Creating, Erasing, and Renaming Files

Creating Files

To create a file, PRO/5 has a number of different forms available:

Command	Description
CISAM	Create a C-ISAM file
DIRECT	Create a *SIT DIRECT file
FILE	Create any type file
INDEXED	Create an INDEXED file
MKEYED	Create an MKEYED file
PROGRAM	Create a PROGRAM file
SERIAL	Create a SERIAL file
SORT	Create a *SIT SORT file
STRING	Create a STRING file

*SIT = Scatter Index Table

Most host systems allow PRO/5 file types (except SIT SORT and SIT DIRECT) to be dynamic. A dynamic file grows as space is needed in the file. A file may be made dynamic by defining it with a number of records of 0.

Erasing Files

A file may be removed from the system by using the ERASE verb. A file may not be ERASEd unless it is OPENable and LOCKable (you must be able to completely own the file). In addition, some host operating systems may not allow you to remove a file from a particular location due to access restrictions, security, etc. The syntax for ERASE is rather simple:

ERASE "file"

Renaming Files

Generally, if a file may be ERASEd it may also be RENAMEd. PRO/5 will not allow you to rename a file to a name that currently exists. The general form of RENAME is:

>RENAME "oldname" TO "newname"

Care should be taken to not attempt to rename files across hardware boundaries such as disk drives or disk volumes. In this case, PRO/5 will return an error.

A file currently OPENed by yourself or by another user may not be ERASEd or RENAMEd.