A Directory Map object is an object that represents a particular directory in the file system. It can be especially useful in login scripts by indicating directories that contain applications or other frequently used files.
By using a Directory Map object, you can avoid having to make changes to the login scripts.
For example, if you have a directory that contains DOS 5.0, you will probably map a search drive to that directory in any login scripts you create.
If you should later upgrade to DOS 6.0 and rename the directory, you would have to change the mapping in every login script where that search mapping appears. To do this, you would create a Directory Map object called CURRENT_DOS that points to the DOS directory SYS:PUBLIC\IBM_PC\MSDOS\5.0.
Then in a MAP command in your login scripts, you would map a search drive to the Directory Map object rather than to the specific directory:
MAP INS S2:=.CURRENT_DOS.SALES.ACME_USWhen users log in, their search drive is mapped to the CURRENT_DOS Directory Map object, which points to the directory containing DOS 5.0.
Later, if you upgrade to DOS 6.0 and change the directory's name to SYS:PUBLIC\IBM_PC\MSDOS\60, you would change only the Directory Map object to indicate the new path.
You would not have to change the MAP command in the login script because it still indicates the correct Directory Map object.
For more information about creating login scripts, see ``Customizing the user environment''; mapping drives to Directory Map objects in login scripts is explained in ``MAP'', and a definition of the MAP utility is given in ``MAP''.