NAME

MSDOS::Attrib - Get or set MS-DOS file attributes

SYNOPSIS

  use MSDOS::Attrib qw(get_attribs set_attribs);
  $attribs = get_attribs($path);
  set_attribs($attribs, $path1, $path2, ...);

DESCRIPTION

MSDOS::Attrib provides access to MS-DOS file attributes. While the read-only attribute can be handled by chmod and stat, the hidden, system, and archive attributes cannot.

$attribs = get_attribs($path)

Returns the attributes of $path, or the empty string if $path does not exist. Attributes are returned as a five-character string in this format: "RHSAD". Each letter is replaced by an underscore (_) if the file does not have the corresponding attribute. (This is the same format as a 4DOS directory listing.) The attributes are:

  R  The file is read-only (not writable)
  H  The file is hidden (does not appear in directory listings)
  S  The file is a system file (does not appear in directory listings)
  A  The file needs to be archived (it has changed since last backup)
  D  The file is a directory

$count = set_attribs($attribs, $path1, [$path2, ...])

Sets the attributes of $path1, $path2, etc. You can either specify the complete set of attributes, or add and subtract attributes by using + and -. The case and order of the attributes is not important. For example, '-s+ra' will remove the system attribute and add the read-only and archive attributes. You should not use whitespace between attributes, although underscores are OK. See get_attribs for an explanation of the attribute values. You cannot change the directory attribute; if you specify it, it is ignored. Returns the number of files successfully changed.

LICENSE

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See either the GNU General Public License or the Artistic License for more details.

AUTHOR

Christopher J. Madsen <chris_madsen@geocities.com>

SEE ALSO

The OS2::ExtAttr module provides access to extended attributes under OS/2.

The Win32::FileSecurity module provides access to Discretionary Access Control Lists under Windows NT.