Using the /BEFORE qualifier without a DATE/TIME

[The Brit]

This may be an undocumented behaviour, but can anyone tell me what the actual behaviour is if I execute;

$ DELETE/BEFORE

I assume that it defaults to "NOW" or f$time(), but I don't know that for sure. When it runs, it does not generate any error/warning messages.

(I have found this syntax is some pre-existing .com files and I am really curious about it)

Dave.

[Graham Burley · Accepted solution]

The defaults for /SINCE and /BEFORE are TODAY.

[Robert Gezelter]

Dave,

For future reference, this is a duplicate thread.

The HELP Text for DELETE (see HELP DELETE file /BEFORE) documents that the default is "TODAY" (the current date).

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[Jan van den Ende]

Dave,

the default behavior of /BEFORE in (AFAIK) any command that supports is, is /BEFORE=TODAY
That is to say, midnight the previous day, or in DCL:
/BEFORE="''f$cvtime("",,"date")'

(btw, same goes for /SINCE, meaning everything since previous midnight)

hth

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[The Brit]

Thanks to you all. I know! I should read the actual lines, instead of reading between them.

Dave

[Steven Schweda]

> the default behavior of /BEFORE in (AFAIK)
> any command [...]

Should be, but occasionally someone slips up:

alp $ ucm
Universal Serial Bus Configuration Manager, Version V1.0
UCM> show events /before
%CLI-W-VALREQ, missing qualifier or keyword value - supply all required values
\BEFORE\

I was told that this particular slip-up would
be fixed (and may have been already). In
general, the _proper_ behavior is to default
to TODAY.