readme #1

This is the readme file for the VMS Perforce client
acceptance (or regression) tests.

In order to run these tests copy them (if necessary) to
a directory writable by you (since temporary files will
be created).  Be sure to have an old client set up as follows:

   1. A symbol "perforce" that can be used to invoke 
      the old client.  Please note that these tests
      are written in DCL and cannot invoke a client via
      a "p4" symbol.  (See also the "Note below")
   2. A "newperf" symbol is correctly specified in p4_setup.com
   3. As many P4* logical names as necessary to connect 
      to a valid p4 server (in particular P4PORT).
   4. A P4USER logical name that is embedded in one or 
      more client specs (see test client_output.com).
   5. A suitable client_file is specified in revert_deletion.com.

In order to set up the running of the tests be sure to
edit the p4_setup.com procedure so that the "newperf" foreign
command symbol assignment points to the new locaton of the Perforce 
client executable image (you will likely have to specifiy a disk
and a directory).  Note that the leading dollar sign belongs there 
since it is used as a foreign command.

Other comments lie with the various *.COM files and are worth a
read through to become familiar with what is being tested and
how or why.  Most of the tests in this collection were put together
to demonstrate the unnacceptability of perforce release 2002.2 for
OpenVMS Alpha 7.1.  (I do hope that by the time you read this message
that perforce on VMS has had all of its problems fixed.)

After modifying p4_setup.com all tests can be run by "set default"
to the test directroy and issuing:

    @run_all

at the VMS prompt.

Peter Prymmer


Note below: 
For quite some time the public documentation for running a perforce
client on VMS has issued incorrect instructions for using a foreign
command symbol such as:

    p4 == "$disk:[dir]p4.exe"

which will set up a global P4 symbol that will usually be overridden
by the local P4 parameter in most DCL procedures.  What we do instead
is set up an abbreviatable symbol such as:

    perf*orce == "$disk:[dir]p4.exe"

and use "perf sync" instead of "p4 sync" from the interactive command
line and from batch job procedures.