Qualifiers

/DELETE
   Deletes a record from an indexed file after it has been read. An
   indexed file must be opened with the /READ and /WRITE qualifiers
   in order to use the READ/DELETE command.


/END_OF_FILE
      /END_OF_FILE=label

   Transfers control to the location specified by the label keyword
   (in the current command procedure) when the end of the file is
   reached. When the last record in the file is read, the OpenVMS
   Record Management Services (RMS) returns an error condition
   indicating the end-of-file (EOF). If the /END_OF_FILE qualifier
   is specified, the command interpreter transfers control to the
   command line at the specified label.

   If the /END_OF_FILE qualifier is not specified, control is given
   to the error label specified with the /ERROR qualifier when the
   end of the file is reached. If neither the /ERROR nor the /END_
   OF_FILE qualifier is specified, then the current ON condition
   action is taken.


/ERROR
      /ERROR=label

   Transfers control to the location specified by the label keyword
   (in the current command procedure) when a read error occurs.
   If no error routine is specified and an error occurs during the
   reading of the file, the current ON condition action is taken.

   Overrides any ON condition action specified.

   If an error occurs and the target label is successfully given
   control, the reserved global symbol $STATUS retains the error
   code.


/INDEX
      /INDEX=n

   Specifies the index (n) to be used to look up keys when reading
   an indexed file.

   If you do not specify the /INDEX qualifier, the most recent
   /INDEX qualifier value is used. If a previous value was not
   specified, the primary index is used (/INDEX=0).


/KEY
      /KEY=string

   Reads a record with the key that matches the specified character
   string. Binary and integer keys are not allowed. This qualifier,
   when used together with the /INDEX qualifier, allows you random
   access to indexed files.

   Key matches are made by comparing the characters in the /KEY
   string to characters in the record key.

   To read records at random in an indexed file, you must specify
   the /KEY qualifier. Once a record is read randomly, all
   subsequent reads without the /KEY qualifier access records in
   the indexed file sequentially.


/MATCH
      /MATCH=option

   Specifies the key match algorithm to be used when searching for
   matching keys. Specify one of the following options:

   EQ      Selects keys equal to the match value (default).
   GE      Selects keys greater than or equal to the match value.
   GT      Selects keys greater than the match value.
   LE      Selects keys less than or equal to the match value.
   LT      Selects keys less than the match value.

   If you are reading indexed files and you do not use the /MATCH
   qualifier, the default is /MATCH=EQ.


/NOLOCK
   Specifies that the record to be read not be locked and enables a
   record to be read that has been locked by other accessors.

   By default, records are locked as they are read and unlocked on
   the next I/O operation on the file.


/PROMPT
      /PROMPT=string

   Specifies an alternate prompt string to be displayed when reading
   from the terminal. The default prompt string is DATA:.


/TIME_OUT
      /TIME_OUT=n
      /NOTIME_OUT (default)

   Specifies the number of seconds after which the READ command is
   terminated if no input is received. If you enter the /TIME_OUT
   qualifier, you must specify a value from 0 to 255.

   If you enter both the /ERROR=label and /TIME_OUT qualifiers, and
   the time limit expires, the error branch is taken.


/WAIT
   Sets RAB$V_WAT to make a process wait for a record in a file. Can
   be used in combination with /TIME_OUT to restrict how long the
   process should wait before timing out upon failure to find the
   record.