COMB(1)                              SysV                              COMB(1)



NAME
     comb - combine SCCS deltas

SYNOPSIS
     comb files

DESCRIPTION
     comb generates a shell procedure [see sh(1)] which, when run,
     reconstructs the given SCCS files.  The reconstructed files will,
     hopefully, be smaller than the original files.  The arguments may be
     specified in any order, but all keyletter arguments apply to all named
     SCCS files.  If a directory is named, comb behaves as though each file in
     the directory were specified as a named file, except that non-SCCS files
     (last component of the path name does not begin with s.)  and unreadable
     files are silently ignored.  If a name of - is given, the standard input
     is read; each line of the input is taken to be the name of an SCCS file
     to be processed; non-SCCS files and unreadable files are silently
     ignored.  The generated shell procedure is written on the standard
     output.

     The keyletter arguments are as follows.  Each is explained as though only
     one named file is to be processed, but the effects of any keyletter
     argument apply independently to each named file.  each get -e generated,
     this argument causes the reconstructed file to be accessed at the release
     of the delta to be created, otherwise the reconstructed file would be
     accessed at the most recent ancestor.  Use of the -o keyletter may
     decrease the size of the reconstructed SCCS file.  It may also alter the
     shape of the delta tree of the original file.  This argument causes comb
     to generate a shell procedure which, when run, produces a report giving,
     for each file:  the file name, size (in blocks) after combining, original
     size (also in blocks), and percentage change computed by:

                      100 * (original - combined) / original

     It is recommended that before any SCCS files are actually combined, one
     should use this option to determine exactly how much space is saved by
     the combining process.  SCCS IDentification string (SID) of the oldest
     delta to be preserved.  All older deltas are discarded in the
     reconstructed file.  A list (see get(1) for the syntax of a list) of
     deltas to be preserved.  All other deltas are discarded.

     If no keyletter arguments are specified, comb  preserves only leaf deltas
     and the minimal number of ancestors needed to preserve the tree.

BUGS
     comb may rearrange the shape of the tree of deltas.  It may not save any
     space; in fact, it is possible for the reconstructed file to actually be
     larger than the original.

FILES
     s.COMB        The name of the reconstructed SCCS file.
     comb?????     Temporary.

DIAGNOSTICS
     Use help(1) for explanations.

SEE ALSO
     admin(1), delta(1), get(1), prs(1), sccsfile(4).