# Db.set_re_source

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    import com.sleepycat.db.*;

    public void set_re_source(String re_source)
        throws DbException;

# Description

Set the underlying source file for the Recno access method. The purpose of the re_source value is to provide fast access and modification to databases that are normally stored as flat text files.

If the re_source field is set, it specifies an underlying flat text database file that is read to initialize a transient record number index. In the case of variable length records, the records are separated, as specified by Db.set_re_delim. For example, standard UNIX byte stream files can be interpreted as a sequence of variable length records separated by <newline> characters.

In addition, when cached data would normally be written back to the underlying database file (for example, the Db.close or Db.sync methods are called), the in-memory copy of the database will be written back to the re_source file.

By default, the backing source file is read lazily; that is, records are not read from the file until they are requested by the application. If multiple processes (not threads) are accessing a Recno database concurrently, and are either inserting or deleting records, the backing source file must be read in its entirety before more than a single process accesses the database, and only that process should specify the backing source file as part of the Db.open call. See the Db.DB_SNAPSHOT flag for more information.

Reading and writing the backing source file specified by re_source cannot be transaction-protected because it involves filesystem operations that are not part of the Db transaction methodology. For this reason, if a temporary database is used to hold the records, it is possible to lose the contents of the re_source file, for example, if the system crashes at the right instant. If a file is used to hold the database, normal database recovery on that file can be used to prevent information loss, although it is still possible that the contents of re_source will be lost if the system crashes.

The re_source file must already exist (but may be zero-length) when Db.open is called.

It is not an error to specify a read-only re_source file when creating a database, nor is it an error to modify the resulting database. However, any attempt to write the changes to the backing source file using either the Db.sync or Db.close methods will fail, of course. Specify the Db.DB_NOSYNC flag to the Db.close method to stop it from attempting to write the changes to the backing file; instead, they will be silently discarded.

For all of the previous reasons, the re_source field is generally used to specify databases that are read-only for Berkeley DB applications; and that are either generated on the fly by software tools or modified using a different mechanism -- for example, a text editor.

The Db.set_re_source interface may be used only to configure Berkeley DB before the Db.open interface is called.

The Db.set_re_source method throws an exception that encapsulates a non-zero error value on failure.

# Errors

The Db.set_re_source method may fail and throw an exception encapsulating a non-zero error for the following conditions:

EINVAL
  An invalid flag value or parameter was specified.

  Called after Db.open was called.

The Db.set_re_source method may fail and throw an exception for errors specified for other Berkeley DB and C library or system methods. If a catastrophic error has occurred, the Db.set_re_source method may fail and throw a DbRunRecoveryException, in which case all subsequent Berkeley DB calls will fail in the same way.

# Class

Db

# See Also

Db.associate, Db.close, Db.cursor, Db.del, Db.fd, Db.get, Db.pget, Db.get_byteswapped, Db.get_type, Db.join, Db.key_range, Db.open, Db.put, Db.remove, Db.rename, Db.set_append_recno, Db.set_bt_minkey, Db.set_cachesize, Db.set_errcall, Db.set_errpfx, Db.set_feedback, Db.set_flags, Db.set_h_ffactor, Db.set_h_nelem, Db.set_lorder, Db.set_pagesize, Db.set_q_extentsize, Db.set_re_delim, Db.set_re_len, Db.set_re_pad, Db.set_re_source, Db.stat, Db.sync, Db.truncate, Db.upgrade, and Db.verify.`

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