stat (BPX1STA, BPX4STA) — Get status information about a file by pathname

Function

The stat callable service obtains status information about a specified file. You specify the file by its pathname.

If the pathname that is specified refers to a symbolic link, the symbolic link name is resolved to a file, and the status information for that file is returned. To obtain status information about a symbolic link, rather than a file it refers to, use lstat (BPX1LST, BPX4LST) — Get status information about a file or symbolic link by path name.

For the corresponding service using a file descriptor, see fstat (BPX1FST, BPX4FST) — Get status information about a file by descriptor.

Requirements

Operation Environment
Authorization: Supervisor state or problem state, any PSW key
Dispatchable unit mode: Task
Cross memory mode: PASN = HASN
AMODE (BPX1STA): 31-bit
AMODE (BPX4STA): 64-bit
ASC mode: Primary mode
Interrupt status: Enabled for interrupts
Locks: Unlocked
Control parameters: All parameters must be addressable by the caller and in the primary address space.

Format

CALL BPX1STA,(Pathname_length,
              Pathname,
              Status_area_length,
              Status_area,
              Return_value,
              Return_code,
              Reason_code)

AMODE 64 callers use BPX4STA with the same parameters.

Parameters

Pathname_length
Supplied parameter
Type:
Integer
Length:
Fullword

The name of a fullword that contains the length of Pathname.

Pathname
Supplied parameter
Type:
Character string
Character set:
No restriction
Length:
Specified by the Pathname_length parameter

The name of an area, of length Pathname_length, that contains the pathname of the file for which you want to obtain status. The Pathname can be a pathname to a file, a link named by a pathname to a file (as created by link (BPX1LNK, BPX4LNK) — Create a link to a file), or a symbolic link named by a pathname to a file (as created by symlink (BPX1SYM, BPX4SYM) — Create a symbolic link to a path name).

Pathnames can begin with or without a slash.
  • A pathname that begins with a slash is an absolute pathname. The slash refers to the root directory, and the search for the file starts at the root directory.
  • A pathname that does not begin with a slash is a relative pathname. The search for the file starts at the working directory.
Status_area_length
Supplied parameter
Type:
Integer
Length:
Fullword

The name of a fullword that contains the length of the area to which the service returns Status_area. To determine the value of Status_area_length, use the BPXYSTAT macro (see BPXYSTAT — Map the response structure for stat).

Status_area
Parameter supplied and returned
Type:
Structure
Length:
Specified by the Status_area_length parameter

The name of an area, of length Status_area_length, to which the service returns the status information for the file. The Status_area is mapped by the BPXYSTAT macro (see BPXYSTAT — Map the response structure for stat).

Return_value
Returned parameter
Type:
Integer
Length:
Fullword

The name of a fullword in which the stat service returns 0 if the request is successful, or -1 if it is not successful.

Return_code
Returned parameter
Type:
Integer
Length:
Fullword
The name of a fullword in which the stat service stores the return code. The stat service returns Return_code only if Return_value is -1. See z/OS UNIX System Services Messages and Codes for a complete list of possible return code values. The stat service can return one of the following values in the Return_code parameter:
Return_code Explanation
EACCES The process does not have permission to search some component of the Pathname prefix.
EINVAL Parameter error—for example, a zero-length buffer. The following reason code can accompany the return code: JRBuffTooSmall.
ELOOP A loop exists in symbolic links that were encountered during resolution of the Pathname argument. This error is issued if more than 24 symbolic links are detected in the resolution of Pathname.
ENAMETOOLONG Pathname is longer than 1023 characters, or some component of the pathname is longer than 255 characters. This could be as a result of encountering a symbolic link during resolution of Pathname, if the substituted string is longer than 1023 characters.
ENOENT No file named Pathname was found, or Pathname was not specified. The following reason code can accompany the return code: JRFileNotThere.
ENOTDIR A component of the Pathname prefix is not a directory.
Reason_code
Returned parameter
Type:
Integer
Length:
Fullword

The name of a fullword in which the stat service stores the reason code. The stat service returns Reason_code only if Return_value is -1. Reason_code further qualifies the Return_code value. For the reason codes, see z/OS UNIX System Services Messages and Codes.

Usage notes

  1. All time fields in the Status_area are in POSIX format.
  2. The File Mode field in the Status_area is mapped by the BPXYMODE macro (see BPXYMODE — Map the mode constants of the file services). For information on the values for file type, see BPXYFTYP — File type definitions.
  3. If no security label (SECLABEL) exists for the file, the security label field in the Status_area contains binary zeros.

Related services

Characteristics and restrictions

To obtain information about a file, you need not have permissions for the file itself; however, you must have search permission for all the directory components of Pathname.

Examples

For an example using this callable service, see BPX1STA (stat) example.

Parent topic: Callable services descriptions