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

    Reassigns work files to different disk-structured devices to
    improve performance. Use only with the SORT command.

    Format

      /WORK_FILES=(device[,...])

1 - Qualifier Value

 device

    Specifies a logical name for the work file. Unlike the DCL
    qualifier /WORK_FILES=n, the specification file qualifier /WORK_
    FILES=(device[,...]) specifies work file assignments, not the
    number of work files.

2 - Full Description

    You can improve the performance of Sort by placing work files
    on different disk-structured devices. Using the /WORK_FILES
    qualifier in a specification file to reassign work files makes
    it unnecessary to make logical assignments prior to invoking Sort
    at the command or program level.

3 - Example

  /WORK_FILES=("WRKD$:")

      This example of a /WORK_FILES qualifier assigns one of Sort's
      work files to the device WRKD$: because that device has the
      most space available.