The ASSIGN commands perform the following functions:

  o  Equate  a  logical  name  to  a  physical  device  name,  a  file
     specification, or another logical name (see Name).

  o  Merge the contents of one queue with another (see /MERGE).

  o  Assign a logical queue to a device queue (see /QUEUE).

Additional information available:

Name

/MERGE/QUEUE

  Creates a logical name and assigns an equivalence string, or a  list
  of strings, to the specified logical name.

  Format:


    ASSIGN  equivalence-name[,...] logical-name[:]

Additional information available:

ParametersCommand QualifiersExamples

 equivalence-name[,...]

  Defines the equivalence names to be associated with the logical name
  in  the  specified  logical name table.  The equivalence name string
  can contain from 1 to 255 characters.  If the  string  contains  any
  characters  other  than  alphanumerics,  the  dollar  sign,  or  the
  underscore character, enclose the string in quotation marks.  If the
  equivalence  name  contains  quotation  marks, enclose the string in
  quotation marks and use two sets of  quotation  marks  ("")  in  the
  places where you want a quotation mark to occur.

  When you specify an equivalence name that will be  used  as  a  file
  specification,  you  must  include  the  punctuation  marks (colons,
  brackets, periods) that would be required if  the  equivalence  name
  were  used  directly  as  a  file  specification.  Therefore, if you
  specify a device name as an equivalence name, terminate  the  device
  name with a colon.

  The ASSIGN command allows you to assign the  same  logical  name  to
  more  than  one  equivalence  name.   When you specify more than one
  equivalence name for a logical name, you create a search list.   See
  the VMS DCL Concepts Manual for more information on search lists.

 logical-name

  Specifies the logical name string.  The logical name can have from 1
  to  255  characters.   (However, logical names entered in one of the
  logical   name   directory    tables,    LNM$PROCESS_DIRECTORY    or
  LNM$SYSTEM_DIRECTORY,  must  be no more than 31 characters long, and
  must not contain characters other  than  alphanumerics,  the  dollar
  sign, and the underscore.)

  If you terminate the logical name with a colon, the  system  removes
  the  colon  before  placing the name in a logical name table.  (This
  differs from the DEFINE command, which saves the colon.) By default,
  the logical name is placed in the process logical name table.

  If the logical name contains any characters other than  alphanumeric
  characters,  the dollar sign, or the underscore, enclose the name in
  quotation marks.  If the  logical  name  contains  quotation  marks,
  enclose  the  name  in quotation marks and use two sets of quotation
  marks in the places where you want one set  of  quotation  marks  to
  occur.  Note that if you enclose a name in quotation marks, the case
  of alphabetic characters is preserved.

Additional information available:

/EXECUTIVE_MODE/GROUP/JOB/LOG/NAME_ATTRIBUTES
/PROCESS/SUPERVISOR_MODE/SYSTEM/TABLE/TRANSLATION_ATTRIBUTES
/USER_MODE

 /EXECUTIVE_MODE

 Requires the user  privilege  SYSNAM  to  create  an  executive  mode
  logical name.

  Creates an executive mode logical name in the specified table.

  If you specify the /EXECUTIVE_MODE qualifier and  you  do  not  have
  SYSNAM,  then the ASSIGN command ignores the qualifier and creates a
  supervisor mode logical name.

 /GROUP

 Requires the user privilege GRPNAM or SYSPRV to place a name  in  the
  group logical name table.

  Places the logical name in the  group  logical  name  table.   Other
  users  who  have  the same group number in their user identification
  codes (UICs) can access the logical name.  The /GROUP  qualifier  is
  synonymous with /TABLE=LNM$GROUP.

 /JOB

 Places the logical name in the  job-wide  logical  name  table.   All
  processes  within  the  same  job  tree  as the process creating the
  logical name can access the logical name.   The  /JOB  qualifier  is
  synonymous with /TABLE=LNM$JOB.

 /LOG (default)
 /NOLOG

  Controls whether a message is displayed when you  define  a  logical
  name that supersedes an existing name.

 /NAME_ATTRIBUTES[=(keyword[,...])]

 Specifies attributes for a logical name.  By default,  no  attributes
  are set.  You can specify the following keywords for attributes:

  CONFINE   The name is not to be copied  into  a  subprocess  by  the
              SPAWN command.  This keyword is meaningful only when you
              create logical names in a private table.  If you specify
              this keyword for a logical name in a shareable table, it
              is ignored.

