VMS Help RTL Routines, STR$, STR$COMPARE, Returns  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    OpenVMS usage:longword_signed
    type:         longword integer (signed)
    access:       write only
    mechanism:    by value

    The values returned by STR$COMPARE and the conditions to which
    they translate are as follows:

    Returned
    Value         Condition

                  first-source-string is less than second-source-
                  string.
    0             first-source-string is equal to second-source-
                  string.
    1             first-source-string is greater than second-source-
                  string.