03/31/83  tape_ansi_


Function: The tape_ansi_ I/O module implements the processing of
magnetic tape files according to the "American National Standards
Institute's ANSI X3.27-1978", "Magnetic Tape Labels and File Structure
for Information Interchange".  This document is referred to below as
"the Standard".  In addition, the I/O module provides a number of
features that are extensions to, but outside of, the Standard.  Using
these features may produce a nonstandard file, unsuitable for
interchange purposes.

Entries in the module are not called directly by users; rather, the
module is accessed through the I/O system.  See the Programmer's
Reference Manual for a general description of the I/O system.


List of Definition of Terms:
   For the purpose of this document, the following terms have the 
   meanings indicated.  They represent a simplification and 
   combination of the exact and complete set of definitions found
   in the Standard.
record
   related information treated as a unit of information.
block
   a collection of characters written or read as a unit.  A block may
   contain one or more complete records, or it may contain parts of one
   or more records.  A part of a record is a record segment.  A block
   does not contain multiple segments of the same record.


file
   a collection of information consisting of records pertaining to a
   single subject.  A file may be recorded on all or part of a volume,
   or on more than one volume.
volume
   a reel of magnetic tape.  A volume may contain one or more complete
   files, or it may contain sections of one or more files.  A volume
   does not contain multiple sections of the same file.
file set
   a collection of one or more related files, recorded consecutively on
   a volume set.
volume set
   a collection of one or more volumes on which one and only one file
   set is recorded.


Syntax and Attach Description:
     tape_ansi_ vn1 vn2 ...  vnN {-control_args}


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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