Davex/doc/help/What

what -- determine what a file is (EXTERNAL) [v2.1]

syntax:  what <pathname> [-m] [-c] [-x] [-l] [-s] [-b]
                         [-a] [-n]

ex:      what thatfile
         what %=:bin -a
         what =:src -n
         what .62 -amc

'what' examines a file's type, auxiliary type, and first
512 bytes and prints whatever interesting information it
can about the file.

Wildcards are allowed.  Output is, at minimum, the file's 
type and name.  For many filetypes, additional information
appears.

Options:
  -n:  no blank lines (prevents 'what' from printing a blank
       line before each file's information)
  -a:  print All information (modification date/time, creation
       date/time, auxiliary type, length in bytes, length in
       blocks, storage type)
  -m:  modification date and time
  -c:  creation date and time
  -x:  auxiliary type (load address for BIN files, total blocks
       for a volume, etc.--meaning depends on filetype)
  -l:  length in bytes
  -s:  storage type (seedling, sapling, tree, Pascal area,
       subdirectory, or volume)
  -b:  length in blocks

Note: 'what foo -a' is the same as 'what foo -mcsxlb'.  Also, you
      can print ALL BUT certain pieces of information by
      specifying -a AND the options to omit.  For example,
      'what foo -ac' prints all information EXCEPT the creation
      date/time.

For BIN or $2E files that are external Davex commands, version
information, a one-line summary, and the command's execution address
are displayed.

SYS files created by the 'sysalias' command are identified, and
the pathname of the aliased application is displayed.  If
there is a startup buffer, its size is displayed.

SYS files -not- created by 'sysalias' are identified as ProDOS 8
applications.  If there is a startup buffer, its length and
default contents will be displayed (for example, BASIC.SYSTEM
normally has a 65-byte startup buffer containing "startup").

BAS files are identified as Applesoft BASIC programs.  'what'
computes the correct Aux-type for the file and prints a warning
message if the file has a different Aux-type.  (Use 'filetype'
with -x to correct the problem.)  [Some DOS 3.3-to-ProDOS
conversion programs (including Apple's CONVERT utility) always
give BAS files an Aux-type of $0801, which is typically correct.
But if the DOS program had been saved from an address other than
$801, nastiness will result when you try to load or run the
converted program under ProDOS.]

Apple IIgs TOL files (TOOLnnn) are identified as specific system
tools by the last 3 digits of their names.

For all GS/OS Object Module Format files (types $B1 through
$BE), the OMF Version number is displayed.  Version 1 is the
first version and will work under all versions of ProDOS 16 and
GS/OS.