  SEARCH/WIDTH=SIZE? 
 The Question is:
 
Dear Wizard,
 
I'm trying to search a large  text file for a specified string using the DCL
 command SEARCH/NUMBERS. The file consists of over 2 million records and it
 seems not to be room for more than 6 characters when displaying the line
 number. I get asterisks instea
d of line number.
Example
  $ SEARCH/NUMBERS RSVDIVP.DAT;1 DATA_SLUT
  ******  #DATA_SLUT
 
Have I reached the max number of records in file allowed for this qualifier or
 can I somehow set this value myself (or does it depend on something else)?
 
I am using an AlphaServer 1000A 5/400 and OpenVMS 7.1
 
Thank you
Per
 
 The Answer is:
 
  You have overflowed the display capabilities of the SEARCH/NUMBERS
  command.  There is unfortunately no way to increase the displayed
  number width from the existing !6SL declaration -- a few of the DCL
  commands dealing with larger numbers (eg: $ DIRECTORY/SIZE/WIDTH=SIZE=x)
  do have mechanisms to increase the field widths, but this ability is
  not [resently available on the SEARCH command.
 
  You will need to use a different search tool, use searches of smaller
  files, or contact the support center and formally request an OpenVMS
  enhancement.
 
  Of course, knowing the FAO string is "!6SL" means you could easily patch
  the image to change the field width -- you will lose the space between
  the number and the display of the record, and the specific location of
  the string can vary by release.  This patch is entirely unsupported, of
  course -- the OpenVMS Wizard would encourage maintaining a seperate (and
  unpatched, unmodified) copy of SEARCH in the standard system disk location.
 
 
$ search/numb big.dat zz
******  ZZ
$ patch/absolute search.exe
old:    00001064:  4C533621
new:    00001064:  4C533721
PATCH&gt;update
%PATCH-I-WRTFIL, updating image file NET$WRITE:[FAL$SERVER]SEARCH.EXE;2
PATCH&gt; Exit
$ define search defnet:search.exe
$ search/numb big.dat zz
1500001ZZ
 
