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Function 3Dh (61) Open a File
Opens a file with the specified access code.
On entry: AH 3Dh
AL Open mode
DS:DX Pointer to filename (ASCIIZ string)
Returns: AX File handle
Error code, if CF is set
Error codes: 1 Function number invalid
2 File not found
3 Path not found
4 No handle available
5 Access denied
12 Open mode invalid
Call Function 59h for extended error code information
(DOS 3.0 and above).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This function opens the file whose pathname is specified in the ASCIIZ
string at DS:DX using the "open mode" byte to determine how the file
may be accessed. The function opens any existing file, including
hidden files, and sets the record size to 1 byte.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open Mode Coding in AL
AL
Bit Number Open Mode DOS 2.x usage
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
. . . . . A A A Access mode Read/Write access
. . . . R . . . Reserved Always 0
. S S S . . . . Sharing mode Must be 0 in DOS 2
I . . . . . . . Inheritance flag Must be 0 in DOS 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Access Mode (lower three bits of AL):
The low-order three bits (access mode) are used in the same manner in
both DOS 2 and 3. These bits indicate allowable access (read, write,
or read/write).
Bit Hex Access Mode
2 1 0
0 0 0 0 Read-only access
0 0 1 1 Write-only access
0 1 0 2 Read/write access
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bit 3 Reserved (must always be zero)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharing Mode (Bits 4, 5, and 6 of AL) -- DOS 3.0 and above
In DOS 3.0 and above, bits 4, 5, and 6 specify a sharing mode (must be
set to 0 in DOS 2.x). These bits govern the manner (if any) in which
other users on a network may open and use the file after you have
opened it. The following settings (and no others) are valid:
Bit Hex Sharing Mode
6 5 4
0 0 0 0 Compatibility mode
0 0 1 1 Deny Read/Write mode (Exclusive mode)
0 1 0 2 Deny Write mode
0 1 1 3 Deny Read mode
1 0 0 4 Deny None mode
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inheritance Flag (bit 7 of AL) -- DOS 3.0 and above
The Inheritance Flag (bit 7), specifies whether or not child processes
will inherit the use of this file. If bit 7 is 0, child processes
automatically have access to the file. If bit 7 is 1, the file is not
automatically available to child processes. Like any other process,
however, a child process can request access to the file on a shared
basis; see the discussion of sharing/access mode interactions, below.
Bit 7 Inheritance Flag
0 File is inherited by child processes
1 File is not inherited
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability of an opened file to subsequent processes
Once a file has been opened by a process, the availability of that
file to other processes is determined by both the sharing mode and
access mode of the original process as well as by the sharing mode and
access mode specified by the subsequent process. Here is a case-by-
case overview of these interactions:
1. The file is first opened in compatibility sharing mode. A file
is considered to be in "compatibility" mode if it is opened:
. via an FCB function
. via any of the CREATE functions
. via any handle function call in which compatibility mode is
specified.
A file in compatibility mode may be opened any number of times by a
single process, unless the file is already open under one of the other
four sharing modes. If the file has the read-only attribute, however,
and it is currently open in Deny Write sharing mode with Read access,
the file may be opened in Compatibility mode with Read access.
2. The file is opened in one of the other sharing modes. See the
table below.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|A file first opened in | May be reopened in |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Read/Write mode, | May not be reopened |
|Read Only access | |
| (AL=X0010000) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Read/Write mode, | May not be reopened |
|Write Only access | |
| (AL=X0010001) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Read/Write mode, | May not be reopened |
|Read/Write access | |
| (AL=X0010010) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Write mode, | Deny Write, Read Only (AL = x0100000) |
|Read Only access | Deny None, Read Only (AL = x1000000) |
| (AL=X0100000) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Write mode, | Deny Read, Read Only (AL = x0110000) |
|Write Only access | Deny None, Read Only (AL = x1000000) |
| (AL=X0100001) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Write mode, | Deny None, Read Only (AL = x1000000) |
|Read/Write access | |
| (AL=X0100010) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Read mode, | Deny Write, Write Only (AL = x0100001) |
|Read Only access | Deny None, Write Only (AL = x1000001) |
| (AL = x0110000) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Read mode, | Deny Read, Write Only (AL = x0110001) |
|Write Only access | Deny None, Write Only (AL = x1000001) |
| (AL = x0110001) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny Read mode, | Deny None, Write Only (AL = x1000001) |
|Read/Write access | |
| (AL = x0110010) | |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny None mode, | Deny Write, Read Only (AL = x0100000) |
|Read Only access | Deny Write, Write Only (AL = x0100001) |
| (AL = x1000000) | Deny Write, Read/Write (AL = x0100010) |
| | Deny None, Read Only (AL = x1000000) |
| | Deny None, Write Only (AL = x1000001) |
| | Deny None, Read/Write (AL = x1000010) |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny None mode, | Deny Read, Read Only (AL = x0110000) |
|Write Only access | Deny Read, Write Only (AL = x0110001) |
| (AL = x1000001) | Deny Read, Read/Write (AL = x0110010) |
| | Deny None, Read Only (AL = x1000000) |
| | Deny None, Write Only (AL = x1000001) |
| | Deny None, Read/Write (AL = x1000010) |
|-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------|
|Deny None mode, | Deny None, Read Only (AL = x1000000) |
|Read/Write access | Deny None, Write Only (AL = x1000001) |
| (AL = x1000010) | Deny None, Read/Write (AL = x1000010) |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: Files that end with a colon (devices) are not opened
with this function call.
File sharing must be loaded for the sharing modes of
this function to work.
Child processes that inherit files also inherit
their sharing and access restrictions.
See Also:
0Fh
16h
3Ch
5Ah
5Bh
59h
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