Defining Files

If you are copying files from or to devices other than disk, you must define the files and their associated devices with MPE FILE commands before you issue an FCOPY command. For example, to copy a file from magnetic tape to a line printer, you define two device files as follows:

   FILE TAPEFILE;DEV=TAPE;REC=-80,25,F,ASCII

   FILE PRINTER;DEV=LP

TAPEFILE and PRINTER are the formal file designators you use in the FCOPY command. TAPE and LP are device class names for a magnetic tape unit and a line printer respectively. Device class names are defined when your system is configured and may vary from one installation to another.

Use the two formal file designators as the fromfile and tofile in an FCOPY command. Type an asterisk (*) before each file name to tell FCOPY to refer to the previous FILE commands for the file's description. The FROM and TO parameters below reference the two files defined above:

   >FROM=*TAPEFILE;TO=*PRINTER

Appendix B contains a list of default file characteristics; FCOPY assumes files to have these default characteristics unless you define the files with other characteristics. For more information on the FILE command, refer to the MPE V/E Commands Reference Manual (32033-90006) or the MPE XL Commands Reference Manual (32650-90003).