[AmigaOS 3.1 Command Reference/Resident] 
 

RESIDENT

Format: RESlDENT [<resident name>] [<filename>] [REMOVE] [ADD] [REPLACE] [PURE|FORCE] [SYSTEM] Template: NAME, FlLE, REMOVE/S, ADD/S, REPLACE/S, PURE=FORCE/S, SYSTEM/S Purpose: To display and modify the list of resident commands. Path: Internal Specification: RESIDENT is used to load commands and add them to the resident list maintained by the Shell. This allows the command to be executed without it having to be reloaded from disk each time. This eliminates the time it takes to load the command and reduces memory use when multitasking. To be made resident, a command should be both re-entrant and re-executable. A re-entrant command can properly support independent use by two or more programs at the same time. A re-executable command does not have to be reloaded to be executed again. Commands that have these characteristics are called pure and have the p (pure) protection bit set. LIST the C: directory to check for the presence of the p protection bit to determine which commands are pure. Many of the commands in the C: directory, as well as the MORE command in Utilities, are pure commands and can be made resident. If a command does not have its pure bit set, it probably cannot be made resident safely. (Just setting the pure bit does not make a command or program pure). The REPLACE option is the default option and does not need to be explicitly stated. If RESlDENT is invoked with no options, it lists the programs on the resident list. If no <resident name> is specifed (i.e., just a filename is specified), RESIDENT will use the filename portion as the name on the resident list. The full path to the file must be used. If a <resident name> is specified and RESIDENT finds a program with that name already on the list, it will attempt to replace the command. That <resident name> must then be used to reference the resident version of the command. The replacement will succeed only if the already-resident command is not in use. To override REPLACEment and make several versions of a command resident simultaneously, use the ADD option, giving a different <resident name> for each version loaded. If the SYSTEM option is specified, the command will be added to the system portion of the resident list. Any commands added to the resident list with the SYSTEM option cannot be removed. To list SYSTEM files on the RESlDENT list, you must specify the SYSTEM option. The PURE option forces RESIDENT to load commands which are not marked as pure (i.e., they do not have their pure bit set), and can be used experimentally to test the pureness of other commands and programs. Use the PURE option with caution. Remember that in order for a command to be made RESlDENT, it must be both re-entrant and re-executable. Although it is unlikely, some of your prog-rams may be pure enough to be fully re-entrant and usable by more than one process at the same time. Other programs may not be fully re-entrant but may be pure enough to be re-executable. Such commands can be made RESIDENT, but you must be extremely careful to use the command in only one process at a time. The availability of Internal commands can also be controlled with RESIDENT. To deactivate an Internal command (for example, if an application has its own command of the same name), use RESIDENT <Command> REMOVE. AmigaDOS will no longer recognize the Internal command. The AmigaDOS command can be reactivated with the REPLACE option. Example 1: 1> RESIDENT C:COPY Makes the COPY command resident (replaces any previous version). Example 2: 1> RESIDENT Copy2 DF1:C/COPY ADD Adds another version of COPY to the resident list, under the name Copy2. Example 3: 1> RESIDENT Xdir DF1:C/Xdir PURE Makes an experimental, non-pure version of the DIR command resident. Example 4: 1> RESIDENT CD REMOVE Makes the Internal CD command unavailable. Example 5: 1> RESIDENT CD REPLACE Restores the CD command to the system. See also: PROTECT LIST


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