1 TAR
  Invokes the tape archive reader to read unix-format tapes.

  Format:

    TAR tape-name[:]
2 Parameter

 tape-name[:]

  Specifies the device name of the tape drive the archive is mounted on.
  The archive must be mounted foreign.

  If the /FILE qualifier is specified, this parameter is interpreted as
  the file name for the archive.
2 Command_Qualifiers

/BINARY

  Specifies that the files extracted should be put into fixed-length-512-
  byte-record files and that no interpretation should be preformed on
  the contents.

/EXTRACT

  Specifies that the files in the archive should be copied into the
  directory, or subdirectories (depending on the /FLATTEN qualifier).

/FILE

  Specifies that, instead of a tape, the archive is contained in a normal
  file.

/FLATTEN (D)

  Specifies that files extracted from the archive should be put in the
  default directory even when the files would normally be put in
  subdirectories.

  This qualifier is on by default because the program is incapable of
  creating subdirectories to put the extracted files in, so unless they
  exist already, /NOFLATTEN in a pure loss.

/INQUIRE

  Tells the program to ask the user what to do with each file it has been
  told to extract.  The program prompts with the filename followed by a
  list of options.  The options are:

     y - extract the file normally
     n - skip the file
     t - extract the file in text (not binary) mode
     b - extract the file in binary mode
     q - exit the program

  The y option is equivalent t or b depending on whether the /BINARY
  qualifier was given.

/LIST

 /LIST=filename (default = sys$output:)

  Tells the program to create a list of all of the files on the tape.
  If the /VERBOSE qualifier is also specified, the list contains more
  than just the file names.

/NAMES

 /NAMES=filename (default = sys$output:)

  If files are extracted, the program creates a file giving the names
  of the files on the tape and the VMS filenames they were mapped into
  when extracted.

/SECOND_CHANCE (D)

  This specifies that if a file is being extracted in text mode, and
  a line longer then 512 bytes in encountered sufficiently near the
  beginning of the file, it should be re-extracted in binary mode.

  If negated, files with long lines are discarded in text mode.

/VERBOSE

  This specifies that lists should contain more information than just
  the filename.

2 Bugs
  Here's a list of some of the more noticable bugs and deficiencies:
     - It can't write tar tapes.
     - It can't operate on only some of the files on a tape.
     - Verbose listings contain the date in seconds since 1970 or so,
         rather than any reasonable format.
     - It can't create subdirectories to put files in. (that's why
         /FLATTEN is the default)
     - Error recovery and reporting could use improvement.
     - probably others I can't think of at the moment.

  If you discover more bugs, fix them, or just have suggestions, mail
  them to Gordon Davisson ({ihnp4|decvax}!uw-beaver!uw-june!gordon, or
  gordon@uw-june.ARPA).

  I'll probably fix some of these eventually, in which case I'll post
  the new version to net.sources.
