How to Use the AUTOADBS Facility

Sufficient disk space is required for AUTOADBS to write the new file descriptions and parameter log file, if applicable, to the datasets specified on the initial input screen (in MVS) or to the disk accessed as filemode A (in CMS). In addition, sufficient disk space must be available for temporary work files. The amount of temporary disk space depends on the size of the files being described. In the CMS environment, a minimum of three available cylinders is recommended. AUTOADBS will use the temporary disk space for all temporary files that are created.

The following are requirements for MVS execution:

The Master Files AUTOADBS, PREDDB, and PREDEL must be members in a library allocated to the ddname MASTER.

The Access Files PREDDB and PREDEL must be members in a library allocated to the ddname FOCADBS.

The AUTOADBS FOCEXEC must be a member in a library allocated to the ddname FOCEXEC. These members will be located in your site's production FOCUS libraries as a result of the Interface installation process.

For CMS execution, the files AUTOADBS FOCEXEC, AUTOADBS MASTER, PREDDB MASTER, PREDDB FOCADBS, PREDEL MASTER, and PREDEL FOCADBS must be available to you on an accessed minidisk. This minidisk is usually the FOCUS production disk. The files are located here as a result of the Interface installation process.

If you are not familiar with Master and Access File attributes and ADABAS data attributes, refer to Describing ADABAS Files to FOCUS.

Before you begin, you need to determine the following:

The Predict dictionaries that will describe the file (if your site installation supports multiple dictionary access from AUTOADBS).

The filenames of the files to be described.

The database number of the files to be described.

The fields to be used as the SEQFIELD, the desired CALLTYPE, and the ADABAS security password (if one is assigned) for each file described.

The file that is the root segment and, if necessary, the files that are included as descendants.

The cross-reference keys (KEYFLD and IXFLD) in each file, which will be used when describing multiple files in one view.

Contact your site's ADABAS database administrator for specific details of your files. Since you can create several Master Files in the same AUTOADBS session, you may want to prepare several file views before proceeding.

Top of page

Starting the AUTOADBS Facility

To start AUTOADBS, enter your FOCUS session and type the following at the FOCUS command level:

EX AUTOADBS

Press the Enter key.

Top of page

The Main Menu

The following is an example of the initial AUTOADBS screen in MVS. User entries on this and following screens are in lowercase.

Main Menu     Master File Generation Facility for ADABAS

        Master Filename ==========> sample

        Describe ADABAS Files:
          File Name =========> sysdic*
          PREDICT Dictionary=>    ( )

        Description will be a member of:
          Master Target PDS ======> USER1.MASTER.DATA
          Access Target PDS ======> USER1.FOCADBS.DATA
          FOCDEF Target PDS   ====> USER1.FOCDEF.DATA

Replace Existing Description?=> N Start with Fieldname Position=> 1   (1-32)
Include Fieldname Comments? ==> Y        for a Total Length of => 36  (5-36)
Use NATURAL Column Headings? => N Date Display Format===========> YYMD
Use COMMENTS for FOCDEF? =====> N Display all Userviews? =======> N
Parm File => USER1.FOCADBS.DATA

PF1=Help PF2=Restart PF3=Exit PF4=Log PF5=MFD PF6=AFD PF9=Picture PF10=List

The following is an example of the initial AUTOADBS screen in CMS.

Main Menu   Master File Generation Facility for ADABAS

        Master Filename ==========> sample

        Describe ADABAS Files:
          File Name =========> sysdic*
          PREDICT Dictionary=>    ( )

Replace Existing Description?=> N Start with Fieldname Position=> 1   (1-32)
Include Fieldname Comments? ==> Y    for a Total Length of =====> 36  (5-36)
Use NATURAL Column Headings? => N Date Display Format ==========> YYMD
Use COMMENTS for FOCDEF? =====> N Display all Userviews? =======> N
Parm File => ADBS$PRM FOCADBS A

PF1=Help PF2=Restart PF3=Exit PF4=Log PF5=MFD PF6=AFD PF9=Picture PF10=List

Note: With the exception of the Main Menu, AUTOADBS screens are identical in MVS and CMS.

On the Main Menu, provide information about the ADABAS files to be described, a name for the Master and Access Files, and target datasets for the generated descriptions (MVS only). Select the appropriate options desired. After you have finished with the Main Menu, press the Enter key to begin processing.