              The CONFINE attribute is also inherited from the logical
              name  table  where  the  name is entered; if the logical
              name table is "confined", then all names  in  the  table
              are "confined".

  NO_ALIAS  The logical name cannot be duplicated in this table with a
              less privileged (outer) access mode.  If another logical
              name with the same name and an outer access mode already
              exists in this table, the name is deleted.

  If you specify only one keyword, you can omit the parentheses.  Only
  the attributes you specify are set.

 /PROCESS (default)

 Places the logical name in  the  process  logical  name  table.   The
  /PROCESS qualifier is synonymous with /TABLE=LNM$PROCESS.

 /SUPERVISOR_MODE (default)

 Creates a supervisor mode logical name in the specified table.

 /SYSTEM

 Requires the user privilege SYSNAM or SYSPRV to place a name  in  the
  group logical name table.

  Places the logical name in  the  system  logical  name  table.   All
  system  users can access the logical name.  The /SYSTEM qualifier is
  synonymous with /TABLE=LNM$SYSTEM.

 /TABLE=name

 Requires WRITE access to the table if the table is shareable.

  Specifies the name of the logical name table in  which  the  logical
  name  is to be entered.  You can use the /TABLE qualifier to specify
  a   user-defined   logical   name   table    (created    with    the
  CREATE/NAME_TABLE  command),  to specify the process, job, group, or
  system logical name tables, or to  specify  the  process  or  system
  logical name directory tables.

  If you specify the table name using a logical  name  that  has  more
  than  one translation, the logical name is placed in the first table
  found.  For example, if you  specify  ASSIGN/TABLE=LNM$FILE_DEV  and
  LNM$FILE_DEV  is  equated  to  LNM$PROCESS,  LNM$JOB, LNM$GROUP, and
  LNM$SYSTEM, then the logical name is placed in LNM$PROCESS.

  If you do not explicitly specify the /TABLE qualifier,  the  default
  is /TABLE=LNM$PROCESS (or /PROCESS).

 /TRANSLATION_ATTRIBUTES[=(keyword[,...])]

 Equivalence-name qualifier.

  Specifies one or more attributes that modify an  equivalence  string
  of  the  logical  name.   You can specify the following keywords for
  translation attributes:

  CONCEALED Indicates that  the  equivalence  string  is  a  concealed
              device  name.   When a concealed device name is defined,
              the system displays the logical name,  rather  than  the
              equivalence  string,  in  messages  that  refer  to  the
              device.  If you specified the CONCEALED attribute,  then
              the equivalence string must be a physical device name.

  TERMINAL  Indicates  that  the  equivalence  string  should  not  be
              translated  iteratively; logical name translation should
              terminate with the current equivalence string.

  If you specify only one keyword, you can omit the parentheses.  Only
  the attributes you specify are set.

  Note that different equivalence strings of the same logical name can
  have different translation attributes specified.

 /USER_MODE

 Creates a user mode logical name in the specified table.

  User mode logical names created  within  the  process  logical  name
  table are used for the execution of a single image; for example, you
  can create a user mode logical name to allow an image executing in a
  command  procedure  to  redefine  SYS$INPUT.   User mode entries are
  deleted from the process logical name table when any image executing
  in the process exits (that is, after any DCL command or user program
  that executes an image completes execution).

  1.   $ ASSIGN XXX1:[CHARLES]  CHARLIE
       $ PRINT  CHARLIE:TEST.DAT
       Job 274 entered on queue SYS$PRINT

  The ASSIGN command associates the  logical  name  CHARLIE  with  the
  directory name [CHARLES] on the disk XXX1.  Subsequent references to
  the logical name CHARLIE result in the  correspondence  between  the
  logical  name  CHARLIE  and  the  disk and directory specified.  The
  PRINT command queues a copy of the  file  XXX1:[CHARLES]TEST.DAT  to
  the system printer.

  2. $ ASSIGN YYY2:  TEMP:
       $ SHOW LOGICAL TEMP

         "TEMP" = "YYY2:" (LNM$PROCESS_TABLE)
       $ DEASSIGN TEMP

  The ASSIGN command equates the logical name TEMP to the device YYY2.
  TEMP is created in supervisor mode and placed in the process logical
  name table.  The SHOW LOGICAL command verifies that the logical name
  assignment was made.  Note that the logical name TEMP was terminated
  with a colon in the ASSIGN command, but that the command interpreter
  deleted the colon before placing the name in the logical name table.
  Thus, you can  specify  TEMP  without  a  colon  in  the  subsequent
  DEASSIGN  command.   You  should  omit the colon in the SHOW LOGICAL
  command (for example, SHOW LOGICAL TEMP).

