW
ACCOUNTING SYS$SNDJBC
ACL
AUDIT
BROADCAST
CLUSTER SYS$GETSYI
CPU SYS$GETSYI
DEFAULT SYS$SETDDIR (RMS)
DEVICES SYS$GETDVI, LIB$GETDVI
DEVICES/SERVED SYS$GETDVI, LIB$GETDVI
ERROR
KEY SMG$GET_KEY_DEF, SMG$LIST_KEY_DEFS
LOGICAL SYS$TRNLNM, LIB$SYS$TRNLOG
MAGTAPE SYS$GETDVI, LIB$GETDVI
MEMORY
NETWORK
PRINTER
PROCESS SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
PROTECTION SYS$SETDFPROT (RMS)
QUEUE SYS$GETQUI, LIB$GETQUI
QUEUE/CHARACTERISTICS SYS$GETQUI, LIB$GETQUI
QUEUE/FORM SYS$GETQUI, LIB$GETQUI
QUOTA
RMS_DEFAULT
STATUS SYS$GETJPI
SYMBOL LIB$GET_SYMBOL
SYSTEM SYS$GETJPI
TERMINAL SYS$QIO
TIME LIB$DATE_DAY, LIB$DAY, LIB$DAY_OF_WEEK,
TIME (FORTRAN), DATE (FORTRAN)
TRANSLATION SYS$TRNLNM, LIB$SYS_TRNLOG
USERS SYS$GETJPI, LIB$GETJPI
WORKING_SET SYS$ADJWSL
SORT SOR$xxxx (Utility Routines)
SPAWN LIB$SPAWN, SYS$CREPRC
START/CPU VAX 782 only
START/QUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
START/QUEUE/MANAGER SYS$SNDJBC
STOP LIB$STOP, SYS$DELPRC, SYS$FORCEX
STOP/CPU VAX 782 only
STOP/QUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
STOP/QUEUE/ABORT SYS$SNDJBC
STOP/QUEUE/MANAGER SYS$SNDJBC
STOP/QUEUE/NEXT SYS$SNDJBC
STOP/QUEUE/REQUEUE SYS$SNDJBC
STOP/QUEUE/RESET SYS$SNDJBC
SUBMIT SYS$SNDJBC
SYNCRONIZE SYS$SYNCH
TYPE SYS$OPEN, SYS$READ, SYS$WRITE
UNLOCK
WAIT LIB$WAIT, SYS$SCHDWK, SYS$WAITFR,
SYS$WFLOR, SYS$WFLAND, SYS$SETIMR
WRITE SYS$WRITE (RMS)