&os2;, like DOS and Windows, assigns attributes to each directory or file in the file-system.

The following attributes exist:


  1. The "Archive" bit is a user flag which is set by the operating system any time the file is changed; this is reset by many backup utilities to allow for checking whether the file needs to be archived again, because it has changed since the last backup.

  2. The "Read only" flag can be set for files which must not be written to; write access and attempts to delete the file will then be rejected.

  3. The "System" bit is usually only set for system files which are required for the operating system to work. Write access and deletion will be rejected as well, and the Desktop will not allow moving the file either.

  4. The "Hidden" flag, finally, can be set in order to prevent a file from being displayed in directory listings and folders. That is, the file is not shown with the DIR command (unless the /A switch is specified), and it will not be shown in folders (unless the folder has been configured to display hidden files as well on the "Include" notebook page).

    Be warned though, if you set this flag from an object's properties notebook, the file might be hidden from the folder and you might only be able to unset this flag from the command line, using the ATTRIB command.

You can view and set thes attributes from the Workplace Shell, either by opening an object's properties notebook or by opening an object's &popmenu;, which has a "File attributes" submenu. Note that this only applies to file-system objects.