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

    Allows you to specify a pad character to use when reformatting
    records or when comparing strings of unequal length.

    Format

      /PAD=single-character

1 - Qualifier Value

 single-character

    Specifies the character that the Sort utiltiy will use to pad a
    string. Characters, decimal, octal, or hexadecimal digits can be
    used. The pad character should be specified as follows:

    o  Use quotation marks for a character. For example, " # " would
       specify the number sign.

    o  Use decimal radix for decimal digits. For example, %D35 would
       specify the decimal number 35.

    o  Use octal radix for octal digits. For example, %O043 would
       specify the octal number 043.

    o  Use hexadecimal radix for hexadecimal digits. For example,
       %X23 would specify the hexadecimal number 23.

2 - Full Description

    Use the /PAD qualifier to specify a pad character when comparing
    strings of unequal length or when reformatting records. By
    default, Sort uses the null character for padding, ensuring
    conformity with the previous versions. Double characters that
    can be defined as single characters ("ch" > "c") cannot be used
    as pad characters.

3 - Example

  /PAD="."

      This example of a /PAD qualifier specifies that records will be
      padded with periods.