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

    Requests that the output file be stored in contiguous disk
    blocks, thereby decreasing access time. Note that you must also
    specify the /ALLOCATION qualifier because if the preallocated
    space is too small, OpenVMS RMS may be unable to extend the file
    contiguously.

    Format

      output-file-spec/CONTIGUOUS

1 - Full Description

    By default, Sort/Merge does not allocate contiguous disk blocks
    for the output file. You can request, however, that the output
    file be stored in contiguous disk blocks by specifying the
    /CONTIGUOUS qualifier, thereby decreasing access time. If you use
    the /CONTIGUOUS qualifier, you must also specify the /ALLOCATION
    qualifier because if the preallocated space is too small, OpenVMS
    RMS may be unable to extend the file contiguously.

2 - Example

  $ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT -
  _$ SUMMARY.LIS/ALLOCATION=1000/CONTIGUOUS

      This SORT command allocates 1,000 contiguous blocks for the
      output file SUMMARY.LIS.