1 NCS
  Invokes the National  Character  Set  (NCS)  utility  to  provide  a
  convenient method of  implementing  alternative  (non-ASCII)  string
  collating sequences, typically using subsets  of  the  Multinational
  Character Set (MCS). NCS  also  facilitates  the  implementation  of
  string conversion functions.

  Format:

    NCS  input-file-spec[,...]
2 Parameter

 input-file-spec[,...]

  Specifies an NCS file  in  the  NCS  library.  Typically,  the  file
  contains  the appropriate definitions  for implementing  a collating
  sequence or conversion function.  The default file extension is NCS.
2 Command_Qualifiers

/BEFORE
 /BEFORE[=time]

  By default, all definitions in the NCS library are  listed  when  you
  use the /LIST qualifier. However, you can used the /BEFORE qualifier
  to list only definitions created before the specified time.  You may
  specify an absolute time or a  combination  of  absolute  and  delta
  time. If you use the /BEFORE qualifier without specifying the  time,
  the output list will include all definitions in the library  created
  before today.

/COMPRESS
 /COMPRESS[=(option[,...])]

  Effectively recovers disk space previously  occupied  by  definitions
  that have been deleted from the library by creating a new compressed
  version of the library.    If you do not explicitly specify an input 
  library  file  using  the  /LIBRARY  qualifier,  NCS  compresses the
  current  version  of  SYS$LIBRARY:NCS$LIBRARY.NLB.  If  you  do  not
  explicitly  specify  an  output  library  file  using  the   /OUTPUT
  qualifier,     NCS     writes    the    compressed    library     to
  SYS$LIBRARY:NCS$LIBRARY.NLB. 

  Options include BLOCKS:n, HISTORY:n, KEEP, KEYSIZE:n, MODULES:n.

/CREATE
 /CREATE[=(file-spec[,...])]

/CREATE
 /CREATE[=(option[,...])]

  Use this qualifer to create a NCS library. If  you  do  not  use  the 
  /LIBRARY qualifier to specify the new library,  NCS  creates  a  new
  version of SYS$LIBRARY:NCS$LIBRARY.NLB.  If you want to populate the
  new file from an existing definitions file, enter the specifications
  for source definitions  files as the command parameter. For example:

  $ NCS/CREATE/LIBRARY=DISK1:[JONES]MY_LIB.NLB MY_DEFS.NCS

  This command will create MY_LIB.NLB in the user-specified  directory
  and will populate it with definitions from MY_DEFS.NCS in the  users
  default directory.

  Options include BLOCKS:n, HISTORY:n, KEYSIZE:n and MODULES:n.  

/DATA

 /DATA=option

  This qualifier gives you additional capabilities for obtaining  disk
  space efficiency. Note that you must specify an  option  with  this
  qualifier, either the REDUCE option or the EXPAND option. Note too,
  that NCS does an implicit compression (recovers unused  space  from
  previously   deleted   files)  on  the  library,  whether  you  are
  converting the library to reduced form or to expanded form. 

  If your NCS library is in standard  (non-reduced)  form,  use  this
  qualifier with the REDUCE option to create a new reduced version of
  the library.  If you do not use the /LIBRARY qualifier to specify a
  library, NCS  creates  a  new  reduced  version of  NCS$LIBRARY.NLB 
  in SYS$LIBRARY.  Note that access to libraries in reduced format is
  generally slower.

  If your NCS library is in reduced form, use this qualifier with the
  EXPAND option to create a new expanded (standard)  version  of  the
  library.  If you do not use the /LIBRARY  qualifier  to  specify  a
  library, NCS creates a new, expanded version of  NCS$LIBRARY.NLB in
  SYS$LIBRARY. Note that access to libraries in  expanded  (standard)
  format is generally faster.

  NCS provides no default values for this qualifier.  You must select
  one of the two options.

/DELETE

 /DELETE=collating-sequence-name[,...]
 /DELETE=conversion-function-name[,...]

  Use this qualifier to delete the specified definition file  from  the
  NCS library.  If  you  specify  several  definitions,  separate  the 
  definition names with commas, and enclose the list in parentheses.

/EXTRACT

 /EXTRACT=collating-sequence-name[,...]
 /EXTRACT=conversion-function-name[,...]

  Use this qualifier in conjunction with the  /MACRO  qualifier  and/or
  the /OUTPUT qualifier to retrieve one or more  definitions  from  an
  NCS library and to  specify  the  definition  destination.   If  you
  specify several definitions,  separate  the  definition  names  with
  commas, and enclose the list in parentheses.

  You may use wildcard characters to specify definition modules.

/FORMAT

 /FORMAT=option

  When you specify a MACRO output file with the /MACRO qualifier,  use
  this qualifier to specify the appropriate Macro-32 file format.  You
  may select one of two format options,  either  NCS  (the default) or
  256. If you select NCS, NCS formats the  collating  sequence  and/or
  string conversion tables for use by the NCS routines.  If you select
  256, NCS formats the the collating sequence and/or string conversion
  tables as 256-byte tables that can be used by the  run-time  library
  routine LIB$MOVTC.  

/FULL

 /FULL

  Use this qualifier with the /LIST qualifier to  get  a  listing  that
  includes the date and time that each module was  inserted  into  the
  specified NCS library.

/HISTORY

 /HISTORY

  Use this qualifier with  the  /LIST  qualifier  to  list  the  update
  history record headers for  the NCS library in the following format:

       username operation n modules on dd-mmm-yyy hh:mm:ss

  The  operation  may  be  a  replacement,  insertion,  or deletion of
  definition modules.  For  example,  a  history  record  header might
  state:

       JONES  deleted   6 modules  on  23-JAN-1987 16:00:00
 
  If you include the /FULL qualifier together with  the  /HISTORY  and
  /LIST qualifiers, NCS  lists  the  history  record  headers for each
  update.

