The SYSGEN configuration utility/Directories

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[DIRECTORIES]

Minimum Requirements: 
                                                                                                                           .
This group is required.
                                                                                                                           .
Refer to the minimal INI file to see the minimum requirements to configure Comet.

The DIRECTORIES group specifies the Comet directories that will be configured. The group contains one segment title:

Directory-number = directory-type,path

For example:

[DIRECTORIES]

00 = C,\\FS1\SYS\COMET\REL\;        REL directory
01 = C,\\FS1\SYS\COMET\UTL\;        UTL directory
02 = C,C:\COMET\SPOOL\;             SPL spool directory, local disc
03 = C,\\FS2\SYS\COMET\SPOOL\;      SPX spool directory, network
05 = C,\\FS2\SYS\COMET\DATA\;       DAT data directory
06 = C,\\FS9\SYS\COMET\APPS\;       DSK application data directory
. 
. 
49 = C,$(catemp)                    temporary directory (TMP)

Segment Title

Directory-number = directory-type,path

Directory-number

This is a numeric value from 0 to 219, each of which represents a Comet directory. When Comet loads, it builds a “directory device table” based on the entries found in this group. Each Comet node sets up a “directory access block” (DAB) of up to 50 directories. If the Comet Security System is in effect, the user’s password determines which directories are accessed, and in which order they are accessed. If the Comet Security System is not in effect, each session on the node inherits the first 50 configured directories (numbered 0 through 49).

Directory-type

This parameter defines the type of directory that's being configured.

Note: Previous versions of Comet supported a type R directory (RAM) and an option to conserve file handles. These features are no longer supported.

Path

This parameter defines the path of each Comet directory. The path can contain up to 60 characters.

In order to be considered a Comet directory, the directory must contain the QDIR files (namely QDIR.DIR and QDIR.I00). Comet uses these QDIR files to store the names and specifications of all Comet files contained within that directory. One particular element contained within the QDIR files is a three-character Comet directory name or label. This label is used by Comet in any references to files contained within a specific directory.

For example:

When wanting to retrieve a specific file on a specific directory, Comet just requires the user to reference the label "DSK" which is simpler to manage and remember. Additionally directory paths can become quite complex when dealing with file servers when drive letters aren't used. Consider this example:

MY_SERVER\APPS_1\COMET\COMPANY1\APPS\DATA\

In addition, the directory name can be listed using Microsoft's Universal Naming Convention (UNC). With UNC, a path name is specified as follows:

\\SERVER\VOLUME\DIRECTORY

This is the standard Windows naming convention, and we strongly recommend using this format when configuring any Windows installation. If you are running Comet98 or Comet2000 and using dialog boxes in your MTB programs and/or type S directories, you must use this naming convention.

Note: The Novell-style naming convention is still supported in the NLM; UNC is an additional feature.

The main point is that regardless whether a path is a local drive or network drive, Comet requires that a cross-reference be made once (declared within an INI file) and from that point on, only the 3 character label is required to gain access to a specific DOS path.

Notice that the Comet directory label is not declared within the INI file. There's a utility program on the QTILITY menu used to create, rename, list and assign Comet directory labels. See option #45, DIRINIT.

The $(catemp) directory

Certain features in Comet and CometAnywhere, such as HTML printers and text printers (available in Comet2000 Build 291 and above), create files in a temporary directory. The alias for this directory is $(catemp).

See the [Directories] section of the COSW.INI file for the exact path to the $(catemp) directory.

System aliases are created on the system running Comet (or CometAnywhere). For example, if you run a single-user Comet system or a CometAnywhere remote system, and load COSW from the C:\COMET directory, the $(catemp) directory is created on:

C:\COMET\CAFiles\catemp

If you load Comet a network drive, the temporary directory is created below the Windows “system” folder (C:\WINDOWS, C:\WINNT, etc.).

If the temporary directory does not exist, Comet creates it at start-up time. If this directory already exists, Comet clears it at start-up time (i.e., Comet erases all of the temporary files in this directory, erases the directory, and re-creates it).

When you exit from Comet, files remain in the temporary directory until the next time you start Comet, at which time the temporary directory is erased and created anew.

You do not need to configure the $(catemp) directory. Features such as HTML printers and text printers use this directory even if it is not configured.

However, if you want to access files in the temporary directory from your Comet applications, you can configure it. Here’s how:

[DIRECTORIES]

  nn = C,$(CATEMP)

where:

      nn is a directory number from 00 through 219

In addition to creating the temporary directory at start-up, Comet creates a QDIR file and assigns the directory a label of TMP. Your Comet applications can use the TMP directory the same as any other Comet directory is used. Just remember that files in this temporary directory are erased the next time you start your Comet node.

Note: Beginning in REL 3.01, if you are using the standard security QMONITOR it will attempt to automatically include TMP and COS in your accessed dabs if:

1) the password record did not include them
2) they are included in your configuration
3) there are remaining unused dabs available.