Long Field Name Considerations

In this section:

For a complete discussion of long and qualified field name support, consult your FOCUS documentation.

Note: If a request written for a prior release of FOCUS contains truncated field names, and if you rerun AUTODB2 or AUTODBC on the table, the AUTO facility may generate field names in the new Master File that are different from the names it generated before long field names were supported.


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Limitations on Long Field Names

The following limitations apply to long field names and aliases:


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Describing a Long Field Name in the Access File (AUTODBC)

An alternative method describes field names greater than 12 characters in the Access File.

For this method, specify the field name declaration with a 12-character (or less) field name in the Master File; leave the ALIAS value blank. In the corresponding Access File, specify a long field name declaration after the appropriate segment declaration.

A long field name declaration consists of two attributes, FIELD and ALIAS. The FIELD value is the 12-character field name from the Master File. The ALIAS value identifies the full RDBMS column name, up to 30 characters. (See Describing Tables to FOCUS for naming conventions.) The long field name declarations must follow their associated segment declarations and correspond to the field order of the Master File.

For example, this EMPINFO Master File for a Teradata data source contains blank ALIAS values for the DEPARTMENT and SALARY fields. The column names DEPARTMENT_CD and CURRENT_SALARY are longer than 12 characters

FILENAME=EMPINFO, SUFFIX=SQLDBC, $ 
SEGNAME=EMPINFO, SEGTYPE=S0, $
    FIELD=EMP_ID     ,ALIAS=EID      ,USAGE=A9 ,ACTUAL=A9 ,$
    FIELD=LAST_NAME  ,ALIAS=LNAME    ,USAGE=A15,ACTUAL=A15,$
    FIELD=FIRST_NAME ,ALIAS=FN       ,USAGE=A10,ACTUAL=A10,$
    FIELD=HIRE_DATE  ,ALIAS=HDT      ,USAGE=YMD,ACTUAL=DATE,$
    FIELD=DEPARTMENT ,ALIAS=         ,USAGE=A10,ACTUAL=A10,
               MISSING=ON,$
    FIELD=SALARY     ,ALIAS=         ,USAGE=P9.2,ACTUAL=P8 ,$
    FIELD=CURR_JOBCODE,ALIAS=CJC      ,USAGE=A3 ,ACTUAL=A3 ,$
    FIELD=ED_HRS     ,ALIAS=OJT      ,USAGE=D6.2,ACTUAL=D8 ,
               MISSING=ON, $
    FIELD=BONUS_PLAN ,ALIAS=BONUS_PLAN,USAGE=I4 ,ACTUAL=I4 ,$

The long field name declarations in the Access File are specified:

SEGNAME=EMPINFO, TABLENAME=EMPINFO, KEYS=1, WRITE=YES,FALLBACK=YES,$ 
    FIELD=DEPARTMENT, ALIAS=DEPARTMENT_CD, $
    FIELD=SALARY   , ALIAS=CURRENT_SALARY, $

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