IFS and DLO: Understanding basic Support
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
IFS - Integrated File System
The Integrated File System (IFS) is a part of the IBM® i operating system that supports stream input/output and storage management similar to personal computer and UNIX operating systems.
The IFS is a hierarchical organization of stream files on the computer. The branches of the structure are directories while the leaves are directories and files.
The property IFSRoot of the Monarch.Job holds the Window’s folder where the job will find the ‘root’ of the IFS structure.
For more details on the IFS, please see these IBM links:
DLO – Document Library Objects
The IBM i also provides a facility called Document Library Objects (DLO) which contents behave similar to IFS files in that they both are stream files instead of the structured files that the database on the IBM i provides. A nomenclature difference is that DLO calls Directories, Folders and knows Files as Documents.
On the IBM i, the DLO objects can be accessed via the Document Library Services File System reachable in the IFS at the /QDLS link. In Monarch programs, the DLO objects can be found via the property QDLSRoot which resolves to the concatenation of the IFSRoot property and the literal “/QDLS”.
According to IBM,
QDLS is an old file system, dating from the System/36 and System/38 days. It is maintained mostly for backward compatibility. Some applications are hard-coded to store and access PC files in the QDLS file system. Companies using those applications will be required to use the QDLS file system, to upgrade to a newer version of the current application software (one that supports the use of the “root” file system), or to migrate to a different application.
And also:
Document Library Objects (DLOs) object types include DOC and FLR. They are found within the QDLS file system. Although the objects themselves are stored in library QDOC (in the QSYS.LIB file system), they should never be accessed through the QDOC library. They are not typical iSeries objects and should always be accessed by means of the QDLS file system.
For more details on the QDLS, please see these IBM links:
Comparison of the QDLS and “Root” File Systems for Storing User Documents and Other PC Files
IFS Related Commands
The following IFS commands are recognized and migrated by Monarch. Only a subset of keywords and special values are supported as noted on the next table.
Directory Commands
| Command | Keywords | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRTDIR or MD or MKDIR |
DIR | Create Directory Adds a new directory to the system. |
|
| RMVDIR or RD or RMDIR |
DIR SUBTREE RMVLNK |
Remove Directory Removes a specified directory from the system after all objects in the directory have been unlinked and the directory is no longer in use. If a directory to be removed contains objects, this command optionally unlinks all of the objects and then deletes the directory. |
|
| CHGCURDIR or CD or CHDDIR |
DIR | Change Current Directory Designates a directory to be the Current directory. The current directory, set with this command, affects only the IFS commands (listed on this table). |
|
| DSPCURDIR | OUTPUT(*PRINT) | Display Current Directory Prints the current working directory onto the default output queue on a QSYSPRT file. |
Object Commands
| Command | Keywords | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPY or COPY |
OBJ TODIR TOOBJ SUBTREE REPLACE |
Copy Object Copies a single object or a group of objects specified by an object name pattern.The copy command can also be used to copy a directory tree where the specified directory, its contents, and the contents of all of its subdirectories are copied. If SUBTREE(*ALL) is specified, the command will attempt to copy as many objects as possible within the subtree. |
|
| RNM or REN |
OBJ NEWOBJ |
Rename Object Changes the name of a single object in a directory. |
|
| MOV or MOVE |
OBJ TODIR TOOBJ DTAFMT |
Move Object Moves an object from the directory it is into a different directory. |
Import / Export Commands
| Command | Keywords | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPYFRMSTMF | FROMSTMF TOMBRMBROPT ENDLINFMT TABEXPN |
Copy From Stream File Copies the data in a stream file to a database file member with potential reformatting. |
|
| CPYTOSTMF | FROMMBR TOSTMF STMFOPT ENDLINFMT |
Copy To Stream File Copies a database file member to a stream file. The data can be reformatted as part of the copy. |
|
| CPYFRMIMPF | FROMSTMF TOFILE MBROPT STMFLEN RCDDLM DTAFMT STRDLM STRESCCHR RMVBLANK FLDDLM FLDDFNFILE DECPNT DATEFMT DATSEP TIMFMT TIMSEP FROMRCD |
Copy From Import File Copies all or part of a stream file to a database file member. The stream file is an import file originally created for the purpose of copying data between heterogeneous databases. |
|
| CPYTOIMPF | FROMFILE TOSTMF MBROPT RCDDLM DTAFMT STRDLM STRESCCHR RMVBLANK FLDDLM DECPNT DATEFMT TIMFMT |
Copy To Import File Copies a database file member to a stream file. The stream file is an ‘import file’ created for the purpose of copying data between heterogeneous databases. |
DLO Related Commands
The following DLO commands are recognized and migrated by Monarch. Only a subset of keywords and special values are supported as noted on the next table.
Document Library Object Commands
| Command | Keywords | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHKDLO | DLOFLR | DLO.Check IN PROGRESS | Check Document Library Object Verifies that an object exists and that a user has authority to the object before trying to access it. |
| DLTDLO | DLO (Name or *ALL)FLR | Delete Document Library Object Allows you to delete a document or a folder. | |
| RNMDLO | DLO NEWDLO FLR |
DLO.Rename | Rename Document Library Object Changes the name of a document or folder. |
Document Commands
| Command | Keywords | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPYDOC | FROMDOC FROMFLR TODOC TOFLR REPLACE |
Copy Document Allows you to copy a document from one folder into another folder or to copy a document that is not in a folder into a folder. | |
| MOVDOC | FROMDOC FROMFLR TOFLR RENAME |
DLO.Move | Move Document Move the document to a new folder and can rename the document in the process |
Folder Commands
| Command | Keywords | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRTFLR | FLR INFLR |
DLO.CreateFolder | Create Folder Creates a Folder in another folder. |
| DSPFLR | FLR TYPE OUTPUT(*PRINT or *OUTFILE) LEVEL OUTFILE OUTMBR OUTFILFMT |
Display Folder Allows you to print a list of folders and documents, or to create an output file that contains the list of folders or documents. |
Import / Export Commands
| Command | Keywords | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPYFRMPCD | FROMFLR TOFILE FROMDOC TOMBR MBROPT TRNFMT |
Copy From PC Document Copies the data in a document to a database file. |
|
| CPYTOPCD | FROMFILE TOFLRF ROMMBR TODOC REPLACE TRNFMT |
Copy to PC Document Copies a database file member to a document in a folder. |