| Access Methods | The FOPEN, GENMESSAGE, and FCLOSE intrinsics open, access, and close formatted MAKECAT catalogs. | CATOPEN, CATREAD, and CATCLOSE intrinsics open, access and close formatted GENCAT catalogs. |
| Formatting | Places an internal directory in the file's user labels. The file is formatted in place without creating a new file. | A source message file is formatted into another file, leaving the original source intact. The application uses the formatted file. The original source file can be purged. The formatted file can be expanded to restore the original source file. |
| Function | Converts or formats HELP and message files into catalogs.
Installs system message catalog, using the BUILD entry point. | Formats application message catalogs. Provides maintenance facility to modify existing source catalogs. Provides capability of expanding a formatted file back into the original source file. |
| Input | The name of a file must be entered in a file equation.:FILE INPUT=<your file>. | GENCAT prompts the user for the name of a file. |
| Literal Character | Not supported. | The tilde "~" serves as a literal character, causing the character which immediately follows it to be treated as text. |
| Messages | The message number range per set is 1-32,766. | The message number range per set is 1-32,766. |
| Numerical Parameters | Not supported. | Up to 5 numerical parameters can be contained in a message. |
| Output | Saves the formatted file as a temporary file with the name CATALOG. | GENCAT prompts the user for the name of the formatted file. The file is saved as a permanent file. |
| Processing | Formats more quickly than GENCAT. | GENCAT verifies each message for correct parameter substitution characters. Manipulates two temporary files while formatting the source file. |
| Record Format | Accepts source files of any size, but the file it saves has a record size of 80 bytes. The system message catalog is fixed binary. An application catalog is fixed ASCII. | Accepts source catalog files with record sizes from 40 to 256 bytes. The formatted file has a record size of 128 words, and is fixed binary. When a formatted catalog is expanded into a source catalog, the new source catalog is fixed ASCII with a record size identical to the original source catalog. |
| | | When maintenance is being performed, both the source file and the maintenance file must be of equal lengths in fixed ASCII. The resulting source file, and collision file, if specified will be fixed ASCII, and their record sizes will equal the record size of the original source file. |
| Sets | The set directive is $SET. The set number range for a catalog is 1-63. | The set directive can be $SET or $set. The set number range for a source catalog is 1-255. |
| User Interface | The user must know which entry points to use and when to use them. Files are input via file equations. Error messages require user interpretation. | GENCAT is menu-driven. The menus originate from a catalog. Each prompt has HELP text associated with it. Error messages are self-explanatory. |
