SetProtection

Set protection for a file or directory

SetProtection() sets the protection attributes on a file or directory. See <dos/dos.h> for a listing of protection bits.

Before V36, the ROM file system didn't respect the Read and Write bits. In V36 or later and in the FFS, the Read and Write bits are respected.

The archive bit should be cleared by the file system whenever the file is changed. Backup utilities will generally set the bit after having backed up each file.

The V36 Shell looks at the execute bit and will refuse to load and execute a load file if it is set. It also checks the script ('s') bit and then calls the Execute command on such scripts.

Other bits are defined in the <dos/dos.h> include files. Rather than referring to bits by number, you should use the definitions in <dos/dos.h>.

name

pointer to a null-terminated string

mask

the protection mask required

success

boolean; FALSE for failure, call IoErr() to find out why SetProtection() has failed.

The low order four bits ('rwed'), are low-active, i.e. a bit stored as zero indicates that the corresponding property of a file is active ('d'). As implied by the name of this function as well as the FileInfoBlock.fib_Protection field which records the bits, setting a bit protects the respective directory, file or link against a file system operation, such as deletion.

Only the low-order four bits are low-active, all other bits are high-active.

SetComment(), Examine(), ExNext(), IoErr(), <dos/dos.h>