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HDS_OPEN - Open container file   

Description:
Open an existing container file for reading, writing or updating and return a primary locator to the top-level object. If the file is currently open in the specified mode, the routine increments the reference count rather than re-opening the file.

Invocation:
CALL HDS_OPEN( FILE, MODE, LOC, STATUS )

Arguments:
FILE = CHARACTER * ( * ) (Given)
Container file name.
MODE = CHARACTER * ( DAT__SZMOD ) (Given)
Access mode ('READ', 'UPDATE' or 'WRITE').
LOC = CHARACTER * ( DAT__SZLOC ) (Returned)
Object locator.
STATUS = INTEGER (Given and Returned)
The global status.

Notes:
If a file extension is not specified, `.sdf' is used. If the top-level object is a structure array, loc will be associated with the complete array, not the first cell. Thus, access to any of the structure's components can only be made through another locator which is explicitly associated with an individual cell (see DAT_CELL).



next up previous
Next: HDS_SHOW - Show HDS statistics
Up: ROUTINE DESCRIPTIONS
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HDS Hierarchical Data System
Starlink User Note 92
R.F. Warren-Smith & M.D. Lawden
23rd February 1999
E-mail:rfws@star.rl.ac.uk

Copyright (C) 1999 Central Laboratory of the Research Councils