Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!oliveb!amiga!cbmvax!peter
From: peter@cbmvax.commodore.com (Peter Cherna)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: What do the protection codes mean?
Message-ID: <9208@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 4 Jan 90 16:52:48 GMT
References: <872@mindlink.UUCP> <270@dino.cs.iastate.edu>
Reply-To: peter@cbmvax.commodore.com (Peter Cherna)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 39

In article <270@dino.cs.iastate.edu> jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright) writes:
>a186@mindlink.UUCP (Harvey Taylor) writes:
>|    C - Comment
>|    H - Hidden
>|    S - Script
>|    P - Pure
>|    A - Archived
>|    R - Read
>|    W - Write
>|    E - Executable
>|    D - Deletable
>
>That "archived" bit has always bothered me.  Does it mean that the file
>has changed and should be added to the next archive (backup), or that
>the file has already been archived and no changes have been made since
>then?  How about a less ambiguous designation, such as "touched"?  All
>the other bits have fairly straightforward on/off, yes/no interpretations.

It is less ambiguous than you claim.  The bit is "archived", so if set, it
means "Yes this file is archived".  Actually, "touched" would be the
reverse of the sense of the "archived" bit.

Backup utilities generally set the archived bit as a file is backed up.
DOS clears the bit when the file is modified.

By the way, the "C" (Comment) protection bit is not supported by Commodore.
Perhaps somebody's "c:list" replacement shows a C if the file has a comment.

The "H" bit is defined but not used.  I have trouble finding a reference
to "Hidden" anywhere.

>--
>Jim Wright
>jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu

--
     Peter Cherna, Software Engineer, Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
     {uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!peter    peter@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com
My opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of my employer.