HP3000-L Archives

August 2001, Week 4

HP3000-L@RAVEN.UTC.EDU

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Subject:
From:
Gavin Scott <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Gavin Scott <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 24 Aug 2001 11:09:36 -0700
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Jim Ponders:
> Fortunately, we still have FCOPY to accomplish our task, but why would HP
> structure COPY to be so unlike any other file manipulation commands?

FCOPY's job is to copy *records* from one place to another.  :COPY's job is
to copy *files* from one place to another, in their entirety.  By specifying
;ACC=APPEND, you're asking :COPY to deal with the contents of the file
rather than the file itself.

Because :COPY only operates on whole files it can be coded much more
efficiently than a program like :FCOPY which has to be prepared to do things
the way *you* want it to rather than the way it wants to.

G.

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