Article 162218 of comp.os.vms:
On Fri, 3 Jan 1997, Jerry Leichter <leichter@smarts.com> wrote:
[cut from Hein van den Heuvel]
+| the bigger folders and then mail> file/all foldername [.OLDMAIL]
+| To look something up: Mail> set file [.OLDMAIL]
+| To switch back: Mail> dir/new ( or set file [.mail] ofcourse)
+
+I did exactly this a number of years back.  One thing that does save
+some typing - and makes this look cleaner - is to define and OLDMAIL
+logical to point to [.OLDMAIL]MAIL.MAI (or whatever).
+
+I also use a hack.  I've got an [.MAIL] directory for newer mail, and an
+[.OLDMAIL] directory for the old stuff - but I only have *one* MAIL.MAI
+file.  It lives in [.MAIL], and I've used SET FILE/ENTRY to create an
+alias name for the same file as [.OLDMAIL]OLDMAIL.MAI.  This way, all
+mail *headers* are visible all the time.  If I do a SELECT/FROM:someone
+I will find both new and old messages.  Messages stored entirely in the
+master mail file will also be immediately readable.  Messages that are
+in their own MAIL$xxxx.MAI file are only visible if you've SET FILE
+using the appropriate name.  For example, if you haven't done a SET FILE
+and all and try to look at an old message, you'll be told that the file
+isn't there.  At that point, you can do a SET FILE OLDMAIL and find the
+message again.
+
+Works fine.  You do, of course, have to re-create the link every time
+you COMPRESS the mail file.  (Also, *don't* try to delete a message
+that's in the "other" directory - i.e., one you couldn't read.  It'll
+leave the MAIL$xxxx file as an orphan.)
+							-- Jerry


 Looks great, Jerry !
 Enhance *the* idea with logical names, *without* the /ENTER !
 Supose USR$DISK:[GS] is the directory, but because concealed name
the real is DISK$DATA:[USERS.GS]; also the mail directory is [.MAIL].
 Also the old mail will be stored in [.OLD]
 Then (in LOGIN.COM):
++
$ DEFINE MAILDEV/TRANSL=CONC - 
	DISK$DATA:[USERS.GS.MAIL.],DISK$DATA:[USERS.GS.MAIL.OLD.]
$ DEFINE MAILDEVOLD/TRANSL=(CONC,TERM) - 
	DISK$DATA:[USERS.GS.MAIL.OLD.],DISK$DATA:[USERS.GS.MAIL.]
 and as you write:
$ DEFINE MAILOLD MAILDEVOLD:[000000]MAIL
 also:
$ DEFINE MYMAIL MAILDEV:[000000]MAIL
++
 You have in MAILDEV:[000000] and MAILOLD[00000] two the same
directories, but available in reverse order ! Then the MAIL.MAI
file can be only *one*: no problem with COMPRESS. Doing accidentally
a SET MAIL [.some_another] also isn't dangerous, except for loss
of the selection the old messagess.

 Then:
- after MAIL command you can work with you new mail only
 (means: "not moved to the specified for old directory", not
  "a not /NEWMAIL flag")
- SET FILE MYMAIL and have all available
- MOVE folder MAILOLD "move" the file to *the same* MAIL.MAI !
 (yes, have test ["conforms C.J.L. standard -:)"] but can't
test in all (!) VMS version: probably will work.
 "moving" looks as COPY+DELETE for the file (->fragmentation) but
this is a result of all MOVE -:(
 Works simple: for create the file is created in first directory in list,
but modification is doing in existing one: the same for "normal"
and "divided normal/old" access.

 Happy new year ! (yes, today not so new -:))
 Regards - Gotfryd

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