Re: HELP: A easy question for informix 4-GL

ming@tlrouter.motctl.gov.tw (Ming Wu) writes: >Hi, > I am a beginner of informix-4GL. When I study informix-4gl user >guide inchapter 2,I compile the "phones.4gl" into runable >"phones.4ge". But I can not >create the "phones.dbs" directory. Could somebody tell me why ??? >Thanks in advance !! FIRST GUESS: The directory is there. Your create database command created the directory fine, because the database exists or you wouldn't get the source code to compile. See below for my explanation of what the phones.dbs directory is. If my first guess is wrong, then: You shouldn't be trying to mkdir to create the phones.dbs directory, if that's what you're trying to do. When you go into isql or dbaccess and use a CREATE DATABASE statement (or use the Database - Create menu commands), Standard Engine creates the directory for you. In that directory will be two types of files: *.dat (data files) and *.idx (index files). The main thing you need to know about this directory is to leave it alone; don't change ownership, permissions or remove any of the files in the directory, EVEN IF THEY ARE EMPTY. If you are indeed trying to create a database and getting some weird "cannot create directory" error, I would guess: 1) The parent directory has incorrect permissions. Try chmod 777 . and then try creating the database again, to see if indeed this is the problem. You can then readjust the permissions by looking at the permissions and ownership of the phones.dbs directory. 2) A phones.dbs directory and/or file aleardy exists. I suspect there is a directory there and it's got the database in it, and you actually have no problem. OR you named a file phones.dbs, which is getting in the way of the database creation. See if the file exists, mv or rm it and try again. If all else fails, let me know the version and page numbers of where you're going wrong and I'll see if I can look it up. ======================================================================= Dennis J. Pimple dennisp@informix.com Opinions expressed are Senior Consultant -------------------- soley my own, & do not Informix Software Inc Voice: 303-850-0210 necessarily reflect Denver Colorado USA Fax: 303-779-4025 those of my employer.