3.2 Options for Programs that Read ID Databases

`-f filename'

`--file=filename'

Filename is the ID database to read when processing queries. At present, only a single `--file' option is processed, but in future releases, more than one ID database may be named on the command line.

`$IDPATH'

`IDPATH' is an environment variable that contains a colon-separated list of ID database names. If this variable is present, and no `--file' options are presented on the command line, the ID databases named in `IDPATH' are implied.¹

If no ID databases are specified either on the command line or via the `IDPATH' environment variable, then the ID utilities search for a file named ID in the current working directory, and then in successive parent directories.