'\"macro stdmacro
.if n .pH g4.pathalias @(#)pathalias	40.5 of 10/10/89
.\" Copyright 1989 AT&T
.nr X
.if \nX=0 .ds x} pathalias 4 "Framed Access Command Environment Utilities" "\&"
.if \nX=1 .ds x} pathalias 4 "Framed Access Command Environment Utilities"
.if \nX=2 .ds x} pathalias 4 "" "\&"
.if \nX=3 .ds x} pathalias "" "" "\&"
.TH \*(x}
.SH NAME
\f4pathalias\f1 \- alias file for \s-1FACE\s+1
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \f4pathalias\f1 files contain lines of the form 
\f4alias=\f2path\f1 where \f2path\f1 can be one or more colon-separated directories.
Whenever a
.SM FACE
user references a path not beginning with a ``\f4/\fP'', this file is checked.
If the first component of the pathname matches the left-hand side of the equals sign,
the right-hand side is searched much like \f4$PATH\f1 variable in the
.SM UNIX
System.
This allows users to reference the folder \f4$HOME/FILECABINET\f1 by typing \f4filecabinet\f1.
.P
There is a system-wide \f4pathalias\f1 file called \f4$VMSYS/pathalias\f1,
and each user can also have local alias file called \f4$HOME/pref/pathalias\f1.
Settings in the user alias file override settings in the system-wide file.
The system-wide file
is shipped with several standard
.SM FACE
aliases, such as \f4filecabinet\f1,
\f4wastebasket\f1, \f4preferences\f1, \f4other_users\f1, etc.
.SH NOTES
Unlike command keywords, partial matching of a path alias is not permitted,
however, path aliases are case insensitive.
The name of an alias should be
alphabetic, and in no case can it contain special characters like
``\f4/\fP'', ``\f4\e\fP'', or ``\f4=\fP''.
There is no particular limit on the number of aliases allowed.
Alias files are read once, at login, and are held in core until logout.
Thus, if an alias file is modified during a session, the change will
not take effect until the next session.
.SH FILES
\f4$HOME/pref/pathalias\f1
.br
\f4$VMSYS/pathalias\f1
