How much did you verify your file-equation-less echoes with listfile and
listftemp ?

My experience is that without a file equation and the '*', echo will always
write to a temp file, creating a new one for the purpose if there isn't one,
even if you use >> to try to make it append, and even if you give it the name
of an existing permanent file.  Then the print command will show the temp file
instead of the perm file, unless you force it with a file equation too.
Causes no end of joy for the unwary.  The un-intended temp file will be
variable, hence no extra lines, but trailing blanks in the record, if you
check.

I'm with the previous poster who said you were actually writing 11 bytes
because of the space before the >>.  Then echo decided to write the extra
record rather than lose data.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been off a few days.

Dave Powell,  MMfab

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Bawden" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 05:34
Subject: [HP3000-L] Message file behavior part 2


> Thanks to all who answered the original inquiry. With
> some further testing I've found that the file equation
> to the message file is what's causing the additional
> blank line although why is still beyond me. When I
> create the message file and just start echoing to it:
>
> !build msgfile.sysmgr;rec=-10,,f,ascii;msg;disc=10
> !lf msgfile.sysmgr
> !echo 123456789A  >>  msgfile.sysmgr
> !echo 123456789B  >>  msgfile.sysmgr
> !echo 123456789C  >>  msgfile.sysmgr
> !echo 123456789D  >>  msgfile.sysmgr
>
> when I print the file, no blank lines. But if I file
> equate to it:
>
> !build msgfile.sysmgr;rec=-10,,f,ascii;msg;disc=10
> !lf msgfile.sysmgr
> !file mout=msgfile.sysmgr,old
> !echo 123456789A  >>  *mout
> !echo 123456789B  >>  *mout
> !echo 123456789C  >>  *mout
> !echo 123456789D  >>  *mout
>
> or a slight variation:
>
> !build msgfile.sysmgr;rec=-10,,f,ascii;msg;disc=10
> !lf msgfile.sysmgr
> !file mout=msgfile.sysmgr,old;acc=append
> !echo 123456789A  >  *mout
> !echo 123456789B  >  *mout
> !echo 123456789C  >  *mout
> !echo 123456789D  >  *mout
>
> I get one blank line for every line with data in it.
>
> John Bawden
> Qualchoice (until the end of the year)
>
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