VMS Help Lexicals, F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    Returns attribute information for a specified file.

    Format

      F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES(filespec,item)

1 - Return Value

    Either an integer or a character string, depending on the item
    you request.

2 - Arguments

 filespec

    Specifies the name of the file about which you are requesting
    information. You must specify the file name as a character string
    expression.

    You can specify only one file name. Wildcard characters are not
    allowed.

 item

    Indicates which attribute of the file is to be returned. The
    item argument must be specified as a character string expression,
    and can be any one of the OpenVMS RMS field names listed in the
    following table:

               Return
    Item       Type     Information Returned

    AI         String   TRUE if after-image (AI) journaling is
                        enabled; FALSE if disabled.

    ALQ        Integer  Allocation quantity.

    BDT        String   Backup date/time.

    BI         String   TRUE if before-image (BI) journaling is
                        enabled; FALSE if disabled.

    BKS        Integer  Bucket size.

    BLS        Integer  Block size.

    CBT        String   TRUE if contiguous-best-try; otherwise FALSE.

    CDT        String   Creation date/time.

    CTG        String   TRUE if contiguous; otherwise FALSE.

    DEQ        Integer  Default extension quantity.

    DID        String   Directory ID string.

    DIRECTORY  String   Returns TRUE or FALSE. Returns TRUE if it is
                        a directory.

    DVI        String   Device name string.

    EDT        String   Expiration date/time.

    EOF        Integer  Number of blocks used.

    ERASE      String   TRUE if a file's contents are erased before a
                        file is deleted; otherwise FALSE.

    FFB        Integer  First free byte.

    FID        String   File ID string.

    FILE_      String   Record count and data byte count in the form
    LENGTH_             (n,m), where n is the record count and m is
    HINT                the data byte count. An invalidated count is
                        specified by a -1 for n or m.

    FSZ        Integer  Fixed control area size.

    GBC        Integer  Global buffer count.

    GRP        Integer  Owner group number.

    JOURNAL_   String   TRUE if the file is a journal; otherwise
    FILE                FALSE.

    KNOWN      String   Known file; returns TRUE or FALSE to
                        indicate whether file is installed with the
                        Install utility (INSTALL). However, returns
                        NOSUCHFILE if a file does not exist (for
                        example, the file has been installed but
                        subsequently deleted).

    LOCKED     String   TRUE if a file is deaccessed-locked;
                        otherwise FALSE.

    LRL        Integer  Longest record length.

    MBM        Integer  Owner member number.

    MOVE       String   TRUE if movefile operations are enabled;
                        otherwise FALSE.

    MRN        Integer  Maximum record number.

    MRS        Integer  Maximum record size.

    NOA        Integer  Number of areas.

    NOBACKUP   String   FALSE if the file is marked for backup; TRUE
                        if the file is marked NOBACKUP.

    NOK        Integer  Number of keys.

    ORG        String   File organization; returns SEQ, REL, IDX.

    PRESHELVED String   TRUE if the file is preshelved; otherwise
    (Alpha              FALSE.
    only)

    PRO        String   File protection string.

    PVN        Integer  Prolog version number.

    RAT        String   Record attributes; returns CR, PRN, FTN, "".

    RCK        String   TRUE if read check; otherwise FALSE.

    RDT        String   Revision date/time.

    RFM        String   Record format string; returns the values VAR,
                        FIX, VFC, UDF, STM, STMLF, STMCR.

    RU         String   TRUE if recovery unit (RU) journaling is
                        enabled; returns TRUE or FALSE.

    RVN        Integer  Revision number.

    SHELVABLE  String   TRUE if the file is shelvable; otherwise
                        FALSE.

    SHELVED    String   TRUE if the file is shelved; otherwise FALSE.

    STORED_    String   ASCII string that represents stored
    SEMANTICS           semantics.

    UIC        String   Owner user identification code (UIC) string.

    VERLIMIT   Integer  Version limit number. The value 32767
                        indicates that no version limit was set.

    WCK        String   TRUE if write check; otherwise FALSE.

3 - Examples

    1.$ FILE_ORG = F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES("QUEST.DAT","ORG")
      $ SHOW SYMBOL FILE_ORG
        FILE_ORG = "SEQ"

      This example uses the F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES function to assign the
      value of the file organization type to the symbol FILE_ORG. The
      F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES function returns the character string SEQ to
      show that QUEST.DAT is a sequential file.

      The QUEST.DAT and ORG arguments for the F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES
      function are string literals and must be enclosed in quotation
      marks (" ")  when used in expressions.

    2.$ RFM = F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES("KANSAS::USE$:[CARS]SALES.CMD","RFM")
      $ SHOW SYMBOL RFM
        RFM = "VAR"

      This example uses the F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES function to return
      information about a file on a remote node. The function returns
      the record format string VAR, indicating that records are
      variable length.