The following options are available on the Main Menu:

Master Filename: Is a one- to eight-character name for the file description. (In MVS, this name must be a valid member name. In CMS, this name must be a valid filename.)
File Name: Is the 1- to 32-character ADABAS filename as registered in the Predict dictionary. The wildcard character, an asterisk (*), may be used anywhere within the filename to create a list that matches the provided pattern. The asterisk (*) is a multi-character mask. Entering only an asterisk (*) selects all files.
PREDICT Dictionary: Is the one-character dictionary suffix for the Predict dictionary where the desired files are described. The available values are listed on the menu in parentheses and are determined by the ADABAS database administrator when AUTOADBS is installed. If only one dictionary is available (the suffix is blank), you will not be able to type a value in this field.
Master Target PDS: Is the fully qualified dataset name of the Master File PDS where the Master File is stored. Do not use quotation marks in the dataset name. Applies to MVS only.
Access Target PDS: Is the fully qualified dataset name of the Access File PDS where the Access File is stored. Do not use quotation marks in the dataset name. Applies to MVS only.
FOCDEF Target PDS: Is the fully qualified dataset name of the FOCDEF file PDS where the TableTalk Help file is stored. Do not use quotation marks in the dataset name. Applies to MVS only, and this entry is only required if "Use COMMENTS for FOCDEF?" is specified as Yes (Y).
Replace Existing Description?: Indicates whether to overwrite existing Master and Access Files. No (N), the default, will not overwrite existing Master and Access Files. Type Yes (Y) to replace Master and Access Files that already exist on disk.
Include Fieldname Comments?: Indicates whether to exclude field comments in the Master File. Yes (Y), the default, includes field comments. Type No (N) to exclude them. Comments contain the full Predict dictionary fieldname, "*TRUNC*" if the name is truncated, the ADABAS format and length, and start/end characters for superdescriptor elements.
Use NATURAL Column Headings?: Indicates whether to use the NATURAL heading as the column heading in reports. No (N), the default, uses the fieldname for headings. Type Yes (Y) to use the NATURAL heading.
Use COMMENTS for FOCDEF?: Indicates whether to use Predict dictionary comments as help for TableTalk. No (N), the default, does not use Predict dictionary comments as help. Type Yes (Y) to use them. If you type Yes (Y) in MVS, a FOCDEF target PDS is required.
Start with Fieldname Position: Is a numeric value from 1 to 32. The default is 1. Type the starting position of the element name to be used as the first character in the fieldname. By increasing the starting position, you may strip off common prefixes from the element name.
for a Total Length of: Is a numeric value from 5 to 36. The default is 36. Type the maximum length of fieldnames described with AUTOADBS. Predict dictionary fieldnames are up to 32 characters and AUTOADBS can add 4-character suffixes to them.
Date Display Format: Is a valid date format for fields described in Predict dictionary as dates. The default is YYMD. Formats may include any valid combination of YY, Y, M, or D and can use month translation (T or TR) and day translation (W or WR). You may also display the day of week (W or WR), the quarter (Q, YQ, or YYQ), or Julian dates (JUL).
Display all Userviews?: Indicates whether to display all Master Files and views for the selected file(s). No (N), the default, does not display all Master Files and views. Type Yes (Y) to display them. This option is useful when selecting particular filenames. You may also toggle the display from the file list menu.
Parm File: Identifies the file containing your customized default values for the Main Menu.

The PF keys on the Main Menu perform the following functions:

Help (PF1)

Press the PF1 key to display an extensive online help facility.

Refreshing the List of Files (PF2)

Press the PF2 key to clear the existing list of files maintained by AUTOADBS for this session. When you select files from the Main Menu, information is gathered from the Predict dictionary. Each time you change the selection criteria, the new files are appended to the existing list. Pressing the PF2 key purges this list without exiting AUTOADBS. The message "Enter new file selection criteria" is displayed when the list is successfully purged. No message is displayed if you press the PF2 key before you have created a list of files.

Exit (PF3)

Press the PF3 key to exit AUTOADBS.

Logging Default Menu Parameters (PF4)

Press the PF4 key to save your customized default values for the Main Menu to disk. In MVS, these values are saved in member ADBS$PRM in the parm dataset shown on the menu. This dataset is one of the following:

The PDS pre-allocated to ddname ADBS$PRM.

