COMB(1)                              BSD                               COMB(1)



NAME
     comb - combine SCCS deltas

SYNOPSIS
     comb [ -o ] [ -s ] [ pSID ] [ -clist ] file ...

DESCRIPTION
     comb generates a shell procedure that reconstructs the given SCCS files.
     The reconstructed files are usually smaller than the original files. You
     can specify the arguments in any order, but options apply to all named
     SCCS files.  If you name a directory, comb behaves as though each file in
     the directory is specified as a named file, except that it silently
     ignores non-SCCS and unreadable files.

     If you supply a dash (-) in place of a filename, comb reads the standard
     input.  It takes each line of the input to be the name of an SCCS file to
     be processed, silently ignoring non-SCCS and unreadable files.  comb
     writes the generated shell procedure on the standard output.

     The valid options are described below.  Each is explained as though only
     one named file is to be processed, but the effects of any option apply
     independently to each named file.  If you do not specify an option, comb
     preserves only leaf deltas and the minimal number of ancestors needed to
     preserve the tree.

OPTIONS
     -clist    Specify a list of deltas to be preserved.  See get(1) for the
               syntax of a list.

     -o        Access the reconstructed file at the release of the delta to be
               created.  This activity occurs for each -e generated.  By
               default, the reconstructed file is accessed at the most recent
               ancestor.  Using this option may decrease the size of the
               reconstructed SCCS file and alter the shape of the delta tree
               of the original file.

     -pSID     Specify the SCCS identification string (SID) of the oldest
               delta to be preserved.  Discard all older deltas in the
               reconstructed file.

     -s        Generate a shell procedure which, when run, produces a report
               on each file.  This report  contains the filename, size (in
               blocks) after combining, original size (in blocks), and
               percentage change computed by the following:

               100 * (original - combined) / original

               Use this option before combining any SCCS files, to determine
               how much space the combining process will save.

BUGS
     comb may rearrange the shape of the tree of deltas.  It may not save any
     space; in fact, the reconstructed file may actually be larger than the
     original.

FILES
          s.COMB        Reconstructed SCCS file
          comb?????     Temporary

DIAGNOSTICS
     Use help(1) for explanations.

SEE ALSO
     admin(1), delta(1), get(1), help(1), prs(1), sccs(1), sh(1), sccsfile(4)