clear-file Command

The clear-file command clears the dictionary or data section of the specified file of all items and retains the primary file space area.

Syntax

clear-file {(}{data} file.reference{,file.reference}) {(options}

clear-file {(}dict file.reference){(options}

Parameter(s)

options	c	Scrubs each frame of the file’s primary space, changing every byte in the frame to x'ff'.
options	l	No logging—when this option is active, no log of the clear-file is placed in the file of files file item. This can increase performance significantly on temporary files, which are cleared frequently.

WARNING

The clear-file command does not require confirmation.

The clear-file command only clears the file, it does not delete it. The file retains its name, base, and modulo for both dictionary and data sections.

To clear the dictionary section, the dictionary must be specified before the file reference. If the dictionary is specified, file-defining items (D-pointers) are not cleared. If no level is specified, the default is data.

If the file is a pointer file (D-pointer’s attribute 1 is a dp), then the secondary file space is not returned to overflow until a full save clears the dirty bits, and eliminates the deleted items. If the file is an ordinary data file, then the secondary file space is returned to overflow immediately.

Example(s)

Removes all items from the data level of the old.invoices.

clear-file data old.invoices

Removes all items except D-pointers to data sections from the dictionary of the invoice.history file.

clear-file dict invoice.history

Clears the archive data section located in the dictionary of the invoices file.

clear-file data invoices,archive