ARCH(1)

NAME
arch - archive and library maintainer

SYNOPSIS
arch key [ posname ] afile name ...

DESCRIPTION
Arch maintains groups of files combined into a single archive file. Its main use is to create and update library files as used by a linker. It can be used, though, for any similar purpose. The Amsterdam compiler kit provides its own archiver with a fixed, machine-independent format, much like the UNIX-V7 archive format. EM programs using libraries assume archives in EM format.

Key is one character from the set drqtpmx, optionally concatenated with one or more of vuaibcl. Afile is the archive file. The names are constituent files in the archive file. The meanings of the key characters are:

d   Delete the named files from the archive file.

r   Replace the named files in the archive file. If the optional character u is used with r, then only those files with modified dates later than the archive files are replaced. If an optional positioning character from the set abi is used, then the posname argument must be present and specifies that new files are to be placed after (a) or before (b or i) posname. Otherwise new files are placed at the end.

q   Quickly append the named files to the end of the archive file. Optional positioning characters are invalid. The command does not check whether the added members are already in the archive. Useful only to avoid quadratic behavior when creating a large archive piece-by-piece.

t   Print a table of contents of the archive file. If no names are given, all files in the archive are tabled. If names are given, only those files are tabled.

p   Print the named files in the archive.

m   Move the named files to the end of the archive. If a positioning character is present, then the posname argument must be present and, as in r, specifies where the files are to be moved.

x   Extract the named files. If no names are given, all files in the archive are extracted. In neither case does x alter the archive file.

v   Verbose. Under the verbose option, arch gives a file-by-file description of the making of a new archive file from the old archive and the constituent files. When used with t, it gives a long listing of all information about the files. When used with p, it precedes each file with a name.

c   Create. Normally arch will create afile when it needs to. The create option suppresses the normal message that is produced when afile is created.

l   Local. Normally arch places its temporary files in the directory /tmp. This option causes them to be placed in the local directory.

FILES
/tmp/v* temporaries

SEE ALSO
em_ass(I), arch(V),

BUGS
If the same file is mentioned twice in an argument list, it may be put in the archive twice.