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For a unique descendant segment with a missing record, a temporary record is created to replace the missing record. The temporary record contains fields with default values, blanks for alphanumeric fields and zeros for numeric fields.

For example, an EMPLOYEE segment with the field EMP_NAME has a unique descendant OFFICE segment with the field OFFICE_CITY. The field OFFICE_CITY indicates the location of an employee's office. Gary Smith does not work out of an office location, so he has no OFFICE record. In this situation, all reports that refer to OFFICE_CITY display blank spaces for the entry GARY SMITH.

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For a non-unique descendant segment with a missing record, the results depend on how the ALL parameter is set:

SET ALL = {ON|OFF}

where:

ON

The parent record is processed provided that there are no screening conditions on fields in the descendant segment. Missing data is usually indicated on the report by the default NODATA character (.). For information about overriding the NODATA default, see your FOCUS documentation.

OFF

The parent instance is rejected and the next parent instance is retrieve. OFF is the default value.

Note: SET ALL = PASS is not supported by the adapter.

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Example: Using SET ALL = OFF

The EMPLOYEE segment has a non-unique descendant segment that contains dental claim records. With SET ALL = OFF, a request that prints employee names and dentist names omits employees that have no dental claims:

SET ALL = OFF
TABLE FILE EMPFULL
PRINT EMP_NAME DENTIST_NAME
IF DEPT_NAME EQ 'EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION'
             OR 'COMPUTER OPERATIONS'
END

The output is:

EMP_NAME                   DENTIST_NAME        
--------                   ------------        
HERBERT   CRANE            DR        PEPPER    
HENRIETTA HENDON           SAL       SARDONICUS

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Example: Using SET ALL = ON

With SET ALL = ON, a request that prints dentist names and employee names prints the names of all employees, even those without dental claims. The report output displays the NODATA symbol for the field from the missing descendant segment:

SET ALL = ON
TABLE FILE EMPFULL
PRINT EMP_NAME DENTIST_NAME
IF DEPT_NAME EQ 'EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION'
             OR 'COMPUTER OPERATIONS'
END

The output is:

EMP_NAME                   DENTIST_NAME        
--------                   ------------        
HERBERT   CRANE            DR        PEPPER    
JANE      FERNDALE         .                   
GEORGE    FONRAD           .                   
ROBIN     GARDNER          .                   
DOUGLAS   KAHALLY          .                   
TERENCE   KLWELLEN         .                   
SANDY     KRAAMER          .                   
HERBERT   LIPSICH          .                   
NANCY     TERNER           .                   
HENRIETTA HENDON           SAL       SARDONICUS
THEMIS    PAPAZEUS         .                   
JOHN      RUPEE            .                   
ROBBY     WILDER           .                   

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Example: Using SET ALL = ON With Screening Criteria

When a request contains an IF test on the descendant (dental) segment, parent (employee) records are omitted if the descendant segment fails the IF test. Only Herbert Crane has a dental claim for tooth number 99:

SET ALL = ON                                   
TABLE FILE EMPFULL                               
PRINT EMP_NAME DENTIST_NAME
IF DEPT_NAME EQ 'EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION'
             OR 'COMPUTER OPERATIONS'   
IF TOOTH_NUMBER EQ 99                      
END                                              

The output is:

EMP_NAME                   DENTIST_NAME    
--------                   ------------    
HERBERT   CRANE            DR        PEPPER

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If the value for SET ALL is OFF, you can still apply the effect of the ON setting to specific segments. To do this, add the ALL prefix to one of the parent segment fields in your request. The ALL prefix causes records in that segment to be processed even if they have missing descendants. Like the SET ALL parameter, the processing depends on whether IF criteria exist for the descendant record fields.

Note: The IF criteria provision affects only immediate descendants. In cases where descendants are missing their descendant record occurrences, the parent record occurrence is rejected.

For example, the following request displays people who have no dental claim records. However, it will not display people who have dental claim records and no corresponding dental service records.

SET ALL = OFF                             
TABLE FILE EMPFULL                          
PRINT ALL.EMP_NAME                          
DENTIST_NAME  SERVICE_DATE
  IF DEPT_NAME EQ 'EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION'
               OR 'COMPUTER OPERATIONS'     
END                                         

The output is:

EMP_NAME                   DENTIST_NAME               SERVICE_DATE
--------                   ------------               ------------
HERBERT   CRANE            DR        PEPPER           19800916    
HERBERT   CRANE            DR        PEPPER           19800916    
JANE      FERNDALE         .                          .           
GEORGE    FONRAD           .                          .           
ROBIN     GARDNER          .                          .           
DOUGLAS   KAHALLY          .                          .           
TERENCE   KLWELLEN         .                          .           
SANDY     KRAAMER          .                          .           
HERBERT   LIPSICH          .                          .           
NANCY     TERNER           .                          .           
HENRIETTA HENDON           SAL       SARDONICUS       19770502    
THEMIS    PAPAZEUS         .                          .           
JOHN      RUPEE            .                          .           
ROBBY     WILDER           .                          .           

The ALL prefix is only effective when the SET ALL value is OFF.