The dataset userid.FOCADBS.DATA.

The first dataset allocated to ddname FOCADBS.

Parameter logging assumes that you have write access to the target dataset. Attempting to log parameters to a dataset without write access will result in a security abend. See Search Order for Parameter Log File in MVS.

In CMS, your customized default values are saved to ADBS$PRM FOCADBS on your A disk when the PF4 key is pressed.

The following information is logged:

Filename

Predict dictionary

Master File partitioned dataset name (MVS only)

Access File partitioned dataset name (MVS only)

FOCDEF partitioned dataset name (MVS only)

Replace existing description

Include fieldname comments

Use NATURAL column headings

Create FOCDEF file

Start with fieldname position

For a total length of

Date display format

Display all views

Note that all validations must pass before the default values are logged.

TED Master File (PF5)/TED Access File (PF6)

Press the PF5 or PF6 key to edit (using TED) the Master or Access File specified in the Master Filename entry field. MVS selects the member in the dataset named in either Master Target PDS or Access Target PDS. CMS selects the file "master MASTER A" or "master FOCADBS A."

Picture of Master File (PF9)

Press the PF9 key to generate a diagram of the structure of the file specified in the Master Filename entry field. After the picture is displayed, type in any character and press the Enter key to return to the Main Menu. In MVS, the master name must be a member of a dataset allocated to ddname MASTER to generate the picture (the Master Target PDS is not used).

File List (PF10)

Press the PF10 key to display a list of all files that meet the screening criteria provided in the Master Filename entry field. The "Display all Userviews" prompt is not used for this report.

Top of page

Generating the Master and Access Files

After you complete the Main Menu, press the Enter key to generate a Master and Access File. AUTOADBS informs you that it is accessing the dictionary with the following message:

**================================================================**
**    Retrieving FILE information from dictionary                 **
**    Please wait...                                                **
**================================================================**

This message is only displayed during the first retrieval per AUTOADBS session or when the file selection criteria is changed after the previous retrieval (within the session). AUTOADBS does not access the dictionary a second time for the same immediate selections in a single session.

Top of page

The File Selection Screen

When file information retrieval is completed, the File Selection Screen displays.

Master:   Master File Generation Facility for AUTOADBS  Show userviews: Y
SAMPLE                ==File Selection==

Select the ROOT file with 'R', children files with 'C'.
When a file exists in several databases, select the one entry that describes
the file/database combination desired.

R/C File                              A Fnr D
--- --------------------------------- - --- -
     SYSDIC                           A 012 
  r  SYSDIC-DB                        U 012 
     SYSDIC-DDM                       U 012 
     SYSDIC-DEF                       U 012 
     SYSDIC-DESC                      U 012 
     SYSDIC-EL                        U 012 
  c  SYSDIC-FI                        U 012 
     SYSDIC-FI-ADA                    U 012 
     SYSDIC-FI-GEN                    U 012 
     SYSDIC-IMS                       U 012 
     SYSDIC-KY                        U 012 
     SYSDIC-MO                        U 012

PF1=Help              PF3=End  PF4=Add Files  PF5=Views   PF7=Up  PF8=Down

The File Selection Screen is used to choose the ADABAS files that will be described in the Master File. This screen displays all files that match the selection criteria provided on the Main Menu.

If you select N (No) for "Display all Userviews" on the Main Menu, all files that exactly match the specifications supplied in the File Name field are displayed, whether they are ADABAS files or user views. For example, if you enter SYSDIC in the File Name field, the ADABAS file SYSDIC is displayed. If you enter SYSDIC-DB, only the view SYSDIC-DB is displayed. If you enter the wildcard character as part of a name (for example, SYSDIC*), all files and views that begin with SYSDIC are displayed.

If you select Y (Yes) for "Display all Userviews" on the Main Menu, all files that exactly match the specifications supplied in the File Name field are displayed, along with all views associated with the selected files. For example, you will see the same results if you enter either SYSDIC or SYSDIC-DB in the File Name field because both files are views of the same ADABAS file.

To change your selection for "Display all Userviews" directly on the File Selection Screen, press the PF5 key. This will toggle the file list between only those files that exactly match your selections and all views associated with the selected files.

