Technical data

Using Files and Directories
10.8 Copying and Transferring Files
2. Because disks are random-access devices, and because files must be listed
in directories, you must create a directory to contain your files on the disk
volume after you initialize the volume.
Copying from Disks
The default format for files on disk volumes is Files–11 Structure Level 2. You
can also initialize disks in the Files–11 Structure Level 1 format, which is the
format used by other Compaq operating systems, including RSX–11M, RSX–11M-
PLUS, RSX–11D, and IAS.
When you copy files from disks to standard-labeled disk volumes, the following
items are not preserved:
• Directory specifications
• Individual file protections
• User identification codes (UICs)
• Creation times (but the dates are preserved)
• Revision and backup dates and times
You can use the COPY command to copy the highest version of all the files in
your default directory to another directory on that volume.
Copying from Tapes
The default format for files on tapes is the standard-labeled volume. The
OpenVMS system supports sequential, relative, and indexed files on disks,
but you can copy only sequential files to standard-labeled disk volumes. The only
valid record formats are variable-length and fixed-length.
When you copy files with tape file names from magnetic tape to disk, specify a
standard OpenVMS file name for the output file name specification. If you do
not specify an OpenVMS file name on output, your process receives the following
error message:
RMS-F-FNM, error in file name
This message indicates that the tape file name is not a valid OpenVMS file name.
If you enter the COPY command with the /LOG qualifier, the system sends a
message to the current SYS$OUTPUT device after each file has been copied. To
verify that the files were successfully copied, use the DIRECTORY command.
Examples
1.
CREATE/DIRECTORY DMA3:[PUBS]
$ DEFINE P DMA3:[PUBS]
$ COPY *.* P
$ COPY [PRIMER]*.* P
$ COPY [COMMANDS]*.* P
The CREATE/DIRECTORY command in this example creates a disk directory
file named [PUBS] on DMA3:, and the DEFINE command defines the logical
name P as DMA3:[PUBS]. The COPY command copies the highest version of
each file in the current default directory and in the directories [PRIMER] and
[COMMANDS] to the newly created directory.
2.
$ COPY *.* DMA5:[PRIVATE]
Using Files and Directories 10–29