How parameter files are named and where are they looked for ?

Typically for every executable there is a corresponding parameter file. The name of parameter file is the name of executable file plus ".par" suffix. Thus executable :

  isdc_copy

will have parameter file named :

  isdc_copy.par

Parameter files are searched for in several locations:

• PFILES enviromnent variable

  This variable is used to specify where the parameters are looked for. The variable uses a ";" delimiter to separate 2 types of parameter directories:

  <path1>;<path2>
  

  where path 1 is one or more user/writeable parameter directories, and path 2 is one or more system/read-only parameter directories. When path 1 equals path 2 one can omit path 2 and semicolon. The PIL library allows multiple ":"-delimited directories in both portions of the PFILES variable. The default values from path 2 are used the first time task is run, or whenever the default values have been updated more recently than the user's copy of the parameters. The user's copy is created when a task terminates, and retains any learned changes to the parameters.

• Current working directory.

  It is equivalent of PFILES set to ".".