NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       proplist   -  The  storing,  parsing,  and  retrieving  of
       Extended File Attributes

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       Tru64 UNIX supports the storing, parsing,  and  retrieving
       of  Extended  File Attributes.  An Extended File Attribute
       is a name and value pair that is contained in a  variablesized
  structure  called a Property List.  A Property List
       is part of a file's metadata and can contain abstract name
       and value pairs (Extended File Attributes) that can be set
       either by the operating  system  (for  example,  ACLs  and
       privileges)  or  by a user-level application (for example,
       PC File Attributes).

       Since Extended File Attributes are treated as an extension
       to  a  file's  metadata,  they  are synchronously updated,
       thereby ensuring consistency.   Note  that  Extended  File
       Attributes  set  by user-level applications are treated as
       opaque and can be virtually anything.

       To ensure that all Property List  names  are  unique,  you
       must register your Property List names with Compaq.  Those
       Property List names with a prefix are reserved by  Compaq.
       In  the  case  of  conflicts, Compaq reserves the right to
       arbitrate the naming conventions of Property Lists.

       To register a Property List name, send a request  by  network
 mail to or write to:

       Tru64 UNIX File System Group
       ATTN: Property List Administrator
       Compaq Computer Corporation
       110 Spit Brook Road
       Nashua, NH. 03062-2698
       M/S ZKO3-3/U14

       Several  user-level routines, listed in the Related Information
 section, work together to manipulate Extended  File
       Attributes.   For  example: To set attributes, you use the
       sizeof_proplist_entry(3)  and  add_proplist_entry(3)  routines
  to  initialize  the  Extended File Attribute buffer
       passed to setproplist(3)  or  fsetproplist(3).   To  fetch
       attributes, you use getproplist(3) or fgetproplist(3).  To
       parse the attribute buffer returned by  setproplist(3)  or
       fsetproplist(3), use the get_proplist_entry(3) routine.

       The  format  of  the  Extended File Attributes buffer, the
       values of the system-wide properties, and  the  format  of
       the  Property  List structures are all defined in sys/proplist.h.

NOTES    [Toc]    [Back]

       Extended File Attributes are  supported  by  the  Advanced
       File  System  (AdvFS), the UNIX File System (UFS), and the
       Network File System (NFS).  The latter through the use  of
       the proplistd daemon and the mount -o proplist command.

       The archive utilities and support files with Extended File
       Attributes.  However, third-party  archive  utilities  may
       not support Extended File Attributes and, consequently, if
       they are used on files with Extended File Attributes,  the
       Extended File Attributes will be lost.

RELATED INFORMATION    [Toc]    [Back]

       Functions: add_proplist_entry(3), delproplist(3), fdelproplist(3),   fgetproplist(3),   fsetproplist(3),   get_proplist_entry(3),       getproplist(3),      setproplist(3),
       sizeof_proplist_entry(3).

       Files:  libproplist.a,   libproplist.so,   sys/proplist.h,
       acl(4).

       Daemons: proplistd(8).  delim off



                                                      proplist(4)