Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!lavaca.uh.edu!menudo.uh.edu!sugar!ficc!peter From: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) Newsgroups: comp.lang.c Subject: Re: file descriptor vs file handle Message-ID: Date: 26 Feb 91 23:01:28 GMT References: <90361.145855COS99291@ufrj.bitnet> <27C9CB35.5F7@wilbur.coyote.trw.com> <1021@uncw.UUCP> Reply-To: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) Organization: Xenix Support, FICC Lines: 22 Playing fast and loose with definitions... File descriptor: a small integer (0..n) indicating a file. File handle: O/S specific object referring to a file. May be a pointer, a file descriptor, or something more exotic. Equivalent in function to a UNIX file descriptor. File handle: in NFS, a file token. File pointer: a pointer to a structure created by stdio. Contains the file descriptor or file handle. File token: O/S specific object referring to a file, but may not actually be used to access a file (for example, in RMX-86 you DQ$ATTACH to a file to get a file token. To do I/O on it you DQ$OPEN the returned token. File lock: in AmigaDOS, a file token. -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' peter@ferranti.com +1 713 274 5180. 'U` "Have you hugged your wolf today?"