To add more ADABAS files to the list, press the PF4 key. When the Main Menu redisplays, select the next ADABAS filename you want to include and press the Enter key. You return to the File Selection Screen to see the additional file displayed in the list. Repeat this process for each additional file you want to add to the list.

Place an r in the column labeled "R/C" to select the root file. Select all other files to be used as descendants by placing a c in the "R/C" column. Press the Enter key when your file selection is complete.

The File Selection Screen displays the following information:

Master

Master Filename provided on the Main Menu.

Show userviews

Yes (Y) indicates that views are included on the list. No (N) indicates that views are not included.

R/C

Select the root file with R and children files with C.

File

Filename of selected files.

A

File type: A=ADABAS file, U=view.

Fnr

File number.

D

Predict dictionary suffix selected on Main Menu.

The PF keys on the File Selection Screen perform the following functions:

Help (PF1)

Press the PF1 key to display an extensive online help facility.

Exit (PF3)

Press the PF3 key to exit the File Selection Screen and return to the Main Menu.

Add Files (PF4)

Press the PF4 key to return to the Main Menu to add additional files to the list.

Views (PF5)

Press the PF5 key to toggle between including views and excluding them.

Scroll Backward (PF7)/Scroll Forward (PF8)

Press the PF7 key to scroll the contents of the File Selection Screen backward; press the PF8 key to scroll the contents forward.

After the File Selection Screen is completed, AUTOADBS informs you that it is accessing the dictionary for field information with the following message:

**=============================================================**
**    Retrieving FIELD information from dictionary             **
**    Please wait...                                             **
**=============================================================**

This message is displayed once for each Predict dictionary that must be accessed, based on the location of the selected files. This message does not appear if all selected files (or any of their associated views) have already been selected during this AUTOADBS session.

Top of page

The Access File Attributes Screen

When the field information retrieval is completed, the Access File Attributes Screen displays, once for each selected file, in file name order.

Master:       Master File Generation Facility for AUTOADBS
 SAMPLE                 ==Access File Attributes==

 File:   SYSDIC-DB                           Dictionary:
 Enter: CALLTYPE  RL      PASSWORD              DBNR   000

 Select SEQFIELD with 'S' (Natural Default:                              )
  S  Fieldname                        Alias      Usage  Actual D U S Ty L
  -  -------------------------------- ---------- ------ ------ - - - -- -
  s  DATA_BASE_REC                     S1        A34    A34    D   N SP 1
     FILE_TYPE_EL                      S7        A33    A33    D   N SP 1
     DATA_BASE_TYPE                    AT        A1     A1     D   N    1
     L_DBNR                            AU        P3     Z3     D   N    1
     P_DBNR                            DP        P5     Z5     D   N    2
     IMS_DB_NAME                       AS        A8     A8     D   N    2
     DB2_DB_NAME                       A1        A8     A8     D   N    2

 PF1=Help  PF2=Restart  PF3=End                             PF7=Up  PF8=Down

The Access File Attributes Screen describes attributes that allow the ADABAS Interface to create direct ADABAS calls. The cursor is initially placed at the first field to be selected as a SEQFIELD. You can change the CALLTYPE, add a password, or override the DBNR on this screen, too.

Place an s in the column labeled "S" to select the SEQFIELD for the selected file. Tab to CALLTYPE, PASSWORD, and DBNR to change them when appropriate. When your selections are complete, press the Enter key.

The recommended SEQFIELD (as supplied by the Predict dictionary) is displayed at the top of the screen in the entry for Natural Default. If there is no recommended SEQFIELD, the Natural Default will be blank. AUTOADBS displays only those fields that can be used as a SEQFIELD on this screen. The SEQFIELD must be a descriptor, a superdescriptor, or a subdescriptor. It cannot be a PE group, an element of a PE group, an MU field, or a reformatted field.

The ADABAS Interface uses SEQFIELD to perform Read Logical (RL) processing when there are no IF or WHERE selection tests in the report request. Your site installation may require you to select a SEQFIELD; see Appendix A, Installation Instructions, for details.

The Access File Attributes Screen displays the following information:

Master

Master Filename provided on the Main Menu.

File

File name of selected file.

Dictionary

Predict dictionary suffix selected on Main Menu.

