The FOPEN intrinsic is another programmatic tool for supplying the File System with information about a ￿le. Y ou can use optional parameters at ￿le creation to specify record structure, ￿le iden ti￿cation, ￿le domain, and ￿le usage c haracteristics.

For detailed information on the HPFOPEN and FOPEN intrinsics, refer to MPE/iX Intrinsics Reference Manual (32650-90028) and Accessing Files Pr ogrammer's Guide (32650-90017).

The :BUILD Command

The :BUILD command creates a ￿le in m uch the same way as the HPFOPEN and FOPEN intrinsics, except that they are used within a program and :BUILD is entered as an MPE/iX command. The :BUILD parameters have meanings and applications that are similar to the corresponding parameters for HPFOPEN and FOPEN . For detailed information on ho w to use the :BUILD command, refer to the MPE/iX Commands Reference Manual Volumes 1 and 2 (32650-90003 and 32650-90364).

You can use the MPE/iX command :BUILD to create a ￿le and specify the ph ysical characteristics of the ￿le to the File System. When y ou invoke :BUILD , the File System sets up the physical characteristics in the ￿le label and allocates space for a permanen t ￿le on disc. For detailed information, refer to the MPE/iX Commands Reference Manual Volumes 1 and 2 (32650-90003 and 32650-90364) and Accessing Files Pr ogrammer's Guide (32650-90017).

Deleting Files

You can use the :PURGE command to delete ￿les from disc. This command deletes the speci￿ed ￿le by removing the directory en try pointing to the ￿le. It can be used to delete PERMANENT or TEMP ￿les. The :PURGE command does not accept wildcard c haracters.

Renaming Files

You can use the :RENAME command on a TEMP or PERMANENT ￿le if you are the creator of the ￿le. :RENAME can be used to change the ￿le name and add or c hange a lockword. You can use :RENAME to move a ￿le to a di￿erent group in which you have SAVE access. Renaming the ￿le does not change the ￿le domain, and y ou cannot rename a ￿le while it is in use.

Saving Temporary Files

You can use the :SAVE command on a temporary ￿le to mak e it permanent. This operation requires you to provide the ￿le's lockword (if it has one). For example, y ou could save $OLDPASS to a new name using the follo wing syntax, where new￿lereference is the name to which you want to save $OLDPASS :

:SAVE $OLDPASS, new￿lereference

6-28 File System