Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!b.gp.cs.cmu.edu!Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU
From: Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: archive bit
Message-ID: <22e7370c@ralf>
Date: 22 Jul 88 12:37:32 GMT
Sender: netnews@pt.cs.cmu.edu
Lines: 22
In-Reply-To: <233@humming.UUCP>

In article <233@humming.UUCP>, simcha@humming.UUCP (Simcha Lerner) writes:
} (Also, to open a file with hidden or
}system attribute, you have to set the file attributes used for the 
}open call to match the file's.)

That is only true of the DOS 1.x FCB function calls.  The DOS 2.x and 3.x
file handle functions quite happily open hidden or system files for reading,
provided you know the name (since the directory search won't find the files).
Try typing "DEBUG IBMBIO.COM" from the root directory of a bootable disk.
You just can't WRITE to a hidden or system file unless you properly set the file
attributes for the open call--the DEBUG "W"rite command will fail

In DOS 2.0 or later, the hidden and system bits both keep the file from being
found in a directory search.  However, the system bit additionally prevents
the file from being executed (since the DOS system files are .COM), while
the hidden bit does not.

--
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