CALLTYPE

Type RL or FIND. The default is RL. If the site installation requires a CALLTYPE of RL, you cannot change this value.

PASSWORD

Type the password for password-protected files.

DBNR

Type the database number if you have access to multiple databases in your ADABAS environment. If this value is 0, the database number is determined from the DBID attribute in the ADABAS DDCARD available to your session.

S

Type S for the selected SEQFIELD.

Fieldname

Predict dictionary fieldname.

Alias

ALIAS used in the Master File. It is the ADABAS name.

Usage

USAGE format of the field in the Master File.

Actual

ACTUAL format of the field in the Master File.

D

Descriptor flag. Value is Descriptor (D) for descriptors.

U

Unique flag. Value is Unique (U) for unique descriptors.

S

Null suppression option. Values are Null suppression (N), Fixed format (F), or blank.

Ty

Field type. Values are Group (GR), Periodic group (PE), Multi-value field (MU), Superdescriptor (SP), or Subdescriptor (SB).

L

Level number. Values are from 1 to 7.

The PF keys on the Access File Attributes Screen perform the following functions:

Help (PF1)

Press the PF1 key to display an extensive online help facility.

Restart (PF2)

Press the PF2 key to cancel all previous selections and restart the Master File generation process at the File Selection Screen.

Exit (PF3)

Press the PF3 key to exit the Access File Attributes Screen and return to the Main Menu.

Scroll Backward (PF7)/Scroll Forward (PF8)

Press the PF7 key to scroll the contents of the Access File Attributes Screen backward; press the PF8 key to scroll the contents forward.

Top of page

The Child Selection Screen

If only one file is specified on the File Selection Screen, the Master and Access Files are generated and you return to the Main Menu.

Otherwise, you are asked to select the children of the root file on the Child Selection Screen. The Child Selection Screen lists files that you can select as descendants of the parent file.

Master:       Master File Generation Facility for AUTOADBS
 SAMPLE                  ==Child Selection==

 File:   SYSDIC-DB                          Dictionary:

 Select children files with 'S'
  S  File                             Fnr Dictionary
  -  -------------------------------- --- ----------
  s  SYSDIC-FI                        012

 PF1=Help  PF2=Restart  PF3=End  PF4=None  PF5=Picture      PF7=Up  PF8=Down

This screen is the first of three screens that display as part of the child identification process. For each child file selected, you provide a relationship between it and the parent file. You identify a common field in each file: the foreign key (IXFLD) in the child file and the primary key (KEYFLD) in the parent file. Choosing the keys are described in The IXFLD Selection Screen and .

Place an s in the column labeled "S" next to each desired child file and press the Enter key.

Press the PF4 key if no files are to be assigned as children of the current parent segment.

The file relationships are described in top-down, left-to-right order. Initially, this screen displays the root file as the current parent. All files selected as children will appear in the list. Select only those files that will be children of the current parent by placing an s in the column labeled "S" for the desired files.

After identifying the primary and foreign keys for the root and all of its children, the process will repeat for the files selected as children of the root. The first child of the root will be displayed at the top of the screen. This is now the current parent file. All files selected as children on the File Selection Screen, but not yet assigned, appear in the list. Files from the list are selected as children of the current parent. These are grandchildren of the root.

Child selection continues down this first path until the user selects no descendants (by pressing the PF4 key). Only then will the second child of the previous parent be displayed at the top of the screen. This process continues until all files have been assigned children or all possible descendants have been exhausted. At this point, the description will be generated and the Main Menu will be redisplayed.

The Child Selection Screen displays the following information:

Master

Master Filename provided on the Main Menu.

File

The current file being assigned children.

Dictionary

The Predict dictionary where this file is described.

S

Type S to select the children files.

File

Files to be assigned as children for the shown parent.

Fnr

File number.

Dictionary

Predict dictionary where this file is described.

The PF keys on the Child Selection Screen perform the following functions:

Help (PF1)

Press the PF1 key to display an extensive online help facility.

Restart (PF2)

Press the PF2 key to cancel all previous selections and restart the Master File generation process at the File Selection Screen.

Exit (PF3)

Press the PF3 key to exit the Child Selection Screen and return to the Main Menu.

None (PF4)

Press the PF4 key if you do not want to describe any of the listed files as children of the current parent file.

