DCL commands are usually verbs that describe what you want the system to do. All of the commands shown here have various options that you might find useful. To find out information on these options, refer to the VMS DCL Dictionary, Part I and Part II or use the online HELP facility. The qualifier modifies the operation of the command.
Many commands have default qualifiers.
If a command does require a parameter and none is specified, the system will prompt for one. You can abbreviate any DCL command to its first four characters. The system then prompts for the next line with a dollar sign preceded by an underscore character. There is no limit on the number of continuation lines, but the length of the entire command string must not exceed 1024 characters. If you make a mistake when entering a command, command line editing can save you the trouble of retyping the whole line.