USER_PATH (for Oracle) configuration variable

USER_PATH indicates the user name or names to be used when Database Connectors searches for files. The order of the names is significant. The syntax for this variable is:

USER_PATH  user1 [user2]...

where the user argument may be either the name of a user on the system, or a period ("."), which indicates the files owned by yourself.

The type of OPEN being issued for the file determines the effects of this setting.

Examples

If an OPEN INPUT or OPEN I/O is issued, and USER_PATH is defined in the ACUFH configuration file, Database Connectors searches for a user of the named file in the following sequence of locations:

  1. The list of users in USER_PATH
  2. The public synonyms

The first valid file is opened.

If USER_PATH is defined and the current user is the owner of the file, the current user must be included as one of the users (as indicated by a "."). If this is not the case, even though the current user has created the table, it is not be found and a file error "35" appears. This circumstance can occur if the file was created with the OPEN OUTPUT phrase and "." is not an element in USER_PATH. When the table is created, the current user is the owner of that table. When the run time system attempts to open the table, the system does not look for tables owned by the current user unless USER_PATH is not set, or unless "." is part of the setting.

If an OPEN INPUT or OPEN I/O is issued, and no USER_PATH variable is in the configuration file, Database Connectors searches for a user of the named file in the following sequence of locations:

  1. The user named for login (ORA_LOGIN or OPS$username)
  2. Public synonyms

Database Connectors opens the first file that has a valid combination of user and file name.

If an OPEN OUTPUT is issued (whether USER_PATH is present or not), a new table is created with the owner being:

For information on automatic login, see Setting Up a User Account, and for information on the search path, see Setting Up the Search Path.