# UNLOCK Statement

#### Purpose:

To release locks that have been applied to an opened file. This is used in a multi-device environment, often referred to as a network or network environment.

#### Syntax:

    UNLOCK [#]n [,[record number] [TO record number]]

#### Comments:

n is the number that was assigned the file as it was originally numbered in the program.

record number is the number of the individual record that is to be unlocked. Or, if a range of records are to be unlocked, record number designates the beginning and ending record of the specified range.

The range of legal record numbers is 1 to 232-1. The limit on record size is 32767 bytes.

The record range specified must be from lower to (the same or) higher record numbers.

If a starting record number is not specified, the record number 1 is assumed.

If an ending record number is not specified, then only the specified record is unlocked.

The following are legal UNLOCK statements:

UNLOCK #n | unlocks the entire file n
UNLOCK #n, X | unlocks record X only
UNLOCK #n, TO Y | unlocks records 1 through Y
UNLOCK #n, X TO Y | unlocks records X through Y

The locked file or record range should be unlocked before the file is closed.

Failure to execute the UNLOCK statement can jeopardize future access to that file in a network environment.

In the case of files opened in random mode, if a range of record numbers is specified, this range must match exactly the record number range given in the LOCK statement.

The "Permission denied" message will appear if a syntactically correct UNLOCK request cannot be granted. The UNLOCK statement must match exactly the paired LOCK statement.

It is expected that the time in which files or regions within files are locked will be short, and thus the suggested usage of the LOCK statement is within shortterm paired LOCK/UNLOCK statements.

#### Examples:

The following demonstrates how the LOCK/UNLOCK statements should be used:

    LOCK #1, 1 TO 4
    LOCK #1, 5 TO 8
    UNLOCK #1, 1 TO 4
    UNLOCK #1, 5 TO 8

The following example is illegal:

    LOCK #1, 1 TO 4
    LOCK #1, 5 TO 8
    UNLOCK #1, 1 TO 8