03/08/82  get_temp_segments_


Entry points in get_temp_segments_:
   (List is generated by the help command)


:Entry: get_temp_segments_:  09/25/86  get_temp_segments_


Function: puts temporary segments in the process directory for
whatever purpose the caller may have.  The segments returned to the
caller are zero-length.

A free pool of temporary segments is associated with each user process.
The pool concept makes it possible to use the same temporary segment
more than once during the life of a process.  Reusing temporary
segments in this way avoids the cost of creating a segment each time
one is needed.


Syntax:
declare get_temp_segments_ entry (char(*), (*) ptr, fixed bin(35));
call get_temp_segments_ (program, ptrs, code);


Arguments:
program
   is a 32-character field identifying the program on whose behalf the
   temporary segment is to be used.  This field is displayed by the
   list_temp_segments command.  Besides giving the name of the command
   or subroutine invoked by the user, it can also briefly describe how
   the temporary segment is used; for example, "sort_seg (sort
   indexes)."  (Input)
ptrs
   is an array of returned pointers to the requested temporary
   segments.  (Output)
code
   is a standard status code.  (Output)


Notes:  This subroutine assigns temporary segments to its caller.  It
creates new temporary segments and adds them to the free pool if there
currently are not enough available to satisfy the request.  The
temporary segments are created in the process directory with a unique
name including the temp.xxxx suffix, where xxxx is the segment number
of the segment in octal.  See the description of the
release_temp_segments_ or the release_temp_segment_ subroutine for a
description of how to return temporary segments to the free pool.

The number of segments returned to the caller is determined by the
bounds of the ptrs array above.

The list_temp_segments command (described in the MPM Commands) can be
used to list the temporary segments being used by a process.


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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved