03-Jun-2004
                                DBS-PATCH

This package contains two utilities that can be used to examine/modify the
contents of disks or files.  They can be run via a foreign command or a RUN
command.
The only documentation available at present is the .DOC file which is in
the form of a quick reference card, and the LIB$TPARSE command tables as
found in the source code.
The file to be used by PATCH_FILE can be specified by filename or device and
file id - check the source code for the syntax of the device/file-id
combination (only needed when the file is in use).

To build from source or to relink you will need the DBS-BUILD_LIBRARIES
package and you will need to define a LNK$LIBRARY logical to point to
either SYS_OBJECTS.OLB or DBSSYSRTL.OLB.

NOTE:  These programs have the potential to screw things up really badly if
you do the wrong thing, but then again they should be able to fix it up if
you could just remember what you did before it got screwed...

Contents:
---------
   File                          Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AAAREADME.1ST                 This file.
FREEWARE_README.TXT

[.DOC]				-- The documenation --
	PATCH_XXXX.DOC

[.EXE]				-- The executables --
	PATCH_DISK.ALPHA_EXE
	PATCH_DISK.IPF_EXE
	PATCH_DISK.VAX_EXE
	PATCH_FILE.ALPHA_EXE
	PATCH_FILE.IPF_EXE
	PATCH_FILE.VAX_EXE

[.OBJ]				-- The objects --
	LINK_PATCH.COM
	PATCH_DISK.ALPHA_OBJ
	PATCH_DISK.IPF_OBJ
	PATCH_DISK.VAX_OBJ
	PATCH_FILE.ALPHA_OBJ
	PATCH_FILE.IPF_OBJ
	PATCH_FILE.VAX_OBJ

[.SRC]				-- The source --
	BUILD_PATCH.COM
	PATCH_DISK.MAR
	PATCH_FILE.MAR

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following VMS and compiler versions were used:

              VAX        Alpha      Itanium

    VMS       7.3        7.3-2      8.1

    MACRO     5.4-3      4.1-18     T1.0-77

Any bug reports (or fixes), comments, suggestions etc. should be directed
to me at the address below.

Dave.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
David B Sneddon (dbs)  OpenVMS Systems Programmer   dbsneddon@bigpond.com
DBS software at ...   http://www.users.bigpond.com/dbsneddon/software.htm