NAME

mkuniq - generate unique file name  


SYNOPSIS

len = mkuniq (seed, name)   


character seed(ARB), name(FILENAMESIZE) 
integer len returned as length/ERR  



DESCRIPTION 

Mkuniq generates a "unique" file name from a given seed string. 
This name is intended for use in subsequent calls to create 
and open.   
"Len" is returned as the number of characters in "name", not
including the EOS marker.   
If there was some problem in creating the name, ERR is returned.

Mkuniq is generally used for generating scratch file names, 
such as those needed by the editor and archiver.

On single-user systems or others where the unique naming of 
scratch files is not important, mkuniq simply returns "seed".   
More sophisticated versions may construct a file name in a special  
directory, use process ids or time-and-date to insure uniqueness.   


IMPLEMENTATION  

'Mkuniq' is used to avoid conflicts which occur when more than  
one user is logged in under a single user or directory name.
The optimum implementation would be to return an absolutely unique  
file name based on 'seed'.  
However, on most systems this is impossible.
Another solution would be to append (or prepend) some sort of process   
identifier to 'seed', thus making the file name at least unique to  
the calling process.
To avoid privilege violations it might also be necessary to choose  
a specific directory for all scratch files, with appropriate privileges 
being assigned to it.   

On some systems, 'seed' is limited to a certain number of   
characters. 

On single-user systems, systems with local files, or other circumstances
where unique file names are not a problem, 'mkuniq' can simply return   
the 'seed' as 'name'.   


SEE ALSO




DIAGNOSTICS 

If a file name could not be generated, ERR is returned.