hosts File

The hosts file defines file system connections to remote environments.

Synonym(s)

net-nodes

Description

NOTE

The actual format of the hosts file may differ somewhat than the net-nodes file found on some other licensee platforms.

The hosts file is used when accessing super Q-pointers to locate the appropriate OSFI driver and any options that should be passed to that driver.

0

Host identifier to be used in attribute 3 of super Q-pointers.

1

Generic File System Interface driver number.

2

Driver-specific configuration information.

3

Options and definitions


options

Alphanumeric string that controls the behavior of the driver. Spaces can be inserted in the option string for readability. It follows the directory name, separated by a Value Mark:

tn

Converts white space preceding text aligned to a tab-stop into a series of tabs. By default no conversion occurs. Note that this conversion option may modify the data (especially binary items) and is therefore only suggested for text files. The valid range of numbers for n is 2 through 9.

a

Adds an extra attribute mark when files are moved into D3, and removes the attribute mark when the item is placed back in the host operating system. This option is absolutely necessary when saving and/or copying between different files or to backup media. Without this, nontextual items may have an extra new-line appended to them when added to the final destination.

b

Enables the ability to read and write binary data. No data translation occurs.

c

Specifies the target is a special character file. This option imposes some restrictions.

d

For Windows:

  • When copying Windows or MS-DOS text files from D3 to the host OS, replaces attribute marks with CR/LFs.

  • When copying Windows or MS-DOS text files from the host OS to D3, replaces CR/LFs with attribute marks.

lx

For Windows: Enables accessing a file without specifying the MS-DOS drive in the file name. x specifies the MS-DOS drive letter where the file is stored. For example, to access a file located in MS-DOS drive A:, use the la option.

n

Suppresses the conversion of attribute marks to new lines. By default, when writing a D3 item, the attribute marks are converted to make the text easy to edit. A trailing attribute mark is added at the end of the file when it is written with this option unless the A option is specified.

o

Prevents the conversion of tabs to spaces when copying files from D3 to the host operating system.

r

Use raw data. Reads and writes data much faster than the default and/or using some of the other options. Cannot be specified with the A or T options. If a character 255 (segment mark) is read from a file, it is converted into an underscore character.

s

Case-insensitive item-ID and file names. File names and item-IDs are converted to lowercase and makes them case-insensitive.

x

Used with the binary driver to allow manipulation of binary data as an hexadecimal string. See the new host definition 'binx'.

See Also

Binary Files, clear-locks Command, Header Files, list-locks Command, Open Systems File Interface, OSFI, peqs, Pick Remote Files, QS-Pointer, Super Q-Pointer, UNIX Files