Command line syntax: closef {fileName}*

On the command line, several file names (which may not contain spaces) may be specified. The named files are closed if they are open. If no arguments are given on the command line, CLOSEF prompts for the name of a file to close. Responding with ? causes it to ask, for each file on the open file list, whether or not the file should be closed. Typing y (or Y) followed by <eol> causes it to close the file; any other response causes it to leave the file open.

Responding to CLOSEF's file name prompt with a non-blank STRING other than ? causes it to close the files on the open file list with name fields equal to the response. On systems where file names are not case-sensitive, case distinctions are ignored. Then CLOSEF prompts for the name of another file to close.

CLOSEF should be used only as a last resort, when a file must be closed and there is no other way to close it. CLOSEF does no checking to prevent “important” files from being closed; e.g., it allows you to close TTY or the MAINSAIL system MODULE library, though this usually leads to errors later on. Use care in closing files by means of CLOSEF, since in most cases the programs that opened the files do not expect the files to be closed suddenly.

The MAINSAIL runtime system normally closes all open files upon exit.