Deletes all but the highest numbered versions of the specified
   files.

   Format

     PURGE  [filespec[,...]]

Additional information available:

PARAMETERQUALIFIERSEXAMPLES

filespec[,...]
   Specifies one or more files to be purged. If you specify more
   than one file, separate the file specifications with either commas
   (,)  or plus signs (+). Wildcard characters (* and %) are allowed
   in the directory, file name, and file type fields; however, no
   version number can be specified. As a default, the PURGE command
   purges all files in the current directory. There are no file name
   or file type defaults with the PURGE command.

Additional information available:

/BACKUP/BEFORE/BY_OWNER/CONFIRM/CREATED/ERASE
/EXCLUDE/EXPIRED/KEEP/LOG/MODIFIED/SINCE

   Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
   qualifier. The /BACKUP qualifier selects files according to the
   dates of their most recent backups. This qualifier is incompatible
   with the following qualifiers that also allow you to select files
   according to time attributes: /CREATED, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED.
   If you specify none of these four time qualifiers, the default is
   the /CREATED qualifier.

      /BEFORE[=time]

   Selects only those files dated prior to the specified time.
   You can specify time as an absolute time, as a combination of
   absolute and delta times, or as one of the following keywords:
   TODAY (default), TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY. Specify one of the
   following qualifiers with the /BEFORE qualifier to indicate the
   time attribute to be used as the basis for selection: /BACKUP,
   /CREATED (default), /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.

   See the VMS DCL Concepts Manual for complete information on
   specifying time values.

      /BY_OWNER[=uic]

   Selects only those files whose owner user identification code
   (UIC) matches the specified owner UIC. The default UIC is that of
   the current process.

   Specify the UIC by using standard UIC format as described in the
   VMS DCL Concepts Manual.

      /CONFIRM
      /NOCONFIRM (default)

   Controls whether a request is issued before each purge operation
   to confirm that the operation should be performed on that file.
   The following responses are valid:

   YES       NO        QUIT

   TRUE      FALSE     Ctrl/Z

   1         0         ALL

             <Return>

   You can use any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters
   for word responses. Word responses can be abbreviated to one or
   more letters (for example, T, TR, or TRU for TRUE), but these
   abbreviations must be unique. Affirmative answers are YES, TRUE,
   and 1. Negative answers include: NO, FALSE, 0, and pressing
   the Return key. Entering QUIT or pressing Ctrl/Z indicates that
   you want to stop processing the command at that point. When you
   respond by entering ALL, the command continues to process, but no
   further prompts are given. If you type a response other than one
   of those in the list, DCL issues an error message and redisplays
   the prompt.

      /CREATED (default)

   Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
   qualifier. The /CREATED qualifier selects files based on their
   dates of creation. This qualifier is incompatible with the
   following qualifiers that also allow you to select files according
   to time attributes: /BACKUP, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED. If you
   specify none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the
   /CREATED qualifier.

      /ERASE
      /NOERASE (default)

   Erases the specified files from the disk so that the purged data
   no longer exists physically on the deallocated disk blocks.

   When you delete a file, the area in which the file was stored is
   returned to the system for future use. The data that was stored
   in that location still exists in the system until new data is
   written over it. When the /ERASE qualifier is specified, the
   storage location is overwritten with a system-specified pattern so
   that the data no longer exists.

      /EXCLUDE=(filespec[,...])

   Excludes the specified files from the purge operation.
   You can include a directory but not a device in the file
   specification. Wildcard characters (* and %) are allowed in the
   file specification. However, you cannot use relative version
   numbers to exclude a specific version. If you specify only one
   file, you can omit the parentheses.

   Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
   qualifier. The /EXPIRED qualifier selects files according to their
   expiration dates. (The expiration date is set with the SET FILE
   /EXPIRATION_DATE command.) The /EXPIRED qualifier is incompatible
   with the following qualifiers that also allow you to select files
   according to time attributes: /BACKUP, /CREATED, and /MODIFIED. If
   you specify none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the
   /CREATED qualifier.

      /KEEP=number-of-versions

   Specifies the maximum number of versions of the specified files
   to be retained in the directory. If you do not include the /KEEP
   qualifier, all but the highest numbered version of the specified
   files are deleted from the directory.

      /LOG
      /NOLOG (default)

   Controls whether file specifications are displayed as the files
   are deleted.

   Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
   qualifier. The /MODIFIED qualifier selects files according to
   the dates on which they were last modified. This qualifier is
   incompatible with the following qualifiers that also allow you to
   select files according to time attributes: /BACKUP, /CREATED, and
   /EXPIRED. If you specify none of these four time modifiers, the
   default is the /CREATED qualifier.

      /SINCE[=time]

   Selects only those files dated after the specified time. You can
   specify time as an absolute time, a combination of absolute and
   delta times, or as one of the following keywords: TODAY (default),
   TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY. Specify one of the following qualifiers
   with the /SINCE qualifier to indicate the time attribute to be
   used as the basis for selection: /BACKUP, /CREATED (default),
   /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.

   For complete information on specifying time values, see the VMS
   DCL Concepts Manual.

   1.  $ PURGE

     The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the highest
     numbered version of all files in the default directory.

   2.  $ PURGE *.COM

     The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the highest
     numbered version of each file with a file type of COM.


   3.  $ PURGE/KEEP=3  [WILDER.JOB308]ACCOUNT.COB

     The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the three
     highest numbered versions of the file ACCOUNT.COB in the
     subdirectory [WILDER.JOB308].

   4.  $ PURGE/ERASE/SINCE=YESTERDAY [.MEMOS]

     The PURGE command in this example purges all files in the MEMOS
     subdirectory that have been created or modified since yesterday
     and erases the storage locations so that the purged data no
     longer exists.


   5.  $ PURGE [MAL.TESTFILES]/LOG
       %PURGE-I-FILPURG, DISK1:[MAL.TESTFILES]AVE.OBJ;1 deleted (3 blocks)
       %PURGE-I-FILPURG, DISK1:[MAL.TESTFILES]BACK.OBJ;2 deleted (5 blocks)
       %PURGE-I-TOTAL, 2 files deleted (8 blocks)

     The PURGE command in this example purges all files cataloged
     in the subdirectory named [MAL.TESTFILES]. The /LOG qualifier
     requests the PURGE command to display the specification of each
     file it has deleted as well as the total number of files that
     have been deleted.

   6.  $ PURGE/KEEP=2 TAMPA::DISK1:[EXAMPLE]*.LIS

     The PURGE command in this example deletes all but the two
     highest numbered versions of each file with the file type LIS
     in the directory EXAMPLE on remote node TAMPA.