Directives

   A directive is a word that instructs MMS to take a certain action  as
   it  processes a description file.  A directive can appear on any line
   in the description file, but it affects how  the  entire  description
   file is processed.  A directive must start in column 1 of the line.

   The MMS directives and their functions are:


   Directive       Function

   .ACTION_STATUS   Introduces a user-defined severity rule; select
                    'Description_File' subtopic 'User_Defined_Severity'
                    for more information.

   .DEFAULT         Indicates actions to be performed  if MMS built-in
                    rules or user-defined rules do not specify how to
                    update a target.

   .ELSE            Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                    processed if the boolean-expressions for the .IF
                    and all the preceding .ELSIF directives are false.

   .ELSIF           Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                    processed if the boolean-expressions for the .IF
                    and all the preceding .ELSIF directives are false
                    and the specified boolean-expression is true.

   .ENDIF           Terminates the set of lines in the description file
                    whose processing is controlled by .IF, .ELSIF and
                    .ELSE.

   .FIRST           Indicates actions to be performed before MMS has
                    executed any action lines to update the target.

   .IF              Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                    processed only if the specified boolean-expression
                    is true; select 'Description_File' subtopic
                    'Using_Conditionals' for more information.

   .IFDEF           Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                    processed only if the specified macro is defined
                    (obsolete, use .IF instead).

   .IGNORE          Causes MMS to ignore all errors generated by all
                    action lines and to continue processing the
                    description file.

   .INCLUDE         Includes the specified file in the description file.

   .LAST            Indicates actions to be performed after MMS has
                    executed all the action lines that update the target.

   .SILENT          Suppresses the writing of all action lines to the
                    output file (whether to SYS$OUTPUT or to the file
                    specified by the /OUTPUT qualifier).

   .SUFFIXES        Clears or appends to the suffixes-precedence list.

   .SUFFIXES_DELETE Clears or deletes types from the suffixes-precedence
                    list.

   .SUFFIXES_AFTER  Inserts types into the suffixes-precedence list
                    after the first type specified.

   .SUFFIXES_BEFORE Inserts types into the suffixes-precedence list
                    before the first type specified.