# Directives

CREATE FILE | Create File Copy/Backup

## Format

CREATE FILE new_pathname FROM[ old_pathname | (chnl) ] [,ERR=stmtref ]

Where:

new_pathname | Name of the output file to be created/updated.
old_pathname | Name of the current file to be copied/backed up.
chnl | Channel number of a currently open file that you want copied/backed up.
stmtref | Program line number or statement label to which to transfer control.

## Description

Use the CREATE FILE directive to create a copy/backup of a file. The contents of new_pathname will be overwritten with the contents of the input file only if the file is the same type as the input file. If the output file does not exist, it will be created.

During the copy/backup, the input file will have a temporary internal lock placed against its contents to avoid any concurrent update.

When copying a link file, the CREATE FILE directive will copy the file link references, not the actual link file.

(The CREATE FILE directive was added in PxPlus 2016.)

## Example

The following is an example of the CREATE FILE directive with a channel:

open (1,iol=*)"clients"
create file "clients.backup" from (1)