  3. $ CREATE/NAME_TABLE TABLE1
       $ ASSIGN/TABLE=LNM$PROCESS_DIRECTORY TABLE1,-
       _$ LNM$PROCESS,LNM$JOB,LNM$GROUP,LNM$SYSTEM LNM$FILE_DEV
       $ ASSIGN/TABLE=TABLE1 -
       _$ /TRANSLATION_ATTRIBUTES=CONCEALED  DBA1:  WORK_DISK

  The CREATE/NAME_TABLE command creates the  process  private  logical
  name table TABLE1.

  The first ASSIGN command ensures that TABLE1 is  searched  first  in
  any  logical name translation of a file specification or device name
  (because TABLE1 is the first item in the equivalence string for  the
  logical  name  LNM$FILE_DEV,  which  determines  the  default search
  sequence  of  logical  name  tables  whenever  a  device   or   file
  specification is translated).

  The second ASSIGN command assigns the logical name WORK_DISK to  the
  physical  device  DBA1,  and places the name in TABLE1.  The logical
  name has the  concealed  attribute.   Therefore,  the  logical  name
  WORK_DISK will be displayed in system messages.

  4. $ ASSIGN/TABLE=LNM$PROCESS/TABLE=LNM$GROUP  DBA0:  SYSFILES
       $ SHOW LOGICAL  SYSFILES

         "SYSFILES" = "DBA0:" (LNM$GROUP_000240)

  This ASSIGN  command  contains  conflicting  qualifiers.   When  you
  specify  conflicting  qualifiers,  the  ASSIGN command uses the last
  qualifier specified.  The response from  the  SHOW  LOGICAL  command
  indicates that the name was placed in the group logical name table.

  Removes all jobs from one queue and places them in another  existing
  queue.  The /MERGE qualifier is required.

  Format:


    ASSIGN/MERGE  target-queue[:] source-queue[:]

Additional information available:

ParametersExamples

 target-queue[:]

  Specifies the name of the queue to which the jobs will be directed.

 source-queue[:]

  Specifies the name of the queue whose jobs are to be reassigned to a
  new queue.

  1.   $ STOP/QUEUE/NEXT LPB0
       $ STOP/QUEUE/REQUEUE=LPA0 LPB0
       $ ASSIGN/MERGE LPA0 LPB0

  The STOP/QUEUE/NEXT command prevents another job from  executing  on
  queue LPB0.  The STOP/QUEUE/REQUEUE command requeues the current job
  that was running on LPB0 to the target queue LPA0.  The ASSIGN/MERGE
  command  removes  the remaining jobs from the LPB0 printer queue and
  places them in the LPA0 printer queue.

  Assigns, or redirects, a logical queue to a single execution  queue.
  ASSIGN/QUEUE  can be used only with printer or terminal queues.  The
  /QUEUE qualifier is required.

  Format:


    ASSIGN/QUEUE  queue-name[:] logical-queue-name[:]

Additional information available:

ParametersExamples

 queue-name[:]

  Specifies the name of an execution queue to be associated  with  the
  specified  logical queue name.  The queue cannot be a logical queue,
  a generic queue, or a batch queue.

 logical-queue-name[:]

  Specifies the name of the logical queue that  is  to  be  associated
  with the specified execution queue.

  1.   $ INITIALIZE/QUEUE/DEFAULT=FLAG=ONE/START LPA0
       $ INITIALIZE/QUEUE TEST_QUEUE
       $ ASSIGN/QUEUE LPA0 TEST_QUEUE
       $ START/QUEUE TEST_QUEUE

  This example first initializes and starts the  printer  queue  LPA0.
  The  LPA0  queue  is  set to have a flag page precede each job.  The
  second  INITIALIZE/QUEUE   command   creates   the   logical   queue
  TEST_QUEUE.   The  ASSIGN/QUEUE  command  assigns  the logical queue
  TEST_QUEUE to the  printer  queue  LPA0.   The  START/QUEUE  command
  starts the logical queue.

  2. $ INITIALIZE/QUEUE/START LPB0

  The ASSIGN/QUEUE command is not needed here because a logical  queue
  is  not  being  initialized.   A printer queue is being initialized;
  LPB0  is  the  name  of  a  line  printer.   After  you  issue   the
  INITIALIZE/QUEUE/START  command,  jobs  can  be  queued  to LPB0 for
  printing.