Create a Picture of the Description (PF5)

Press the PF5 key at any time to generate a diagram of the structure of the file being described. Note that the description is created on disk (and remains there even if the program has ended by pressing the PF3 key). After the picture is displayed, type in any character and press the Enter key to return to the Child Selection Screen. In MVS, the target Master PDS must be allocated to ddname MASTER to generate the picture. If a member exists with the master name selected in a dataset concatenated in front of the target dataset, the picture is generated from that member.

Scroll Backward (PF7)/Scroll Forward (PF8)

Press the PF7 key to scroll the contents of the Child Selection Screen backward; press the PF8 key to scroll the contents forward.

Top of page

The IXFLD Selection Screen

When files are selected as children, the IXFLD Selection Screen displays, once for each selected file.

Master:       Master File Generation Facility for AUTOADBS
 SAMPLE                     ==IXFLD Selection==

 File:   SYSDIC-FI                           Dictionary:
 Parent: SYSDIC-DB                           Dictionary:

 Select the common field (IXFLD) from the descendant file with 'S'
  S  Fieldname                        Alias      Usage  Actual D U S Ty L
  -  -------------------------------- ---------- ------ ------ - - - -- -
     HOLD_USER                         AF        A8     A8     D   N    1
  s  FILE_REC                          S6        A33    A33    D   N SP 1
     L_FNR                             AR        P3     Z3     D   N    1
     ADANET_FILE_TYPE                  D8        A1     A1     D   N    2
     ADABAS_AVB_REC                    S4        A34    A34    D   N SP 1
     IMS_SEGMENT_NAME                  AX        A8     A8     D   N    2
     IMS_PARENT_FILE                   AY        A32    A32    D   N    2
     IMS_SOURCE_FILE1                  A2        A32    A32    D   N    2
     IMS_SOURCE_FILE2                  A3        A32    A32    D   N    2
     DB2_EDIT_PROGRAM                  D9        A8     A8     D   N    2
     DB2_VALID_PROGRAM                 EA        A8     A8     D   N    2
     DSNAME                            DL        A44    A44    D   N    2

 PF1=Help  PF2=Restart  PF3=End  PF4=Skip                   PF7=Up  PF8=Down

The IXFLD Selection Screen identifies the foreign key in the child file. Place an s in the column labeled "S" to select the common field in the cross-reference file and press the Enter key.

Press the PF4 key to skip this file as a descendant if it was selected in error. Pressing the PF4 key does not affect previous or subsequent selections.

AUTOADBS displays only those fields that can be used as an IXFLD on this screen. The IXFLD must be a descriptor, a superdescriptor, or a subdescriptor. It cannot be a PE group, an element of a PE group, an MU field, or a reformatted field.

The IXFLD Selection Screen displays the following information:

Master

Master Filename provided on the Main Menu.

File

The child file from which the IXFLD is being selected.

Dictionary

The Predict dictionary where this file is described.

Parent

The parent filename.

Dictionary

Predict dictionary where this file is described.

S

Type S for the selected IXFLD.

Fieldname

Predict dictionary fieldname.

Alias

ALIAS used in the Master File. It is the ADABAS name.

Usage

USAGE format of the field in the Master File.

Actual

ACTUAL format of the field in the Master File.

D

Descriptor flag. Value is Descriptor (D) for descriptors.

U

Unique flag. Value is Unique (U) for unique descriptors.

S

Null suppression option. Values are Null suppression (N), Fixed format (F), or blank.

Ty

Field type. Values are Group (GR), Periodic group (PE), Multi-value field (MU), Superdescriptor (SP), or Subdescriptor (SB).

L

Level number. Values are from 1 to 7.

The PF keys on the IXFLD Selection Screen perform the following functions:

Help (PF1)

Press the PF1 key to display an extensive online help facility.

Restart (PF2)

Press the PF2 key to cancel all previous selections and restart the Master File generation process at the File Selection Screen.

Exit (PF3)

Press the PF3 key to exit the IXFLD Selection Screen and return to the Main Menu.

Skip (PF4)

Press the PF4 key to skip this file as a descendant if it was selected in error. Previous or subsequent selections are not affected; however, the "skipped" segments appear in subsequent lists when you return to the Child Selection Screen to define any additional paths in the hierarchy.

