A directive is a word that instructs MMS to take a certain action  as
    it  processes a description file.  A directive can appear on any line
    in the description file, but it affects how  the  entire  description
    file is processed.  A directive must start in column 1 of the line.

    The MMS directives and their functions are:

    Directive       Function

    .ACTION_STATUS   Introduces a user-defined severity rule; select
                     'Description_File' subtopic 'User_Defined_Severity'
                     for more information.

    .DEFAULT         Indicates actions to be performed  if MMS built-in
                     rules or user-defined rules do not specify how to
                     update a target.

    .ELSE            Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                     processed if the boolean-expressions for the .IF
                     and all the preceding .ELSIF directives are false.

    .ELSIF           Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                     processed if the boolean-expressions for the .IF
                     and all the preceding .ELSIF directives are false
                     and the specified boolean-expression is true.

    .ENDIF           Terminates the set of lines in the description file
                     whose processing is controlled by .IF, .ELSIF and
                     .ELSE.

    .FIRST           Indicates actions to be performed before MMS has
                     executed any action lines to update the target.

    .IF              Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                     processed only if the specified boolean-expression
                     is true; select 'Description_File' subtopic
                     'Using_Conditionals' for more information.

    .IFDEF           Causes subsequent lines of a description file to be
                     processed only if the specified macro is defined
                     (obsolete, use .IF instead).

    .IGNORE          Causes MMS to ignore all errors generated by all
                     action lines and to continue processing the
                     description file.

    .INCLUDE         Includes the specified file in the description file.

    .LAST            Indicates actions to be performed after MMS has
                     executed all the action lines that update the target.

    .SILENT          Suppresses the writing of all action lines to the
                     output file (whether to SYS$OUTPUT or to the file
                     specified by the /OUTPUT qualifier).

    .SUFFIXES        Clears or appends to the suffixes-precedence list.

    .SUFFIXES_DELETE Clears or deletes types from the suffixes-precedence
                     list.

    .SUFFIXES_AFTER  Inserts types into the suffixes-precedence list
                     after the first type specified.

    .SUFFIXES_BEFORE Inserts types into the suffixes-precedence list
                     before the first type specified.