attributes

Purpose

     Describes an attribute file format.

Description

     ASCII files are  used to control some RT  PC utilities in
     order  to  simplify  installing, customizing,  and  main-
     taining the RT PC.  A text  editor can be used to examine
     or change  these files.  These files  share an attribute-
     structured format.

     An  attribute-structured file  consists  of  one or  more
     named  stanzas, separated  by blank  lines.  Each  stanza
     begins  with a  name followed  by a  colon, and  contains
     assignments to  keyword attributes.  The  values assigned
     can  be  alphanumeric   strings  or  arbitrary  character
     strings enclosed  in double quotes.  The  assignments can
     associate either a single value or a succession of values
     with each attribute.

     The  size  limits  for  stanzas are:  a  maximum  of  400
     keywords per  stanza, a maximum  of 4K bytes  per stanza,
     and a maximum of 512 bytes per keyword.

     Typically, the  stanza name  is the name  of a  device or
     service.  The attributes describe  the properties or han-
     dling of  the named device  or service.  The  meanings of
     the stanza  names, attribute  names, and values  are spe-
     cific to an application.  Examples of this file type dis-
     tributed   with   the    system   are   /etc/filesystems,
     /etc/ports, and /etc/qconfig.

     The stanza  name default can  be used to  specify default
     values for any attributes.  These default assignments are
     implicitly  included in  every  stanza  that follows.   A
     specified  value  overrides  the default  value.   A  new
     default stanza automatically cancels all previously spec-
     ified default values.  The syntax  of a file of this type
     is:

            <file>         ::=  <stanza>
                           ::=  <file> <blank line> <stanza>
            <stanza>       ::=  <name>:
                           ::=  <name>:<assignments>
            <name>         ::=  file name or information similar in syntax
            <assignments>  ::=  <assignment>
                           ::=  <assignments> <assignment>
            <assignment>   ::=  <attribute>=<values>
            <attribute>    ::=  string of alphanumeric characters
            <values>       ::=  <value>
                           ::=  <values>,<value>
            <value>        ::=  string of alphanumeric characters
                           ::=  "arbitrary characters"

     Lines beginning with an * (asterisk) are considered to be
     comments and are ignored.

     Note:  Make  sure that  the values assigned  to attribute
     keywords do  not contain blanks unless  they are enclosed
     in double quotes.

Related Information

     In this book:   "cc.cfg,"  "connect.con,"  "filesystems,"
     "master,"  "ports,"  "qconfig," "rasconf," and  "system."

     &c2ins.