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.
GBC32 Integer Enhanced longword version of global buffer
count with a per-file maximum size of about
2.1 billion for indexed files.
GBCFLAGS String Per-file management flags for sizing of
global buffer cache. Returns PERCENT if
global buffer count is expresses as a
percent, DEFAULT if global buffer size is
determined at runtime by an algorithm using
two global buffer SYSGEN parameters (GB_
CACHEALLMAX and GB_DEFPERCENT); or NONE if no
per-file management flags are enabled for the
file.
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/Integrity FALSE.
servers
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.