  Using RMS Services from C? 
 The Question is:
 
I am writing a basic C Program in which I want to open an input file and
 determine its record attributes, record format, and RMS attributes so that,
 later in the program, I can open a separate output file using the same
 attributes.
 
I have reviewed details in the DEC C User's Guide regarding RMS Run-Time
 Processing Functions like sys$open and initializing the various file and
 record access blocks.  However, I need to know if there is a way to identify
 those attributes within a C prog
ram upon identifying and/or opening an existing input file rather than just
 initializing these values for a newly created output file.
 
Thanks!
 
 
 The Answer is:
 
  Create the RMS FAB, RAB, and XABSUM structures for the source
  file, and initialize these structures appropriately.  (In most
  cases, initialization involves using the provided initialization
  structures, and setting the filename and the default name.)
 
  Call sys$open and sys$connect.
 
  If an indexed file, deterimine the number of keys present using
  the contents of the XABSUM block, and allocate and chain the
  appropriate number of XABKEY blocks off the XAB chain.
 
  Call sys$display to fill in the XABKEY blocks.
 
  Process the file as required.
 
  Replicate the FAB, RAB, and XABKEY structures for the new
  file, changing the filename and/or default name.  Zero the
  ISI and IFI fields.
 
  Clone the contents of the FAB, RAB, and XABs, then open (or
  create) the new file using sys$create or sys$open with the
  CIF option.
 
	--
 
  The callable convert API can be used to copy a file, if that is
  the goal here.
 
  In general, you should specify only the filename in the filename
  field in the FAB, and you should specify the device, directory,
  and file extension in the FAB default name field.
 
 
	--
 
  Alternatively, see the RMS extensions to Compaq C.  For details
  of these RMS extensions, see the Compaq C documentation, and
  particularly the User's Guide and see the Compaq C reference
  documentation for the creat call.
 
  The stat, fstat, and the Compaq C acc callback extensions can
  serve usefully within C applications, and can avoid requiring
  directly and explicitly embedding RMS calls in C applications.
 
	--
 
  One of the most useful (and subtle) means of performing file
  creation operations on OpenVMS is via the FDL mechanism -- a
  command-level FDL mechanism and various FDL callable routines
  both exist in OpenVMS.  The OpenVMS Wizard makes regular use of
  the fdl$create call for file creation operations.
 
 
