The text read off it
[06.04.04]
Any number of non-control cards may follow a minor control card; and any number of minor control card sets may follow a major control card. Ordering of these cards, however, is essential. Major control cards must refer to the files in their order of appearance on the master tape. Minor control cards must be ordered by sequence within a file; and the sequence numbers cannot overlap. Cards which occur out of order result in an error message (see below), and are ignored if updating continues.
It should be noted that a card with an * in column 1 is not recognized as a control card, irrespective of the content of the remainder of the card. This permits commentary to pass through the system without accidentally being treated as a control card. A consequence of this, or course, is that file identifiers cannot begin with the character *, they are otherwise unrestricted, however.
*FILE CARD
The major control card
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Name *FILE [{A}]
[{M}]
initiates action of the file 'Name.' If in the varable field:
- A is chosen, the updated file is written onto the second output tape, SYSUT4.
- M is chosen, the updated file is written onto the second output tape, SYSUT4, and an end-of-file mark is placed behind it.
If neither option is exercised, the updated file is not written onto the second output tape.
If the *FILE card is not followed by minor control cards, the result is simply to produce sequence numbers on the cards of the file. In this way, a master tape prepared by some non-system program or method (card-to-tape, for example) can be easily converted to the standard format.
*RENAME CARD
A file may be renamed at the same time it is modified by means of the major control card:
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Nam1 *RENAME [{A}] Nam2
[{M}]
"Nam2" replaces "Nam1" as the name of the modified file. In all other respects the *RENAME card functions exactly like the *FILE card.