07/30/86  Pathnames (general information)

Pathnames are the names of entries in the Multics file system.  These
names may be fully qualified absolute pathnames, or partially qualified
relative pathnames.  In addition, the final entryname of the pathname
may be a starname or an equalname, or the pathname may be followed by
an archive component name, an offset or a symbolic definition.


Absolute pathnames: An absolute pathname the entryname of a directory,
file or link preceded by a series of directory names beginning at the
root and leading to the final entryname.  Each directory name and the
final entryname are preceded by a greater-than character (">").


An absolute pathname always begins with a greater than.  This
designates the root directory.  The pathname of the root directory is
the only absolute pathname with no entryname.


Examples of absolute pathnames:
   >                  (the root)
   >tools
   >udd>Demo>JQUser>myfile


Relative pathnames: Relative pathnames are pathnames which are
interpreted relative to the working directory.  An entryname or a
pathname which does not begin with a greater than character (">") is a
relative pathname.  A relative pathname may begin with one or more
less-than characters ("<").  Each less-than is interpreted as one
directory level closer to the root directory than the working
directory.  Any relative pathname may be converted to an absolute
pathname if the working directory is known, provided that the relative
pathname contains no more less-than characters than there are
entrynames in the working directory pathname.


Examples of relative pathnames:
Assume that the working directory is >udd>Demo>JQUser.

Relative pathname                 Absolute pathname
""                 (null path)    >udd>Demo>JQUser
<                                 >udd>Demo
myfile                            >udd>Demo>JQUser>myfile
subdir>myfile                     >udd>Demo>JQUser>subdir>myfile
<<NewProj>JQUser                  >udd>NewProj>JQUser
<<<tools                          >tools
<<<<               (error)


Extended pathnames: pathnames can indicate distinctions other than a
single segment.  If the segment is an archive, then an archive
component pathname can indicate a component in the archive rather than
just the entire archive.  If the final entryname is a starname or an
entryname, then sets of segments or directories may be designated.
When representing Multics pointers, a virtual pointer can designate a
single bit of the segment.  If the segment is an object segment, then a
virtual pointer or virtual entry can indicate a symbolic definition in
the segment or in its associated linkage section.  Note that extended
pathnames are not implemented in all contexts, so consult the
documentation of a command to discover whether it supports one or more
of these conventions.


Notes: The following related info segments provide further information
about pathnames:
  entryname.gi.info
  archive_pathname.gi.info
  starname.gi.info
  equalname.gi.info
  virtual_ptr.gi.info
  virtual_entry.gi.info


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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