...
> To avoid this special handling in the COPY command, you will have to
> put the HFS syntax name/path into a file equation:

You can avoid file equations too.  Just start the target file name
with "./"  E.g.
   copy testudc ./.udc

creates a file named ".udc" in the current working directory (CWD).
Note also that the comma between the from= and to= filenames is
optional.

Jeff Vance, CSY