VMS Help MERGE, Output File Qualifiers, /FORMAT  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    Specifies the output file record format if it differs from the
    input file format.

    Format

      output-file-spec/FORMAT=(type:n ...)

1 - Qualifier Values

 BLOCK_SIZE:n

    Specifies the output file's block size, in bytes, if you have
    directed the file to magnetic tape. You can also accept the
    default. If the input file is a tape file, the block size of
    the output file defaults to that of the input file. Otherwise,
    the output file block size defaults to the size used when the
    tape was mounted.

    Acceptable values for block size n range from 20 to 65,532. To
    ensure correct data interchange with other Compaq systems,
    however, specify a block size of not more than 512 bytes. For
    compatibility with systems that are not made by Compaq, the
    block size should not exceed 2,048 bytes.

 CONTROLLED:n

    Specifies variable with fixed-length control (VFC) records in the
    output file.

 n

    Optionally indicates the maximum record size (in bytes) of the
    output records. The maximum record size allowed depends on the
    file organization.

    Sequential files          32,767
    Relative files            16,383
    Indexed-sequential files  16,362

    These totals include control bytes. If you do not specify the
    maximum record size, the default is a length large enough to hold
    the longest output record.

 FIXED:n

    Specifies fixed-length records in the output file.

 SIZE:n

    Specifies the size, in bytes, of the fixed portion of VFC
    (CONTROLLED) records, up to a maximum of 255 bytes. If you do
    not specify SIZE, the default is the size of the fixed portion of
    the first input file. If you specify this size as 0, OpenVMS RMS
    defaults the value to 2 bytes.

 VARIABLE:n

    Specifies variable-length records in the output file.

2 - Full Description

    If the sort operation is a record or tag sort, the default output
    record format is the same as the first input file record format.
    If the sort operation is an address or index sort, the default
    output record format is fixed record format. If the input files
    have different record formats, Sort provides an output record
    size that is large enough to contain the largest record in the
    input files.

    When you specify the output record format, you can indicate
    the maximum record size, in bytes, of the output records. You
    can specify fixed-length records, variable-length records, or
    variable with fixed-length control records.

3 - Example

  $ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT SUMMARY.LIS/FORMAT=FIXED:80

      The input file STATS.DAT consists of variable-length records
      that are 80 bytes in length. The /FORMAT qualifier specifies
      that the output file, SUMMARY.LIS, consists of fixed-length
      records.