Scroll Backward (PF7)/Scroll Forward (PF8)

Press the PF7 key to scroll the contents of the IXFLD Selection Screen backward; press the PF8 key to scroll the contents forward.

Top of page

The KEYFLD Selection Screen

Once the IXFLD is selected in the child file, the KEYFLD Selection Screen displays, once for each selected file.

Master:       Master File Generation Facility for AUTOADBS
 SAMPLE                    ==KEYFLD Selection==

 File:   SYSDIC-DB                           Dictionary:
 Child:  SYSDIC-FI                           Dictionary:
 IXFLD:  FILE_REC                            Actual: A33
 Select the common field (KEYFLD) from the parent file with 'S'
  S  Fieldname                        Alias      Usage  Actual D U S Ty L
  -  -------------------------------- ---------- ------ ------ - - - -- -
     RECORD_TYPE                       AA        A2     A2         N    1
     COMMENTS                          BD        A30    A30        N MU 1
     DESC                              AB        A1     A1         N    1
     MAINTENANCE_ACTION                BG        A1     A1         N    2
     KEY_WORD                          KY        A32    A32    D   N MU 1
     OWNER_ID                          II        A32    A32    D   N MU 1
     DATA_BASE_NAME                    JJ        A32    A32        N    1
    SPMRF_TYPE                        DA        A1     A1         N    1
  s  FILE_ELEMENT                      DC        A32    A32        N MU 1
     FILE_TYPE_EL                      S7        A33    A33    D   N SP 1
     DATA_BASE_TYPE                    AT        A1     A1     D   N    1
     GEN_FLAG                          CI        A1     A1         N MU 2

PF1=Help  PF2=Restart  PF3=End  PF4=Skip                    PF7=Up  PF8=Down

The KEYFLD Selection Screen identifies the primary key in the parent file. Place an s in the column labeled "S" to select the common field in the parent file and press the Enter key.

Press the PF4 key to skip this parent/child relationship if it was selected in error. Pressing the PF4 key does not affect previous or subsequent selections.

AUTOADBS displays only those fields that can be used as a KEYFLD on this screen. The KEYFLD must have the same format type as the IXFLD, and the field length may be the same or shorter than that of the IXFLD. It cannot be a periodic group (PE), a subdescriptor, a superdescriptor composed of partial fields, or a reformatted field.

The KEYFLD Selection Screen displays the following information:

Master

Master Filename provided on the Main Menu.

File

The child file from which the IXFLD is being selected.

Dictionary

The Predict dictionary where this file is described.

Child

The child file from which the IXFLD was selected.

Dictionary

Predict dictionary where this file is described.

IXFLD

The selected IXFLD.

Actual

The ACTUAL format of the selected IXFLD.

S

Type S for the selected IXFLD.

Fieldname

Predict dictionary fieldname.

Alias

ALIAS used in the Master File. It is the ADABAS name.

Usage

USAGE format of the field in the Master File.

Actual

ACTUAL format of the field in the Master File.

D

Descriptor flag. Value is Descriptor (D) for descriptors.

U

Unique flag. Value is Unique (U) for unique descriptors.

S

Null suppression option. Values are Null suppression (N), Fixed format (F), or blank.

Ty

Field type. Values are Group (GR), Periodic group (PE), Multi-value field (MU), Superdescriptor (SP), or Subdescriptor (SB).

L

Level number. Values are from 1 to 7.

The PF keys on the KEYFLD Selection Screen perform the following functions:

Help (PF1)

Press the PF1 key to display an extensive online help facility.

Restart (PF2)

Press the PF2 key to cancel all previous selections and restart the Master File generation process at the File Selection Screen.

Exit (PF3)

Press the PF3 key to exit the KEYFLD Selection Screen and return to the Main Menu.

Skip (PF4)

Scroll Backward (PF7)/Scroll Forward (PF8)

Press the PF7 key to scroll the contents of the KEYFLD Selection Screen backward; press the PF8 key to scroll the contents forward.

Information Builders

Master	Master Filename provided on the Main Menu.
Show userviews	Yes (Y) indicates that views are included on the list. No (N) indicates that views are not included.
R/C	Select the root file with R and children files with C.
File	Filename of selected files.
A	File type: A=ADABAS file, U=view.
Fnr	File number.
D	Predict dictionary suffix selected on Main Menu.