VMS Help  —  RENAME  Parameters
 input-filespec[,...]

    Specifies the name of one or more files whose specifications
    are to be changed. The asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%)
    wildcard characters are allowed in the directory specification,
    file name, file type, or version number fields of the file
    specification. When wildcard characters are used, all files whose
    specifications satisfy the wildcard fields are renamed. If an
    input file specification is a symbolic link, the symbolic link
    itself is renamed. If the output file specification is a symbolic
    link, the operation fails.

 output-filespec

    Provides the new file specification to be applied to the input
    file. The RENAME command uses the device, directory, file name,
    and file type of the input file as defaults for fields in the
    output file that are either unspecified, or are indicated by
    the asterisk (*)  and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters.
    Wildcard characters in corresponding fields of the input and
    output file specification result in multiple rename operations.

    The RENAME command supplies output file version numbers in the
    following ways:

    o  If the output file specification contains an explicit version
       number, that version number is used.

    o  If the output file specification contains an asterisk (*)  or
       a percent sign (%)  wildcard character as the version number,
       the version number of the input file is used.

    o  If the input file specification contains an asterisk (*)  or
       a percent sign (%)  wildcard character as the version number,
       the version number of each input file names a corresponding
       output file.

    o  If no file exists with the same file name and type as the
       output file, the new file is assigned a version number of 1.

    o  If a file already exists with the same file name and type
       as the output file, the next higher version number is used
       (unless the /NONEWVERSION qualifier is specified).
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