> At 06:12 PM 6/30/98 -0700, Jeff "CI am He" Vance wrote:
> >...
> >That is, the exiting output is unchanged for LDEVs up to 3 digits and
> >then shifts right by up to 2 more digits to accomodate the largest
> >anticipated LDEV number.
>
> Oooohhh!!    NO!
>
> Not only is this a more complicated solution to code, but it is
> much harder
> to parse (most people use fixed column parsing, I'd bet). Why not just
> accept a new fixed field width (5 digits seems reasonable)?

I agree with this. Most MPE commands have fixed columns. Most programs/
scripts that parse MPE commands do so with fixed columns. I don't know of
any exceptions to the first one, or many exceptions to the second one.

I think DSTAT output should have fixed columns.

I don't really see this as any different than every other discussion on MPE
command output format changes. We should be consistent.

* We should keep the present format.
* If the information does not fit, we should display '*' (or some other
character
  indicating the info does not fit). This is *supposed* to "break" existing
  scripts/programs. "break" means that they should report an error or abort,
not
  produce incorrect results (without an error). No solution is perfect.
* We should have a new format that has room to grow, is readable and
parseable.
  It should have fixed columns.
* We should have a DINFO, or DISKINFO, or DEVINFO function and possibly a
  new/better command to give device/disk information.