Deletes all but the highest numbered versions of the specified files.

Format

PURGE [filespec[,...]]

Parameter

filespec[,...]

Specifies one or more files to be purged. If you specify more than one file, separate the file specifications with either commas (,) or plus signs (+). The asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters are allowed in the directory, file name, and file type fields; however, no version number can be specified. As a default, the PURGE command purges all files in the current directory. There are no file name or file type defaults with the PURGE command. If an input file specification is a symbolic link, the symbolic link itself is purged. Because only one version of a symbolic link can exist, this command has no effect on that file.

Description

The PURGE command deletes earlier versions of files. The PURGE command never deletes all versions of any file. By default, the PURGE command keeps only the highest version of a file. If you do not include a file specification with the PURGE command, all files in the current directory are affected by the purge.

Qualifiers

/BACKUP

Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE qualifier. The /BACKUP qualifier selects files according to the dates of their most recent backups. This qualifier is incompatible with the /CREATED, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.

/BEFORE[=time]

Selects only those files dated prior to the specified time. You can specify time as absolute time, as a combination of absolute and delta times, or as one of the following keywords: BOOT, LOGIN, TODAY (default), TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY. Specify one of the following qualifiers with the /BEFORE qualifier to indicate the time attribute to be used as the basis for selection: /BACKUP, /CREATED (default), /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.

For complete information on specifying time values, see the OpenVMS User's Manual or the online help topic Date.

/BY_OWNER[=uic]

Selects only those files whose owner user identification code (UIC) matches the specified owner UIC. The default UIC is that of the current process.

Specify the UIC by using standard UIC format as described in the HP OpenVMS Guide to System Security.

/CONFIRM

/NOCONFIRM (default)

Controls whether a request is issued before each purge operation to confirm that the operation should be performed on that file. The following responses are valid:

YES	NO	QUIT
TRUE	FALSE	Ctrl/Z
1	0	ALL
	[Return]

You can use any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters for word responses. Word responses can be abbreviated to one or more letters (for example, T, TR, or TRU for TRUE), but these abbreviations must be unique. Affirmative answers are YES, TRUE, and 1. Negative answers include: NO, FALSE, 0, and pressing Return. Entering QUIT or pressing Ctrl/Z indicates that you want to stop processing the command at that point. When you respond by entering ALL, the command continues to process, but no further prompts are given. If you type a response other than one of those in the list, DCL issues an error message and redisplays the prompt.

/CREATED (default)

Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE qualifier. The /CREATED qualifier selects files based on their dates of creation. This qualifier is incompatible with the /BACKUP, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.

/ERASE

/NOERASE (default)

Erases the specified files from the disk so that the purged data no longer exists physically on the deallocated disk blocks.

When you delete a file, the area in which the file was stored is returned to the system for future use. The data that was stored in that location still exists in the system until new data is written over it. When the /ERASE qualifier is specified, the storage location is overwritten with a system-specified pattern so that the data no longer exists.

/EXCLUDE=(filespec[,...])

Excludes the specified files from the purge operation. You can include a directory but not a device in the file specification. The asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters are allowed in the file specification; however, you cannot use relative version numbers to exclude a specific version. If you specify only one file, you can omit the parentheses.

/EXPIRED

Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE qualifier. The /EXPIRED qualifier selects files according to their expiration dates. (The expiration date is set with the SET FILE/EXPIRATION_DATE command.) The /EXPIRED qualifier is incompatible with the /BACKUP, /CREATED, and /MODIFIED qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.

/GRAND_TOTAL (Alpha/I64 only)

Displays the total number of files and blocks or bytes deleted. The display is shown as blocks or bytes depending on the current default setting. You can use SHOW PROCESS/UNITS to display the current default. To change the default, execute the DCL command SET PROCESS/UNITS=BYTES or SET PROCESS/UNITS=BLOCKS.

/IGNORE=INTERLOCK (Alpha/I64 only)

Allows you to mark a write-accessed file for deletion. This removes the file name entry, and the file is deleted when it is closed by the final user.

/KEEP=number-of-versions

Specifies the maximum number of versions of the specified files to be retained in the directory. If you do not include the /KEEP qualifier, all but the highest numbered version of the specified files are deleted from the directory.

/LOG

/NOLOG (default)

Controls whether file specifications are displayed as the files are deleted.

/MODIFIED

Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE qualifier. The /MODIFIED qualifier selects files according to the dates on which they were last modified. This qualifier is incompatible with the /BACKUP, /CREATED, and /EXPIRED qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time modifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.

/SINCE[=time]

Selects only those files dated on or after the specified time. You can specify time as absolute time, as a combination of absolute and delta times, or as one of the following keywords: BOOT, JOB_LOGIN, LOGIN, TODAY (default), TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY. Specify one of the following qualifiers with the /SINCE qualifier to indicate the time attribute to be used as the basis for selection: /BACKUP, /CREATED (default), /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.

For complete information on specifying time values, see the OpenVMS User's Manual or the online help topic Date.

/STYLE=keyword

Specifies the file name format for display purposes while purging files.

The valid keywords for this qualifier are CONDENSED and EXPANDED. Descriptions are as follows:

Keyword	Explanation
CONDENSED (default)	Displays the file name representation of what is generated to fit into a 255-length character string. This file name may contain a DID or FID abbreviation in the file specification.
EXPANDED	Displays the file name representation of what is stored on disk. This file name does not contain any DID or FID abbreviations.

The keywords CONDENSED and EXPANDED are mutually exclusive. This qualifier specifies which file name format is displayed in the output message, along with the confirmation if requested.

File errors are displayed with the CONDENSED file specification unless the EXPANDED keyword is specified.

See the OpenVMS User's Manual for more information.

Examples

$ PURGE
      

The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the highest numbered version of all files in the default directory.

$ PURGE *.COM
      

The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the highest numbered version of each file with a file type of .COM.

$ PURGE/KEEP=3  [WILDER.JOB308]ACCOUNT.COB
      

The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the three highest numbered versions of the file ACCOUNT.COB in the subdirectory [WILDER.JOB308].

$ PURGE/ERASE/SINCE=YESTERDAY [.MEMOS]
      

The PURGE command in this example purges all files in the MEMOS subdirectory that have been created or modified since yesterday and erases the storage locations so that the purged data no longer exists.

$ PURGE [BROD.TESTFILES]/LOG
%PURGE-I-FILPURG, DISK1:[BROD.TESTFILES]AVE.OBJ;1 deleted (3 blocks)
%PURGE-I-FILPURG, DISK1:[BROD.TESTFILES]BACK.OBJ;2 deleted (5 blocks)
%PURGE-I-TOTAL, 2 files deleted (8 blocks)
      

The PURGE command in this example purges all files cataloged in the subdirectory named [BROD.TESTFILES]. The /LOG qualifier requests the PURGE command to display the specification of each file it has deleted as well as the total number of files that have been deleted.

$ PURGE/GRAND_TOTAL STATUS.TXT
%PURGE-I-TOTAL, 6 files deleted (600KB)
      

The output display in this example shows that 6 files were deleted for a total of 600KB. The process is currently set to display file sizes in bytes. To change future displays to show blocks, use the SET PROCESS/UNITS=BLOCKS command.

$ PURGE/KEEP=2 TAMPA::DISK1:[EXAMPLE]*.LIS
      

The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the two highest numbered versions of each file with the file type .LIS in the directory EXAMPLE on remote node TAMPA.