| file paths | Index Level | files |
| Syntax | |
| Category | Definitions |
| Type | Definition |
| Description |
a standardized mechanism for designating a particular file within Pick. This explains the forms that a file reference can take.
There are a number of ways to reference files within Pick. Any verb that requires or allows a file reference accepts any of the following references: 1) filename This form of a file reference accesses the data section of a given file (see example 1). 2) dict filename DICT filename These forms access the dictionary level of the file (see example 2). 3) dict.filename,data.filename This accesses a data section in the given dictionary, when the data section's name is different than the dictionary's name. This is the case when a file has multiple data sections (see example 3). In all of the above cases, it does not matter to Pick if the file is "local", meaning that the "d-pointer" resides in the current md, or "remote", meaning that the file "d-pointer" exists elsewhere, yet this account has a "q-pointer" already present the current md. D3 File References and File Paths: All of the following file reference formats are available in D3, and make use of the new feature called "file paths". Note that these forms are not available in R83. 4) account.name,, This accesses another md (account), or any file-defining item found in the "mds" file (see example 4). Alternately, the "fully-qualified" form is also valid for referencing another md: mds,md.name 5) account.name,filename, This accesses the data section of the specified file in the designated account. The account name must exist as a "d-pointer" in the "mds" file and the filename must exist as a "d-pointer" in the given account (see example 5). Note the "," at the end of the reference; the file reference is invalid without it. The data level reference is not required, but the trailing comma must be included: list dm,bp, This is the same as: list dm,bp,bp 6) dict account.name,filename, This accesses the dictionary section of the specified file in the designated account. The account name must exist as a "d-pointer" in the "mds" file and the filename must exist as a "d-pointer" in the given account (see example 6). Note the "," at the end of the reference; the file reference is invalid without it. Specifying Alternate File Names: File references within certain processes, such as "copy" and "filing" operations, require a leading "(" (left parenthesis) in cases where an alternate file reference is to be designated. (see examples 7 and 8). A variety of commands allow or require the "(" character, including: "copy" (TCL), "me" ("merge", in line editor), "<ctrl>+cr" (UP), "<ctrl>+cw" (UP), "<ctrl>+zr" (UP), "<ctrl>+zw" (UP), "sreformat" (Access), "reformat" (Access), "fi" (editor), and "fs" (editor). |
| Options | |
| See Also | file-defining item catalog hash-test istat set-file compare c footing exchange i compile-run list-label id-prompt count list-item list b (bridge) Access verbs lfd listdict check-sum list-verbs md.name c FILE account-maint compile-catalog synonym-defining items Access file.name paths file paths ROOT |
| Example |
list entity
list dict entity list invoices,archive list dm,, list dm,bp, list dict dm,entity, copy entity '100' to:(customer 120 The "(" (left parenthesis) is vital in this operation. It indicates that the string immediately following it ("customer", in this case) is to be treated as an alternate file name. Without the "(" character, "customer" is treated as an item-id and item-id "100" would subsequently be copied to "customer" in the data section of the "entity" file. copy entity '100' to:(production.account,entity, '120' As in example 7, the "(" parenthesis character indicates that the copy is to be directed to a different file. |
| Warnings | |
| Compatibility | D3 7.0 AP R83 |
| file paths | Index Level | files |