Re: Forcing Files Closed

Robert,

If your programs are running in the default activation group, you use RCLRSC to close their files. Unfortunately, it's not a very fine-grained command, it'll close everything at/above the call stack level you provide.

If they are ILE programs, then you use RCLACTGRP to reclaim the activation group that closes the files. You can have finer-grained control here simply by running different programs in different activation groups.

Note that these commands do more than just close the files. They also remove the program activations. This is actually very important. Remember, a file open involves data structures and other memory constructs inside a program. If you closed the file in the database without also removing the program from memory, the program would go haywire the next time it tried to use the file. So you really have to either close the file from inside the program itself (via the CLOSE opcode or whatever.) or you need to close it at the same time that you remove the program activation. Anything else would cause "unpredictable results."


On 3/15/2010 11:38 AM, Robert J. Mullis wrote:

I have an RPG program that calls numerous older programs. Some of these older programs leave database files open. When exiting the main program, I would like to check for any files that are left open and close them.

I have a program that calls API QDMLOPNF and gives me a list of open files, but I haven't been to find a way to close them. CLOF only works if the file has been opened via an OPNQRYF or OPNDBF command. The RPG CLOSE opcode will not work, because it only works on files that are in the F-specs of the program that is currently running.

Does anyone know of another way (or API) to force the files closed?