🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Aug13.135132.1@lib.haifa.ac.il>, jody@lib.haifa.ac.il (Yosef Branse) writes...
>I use VMS MAIL on a VAX 6320. 
> 
>I organize my incoming mail into folders. Every so often I do some
>housecleaning, in the course of which I use the command
> 
>     DELETE/ALL
> 
>to erase the current contents of specific folders. 
>This operation also deletes the FOLDER, even though I'd like to retain it



The DELETE/ALL command doesn't really delete the folder.  It is just a property
of VMS Mail that an empty folder cannot exist.  Folders only exist as long
as they contain messages.  Delete all the messages and the folder goes away.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|    John Manning                       |  Opinions expressed are my own.     |
|    j_manning@csc32.enet.dec.com       |  I do not represent Digital Equip.  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In article <1992Aug13.135132.1@lib.haifa.ac.il>, jody@lib.haifa.ac.il (Yosef Branse) writes:
>I organize my incoming mail into folders. Every so often I do some
>housecleaning, in the course of which I use the command
>
>     DELETE/ALL
>
>to erase the current contents of specific folders. 
>This operation also deletes the FOLDER, even though I'd like to retain it
>for subsequent mail - next time I try to FILE a letter, I get the message
>
>      "folder does not exist, do you want to create it", etc.

This is mainly to protect all of us fumble-fingers who make a
lot of typos...

>This is like chucking out your filing cabinet every time you throw out some
>old letters!

No, deleting MAIL.MAI would be like chucking your filing cabinet. Deleting
an empty folder is like pulling a manilla file folder out of the cabinet
and tossing it in the trash can. What you are suggesting is like pulling
a manilla file folder out of the cabinet, removing the papers inside it,
and throwing them in the trash, and then putting the empty manilla folder
back into the drawer.

>I've looked in the manual and found no parameter for DELETE that allows for
>retention of the folder. I know I can delete entries indivdually, but that
>would be ridiculous; besides, I have a command procedure for automatic
>purging of various folders.
>
>Any explanations of this phenomenon and suggestions for a cure would be very
>welcome.

"This is expected behavior."

Use FILE/NOCONFIRM if the confirmation prompt bothers you. The default,
of course, is FILE/CONFIRM.

=============================================================================
Bob Marshall                     \\     "It ain't age
Lockheed Missiles & Space Co.     \\     That makes me look this way
Sunnyvale, CA                      \\    It ain't the years, boys,
marshall@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com\\   It's the miles"
"I tell the truth 'cept when I lie"  \\     - Chris LeDoux
=============================================================================

jody@lib.haifa.ac.il (Yosef Branse) writes:
> I use VMS MAIL on a VAX 6320. 
> 
> I organize my incoming mail into folders. Every so often I do some
> housecleaning, in the course of which I use the command
> 
>      DELETE/ALL
> 
> to erase the current contents of specific folders. 
> This operation also deletes the FOLDER, even though I'd like to retain it
> for subsequent mail - next time I try to FILE a letter, I get the message
> 
>       "folder does not exist, do you want to create it", etc.
>
> ... (rest deleted)
>
 As mentioned in a previous followup, the mail folder doesn't exist
 as such and therefore disappears when all messages in it are deleted.
 Basically there's nothing that you're doing wrong it's just one of those
 things. However I guess you'd like to stop having to hit Y and <RETURN>
 after entering your commands. As I'm currently sending this from our
 Unix system I can't confirm the syntax but I think there's a qualifier
 on the FILE command (/CREATE ??) that will create the folder without
 prompting you if it doesn't already exist. Just use that with the FILE
 command.

	 Keith Jones

	-= kej@uk.ac.brighton.vms  =-
	-= kej@uk.ac.brighton.unix =-