1 03/31/83 tape_ansi_
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4 Function: The tape_ansi_ I/O module implements the processing of
5 magnetic tape files according to the "American National Standards
6 Institute's ANSI X3.27-1978", "Magnetic Tape Labels and File Structure
7 for Information Interchange". This document is referred to below as
8 "the Standard". In addition, the I/O module provides a number of
9 features that are extensions to, but outside of, the Standard. Using
10 these features may produce a nonstandard file, unsuitable for
11 interchange purposes.
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13 Entries in the module are not called directly by users; rather, the
14 module is accessed through the I/O system. See the Programmer's
15 Reference Manual for a general description of the I/O system.
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18 List of Definition of Terms:
19 For the purpose of this document, the following terms have the
20 meanings indicated. They represent a simplification and
21 combination of the exact and complete set of definitions found
22 in the Standard.
23 record
24 related information treated as a unit of information.
25 block
26 a collection of characters written or read as a unit. A block may
27 contain one or more complete records, or it may contain parts of one
28 or more records. A part of a record is a record segment. A block
29 does not contain multiple segments of the same record.
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32 file
33 a collection of information consisting of records pertaining to a
34 single subject. A file may be recorded on all or part of a volume,
35 or on more than one volume.
36 volume
37 a reel of magnetic tape. A volume may contain one or more complete
38 files, or it may contain sections of one or more files. A volume
39 does not contain multiple sections of the same file.
40 file set
41 a collection of one or more related files, recorded consecutively on
42 a volume set.
43 volume set
44 a collection of one or more volumes on which one and only one file
45 set is recorded.
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48 Syntax and Attach Description:
49 tape_ansi_ vn1 vn2 ... vnN -control_args