/INSERT

 /INSERT

  Use this qualifier to add one or more definition modules  to  an  NCS
  library. If the input file(s) contains more than one definition, NCS
  creates a separate entry in the library for each. 

  Before NCS inserts a definition into an  existing  NCS  library,  it
  verifies that the library  does  not already  contain  a  definition
  module having the same name. If NCS finds a definition  module  with
  the same name, it does not add the  new  definition  module  to  the
  library but it does issue an appropriate error message. 

/LIBRARY

 /LIBRARY[=file-spec]

  By default, NCS assumes  all  library  operations  are  directed  at
  SYS$LIBRARY:NCS$LIBRARY.NLB; that is, NCS assumes  a  default  file
  type of NLB and a default directory of  SYS$LIBRARY.  However,  you
  can use the /LIBRARY qualifier to override  the  default  when  you
  want to work in a different NCS library. 

/LIST

 /LIST[=file-spec]
 /NOLIST  (default)

  By default, you do not get a listing of the definition modules in an
  NCS library. However, you may  use  this  qualifier  to  explicitly
  specify whether or not you want a list of the NCS library contents,
  and where you want the list written. If you use the /LIST qualifier
  but  omit  the  file  specification,  NCS  writes  the  listing  to
  SYS$OUTPUT. If you include a file specification, but omit the  file
  type, NCS assigns a file type of LIS and then writes the listing to
  the specified file. 

  You are not permitted to use wild card characters in specifying the 
  destination file.

  Note that when you use the  /LIST  qualifier  in  conjunction  with
  qualifiers that change the library contents, such as  /DELETE,  the
  listing is written after the changes are made.  Therefore,  if  you
  delete definition FOO and simultaneously  request  a  listing,  the
  listing will not include the FOO definition. 

/LOG

 /LOG
 /NOLOG

  Use this qualifier to have  NCS  verify  a  library  operation.  For
  example, if you specify the /LOG  qualifier  when  you  delete  the
  definition module FOO, NCS displays a message like this: 

    %NCS-S-DELETED, module FOO deleted

/MACRO

 /MACRO=file-spec

  Use this  qualifier  with  the  /EXTRACT  qualifier  to  retrieve  a
  definition file module from the NCS library  and  copy  it  to  the
  specified VAX MACRO file which may then  be  assembled  and  linked
  with an application program.

  Note that each definition bears a global label  that  reflects  the
  name of the collating sequence or conversion function, and that you
  can use to pass the address of  the  definition  to  a  NCS  action
  routine.

  You are not permitted to used wild card  characters  in  specifying
  the destination file. 

/ONLY

 /ONLY=(definition-module-name[,...])

  Use this  qualifier  with  the  /LIST  qualifier  to  specify  which
  definition modules in the NCS library are  to  be  listed.  If  you
  specify more than one definition module,  separate  the  definition
  module names with commas, and enclose the list in parentheses.

  You may use wild card characters to specify the definition modules.

/OUTPUT

 /OUTPUT[=output-file-spec]

  This qualifier may be used with either  the  /EXTRACT  qualifier  or 
  with the /COMPRESS qualifier to specify the output destination.

  Use /OUTPUT with the /EXTRACT qualifier to  specify  a  destination
  file for the source definitions extracted from an NCS  library.  If
  you omit the file type when you use the /OUTPUT qualifier with  the
  /EXTRACT  qualifier,   NCS  assigns  the  destination  file  a  NCS
  extension. Note that the new source file is not  the  same  as  the
  source file used to originally  create  the  definition.   The  NCS 
  utility does not store the original source file, only the resultant
  definition.

  Use /OUTPUT with  /COMPRESS  qualifier  to  specify  a  destination
  library file for the compressed library.  If you  do  not  use  the
  /OUTPUT qualifier  with  the  /COMPRESS  qualifier,  NCS  puts  the
  compressed library in a new version of the default NCS library.  If
  you omit the file type when you use the /OUTPUT qualifier with  the 
  /COMPRESS  qualifier,  NCS  assigns  the  destination  file  a  NLB 
  extension.

/REPLACE

 /REPLACE

  This is the default library  operation  if  you  do  not  explicitly
  specify a qualifier. Use this qualifier to have NCS replace one  or
  more library modules with definitions from the source  input  file.
  If a replacement module in the source input file does  not  have  a
  corresponding module in the library, the LIBRARY  command  inserts,
  rather than replaces, the new module in the library. 

/SINCE

 /SINCE[=time]

  Use this qualifier with the /LIST qualifier  to  list  only  modules
  inserted into the library after the specified time. You can specify
  an absolute time or a combination of absolute and delta times.  For
  details on specifying times,  see  the DCL Dictionary.  If  you
  omit the  /SINCE  qualifier,  NCS lists  all  the  modules  in  the
  library. regardless of date. If you specify /SINCE without  a  date
  or time, NCS lists only those modules inserted today. 

2 Examples

  1.   $ NCS/CREATE /LIBRARY=TESTLIB ERRMSG,STARTUP

  The  NCS command  creates  an  NCS library   named TESTLIB.NLB and 
  places the definitions from ERRMSG.NCS and STARTUP.NCS in the  NCS 
  library.

  2.   $ NCS/INSERT /LIBRARY=TESTLIB SCANLINE

  The NCS command adds the  definitions from SCANLINE.NCS to the NCS
  library TESTLIB.NLB.

  3.   $ NCS/EXTRACT=(ALLOCATE,APPEND)/OUTPUT=MYHELP -
       $_SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.NCS

  The NCS command specifies that the definitions ALLOCATE  and  APPEND
  be  extracted  from  the  NCS library HELPLIB.NLB and output to the
  file MYHELP.NCS.