Creating Context definitions for your own data

RUN CONTEXT/TOOLS◦ Application◦ Application Data File◦ Master File Record◦ Context Definition

Defines a database or group of Tables. “Root Directory”. Required Fields:

◦ APP_ID - Application Code◦ APP_NAME - Application Name

Optional Fields (Lorica):◦ APP_PROGRAM - Relative Path for Programs◦ APP_DATA - Relative Path for Data◦ APP_SOURCE - Relative Path for Source

A Table or Data File within the Application. Required Fields:

◦ FILE_ID - Table ID or Code .◦ DESCRIPTION - Table Description.◦ APP_DATA - Relative path for data file.◦ MASTER - Master Data File Name.◦ KEY1-KEY9 - Index File Names (Optional).

Optional Fields:◦ Security Group Codes (Not Covered today).

A Record Layout for a Table Usually 1 per File/Table (There May be more) Required Fields:

◦ RECORD_ID - Layout Code (Often Data File).◦ DESCRIPTION - Layout Description.◦ PREFIX - 3 Character code “EM_”.

Optional Fields:◦ PREFIX - Either Prefix or Suffix is required.◦ SUFFIX - Neither is actually used in ODBC.◦ RECORD_ID - Used for multiple Record Layouts.

Actual File Layouts Each Field is defined with attributes Required Fields:

◦ FIELD_NAME - 15 Character Code◦ DISK_STORAGE- Field Type (C,PD,BH,Etc)◦ DTE_FMT - Date Format (CCYYMMDD)◦ ORIG_CAPTION- English Description of Field◦ RECORD_POS - Field Starting Position◦ RECORD_LEN - Field Length◦ DECIMAL_POS - Number of Decimal Positions.

15 Characters. Duplicated not Allowed. Codes used within ODBC. Avoid Spaces and Symbols (~!@#$%^&*-+=). Not all Windows Apps can use 15 Characters. This is a critical design component. Be Consistent:

◦ Define & use abbreviations (Cty,ST,PH). These codes will be used for programming. Dates should include _DATE ot DATE_.

◦ Same as found in your “FORM” Statements.◦ Field Format:

C - Characters. PD - Packed Decimals. N - Numbers. ZD - Zoned Decimals. B,BH,BL - Binary Values. DT,DH,DL - Binary Dates (In Julian or DAYS). Etc - Other formats work as well!

◦ Defines a Date field, and the format stored in BR.◦ Field Name “_DATE” or “DATE_” also defines a

date.◦ DTE_FMT is Optional (BR attempts to guess).◦ Use it anyways, it is less confusing later.◦ Sample Valid Date Formats:

DAYS CCYYMMDD MMDDCCYY MM/DD/YY YY/MM/DD

◦ English Description of a Field.◦ Not actually used within ODBC.◦ Fill this in, good file layouts are important.◦ You may find this field usefull within BR.

◦ Required Components to read the field.◦ RECORD_POS:

Starting Position for Field. Filler – I usually Name the Field FILLER+POS

FILLER201.◦ RECORD_LEN:

Actual Field Length. For example PD 6.2 is a 6 Character Packed Decimal. ODBC will figure out the “True Length”.

◦ DECIMAL_POS: Number of Decimal Positions. Only for numbers.

◦ Other Fields are used by Lorica Window Caption Window Form Report Caption Report Form Edit Routine Pack Routine Unpack Routine

◦ Key Seq – This legacy field refers to indexes.

Context Manager is delivered with ODBC. May be Used to Create and Maintain Files. Is a great way to review existing file

layouts. Creates paper documentation. Somewhat difficult to automate.

New Library Delivered with this conference. Is a Program to Import File Layouts. Works with Context Manager for use in BR. Library to be used within existing BR Apps:

◦ Open Tables & Index Files.◦ Identify Open Tables.◦ Create Form Statements from Context.◦ Pack Existing Form Statements.◦ Open CSV or Tab delimited Files◦ Parse CSV or Tab delimited Files.◦ Assign SQL Variables for Program Use.

FILEAPP.TXT – Tab Delimited File to define Tables. Required Fields:

◦ APP_ID - Application Code◦ APP_NAME - Application Name◦ APP_DATA - Data File Path◦ FILE_ID - Table Name◦ DESCRIPTION - Table Description◦ MASTER - Master File Name◦ KEY1-9 - Index File Names (Optional)◦ CONTEXT - Path to File Layouts to be imported.

_Context – Sample App “ODBC Layouts”. Create using Excel, save as Tab Delimited File.

Create 1 Text file per Table1. Use MS-Excel or Write your Own Converter. Required Fields:

◦ FIELD_NAME - 15 Character Code◦ DISK_STORAGE- Field Type (C,PD,BH,Etc)◦ DTE_FMT - Date Format (CCYYMMDD)◦ ORIG_CAPTION- English Description of Field◦ RECORD_POS - Field Starting Position◦ RECORD_LEN - Field Length◦ DECIMAL_POS - Number of Decimal Positions.

RUN Context\Context.wb◦ Program will automatically create new records.◦ Existing Records will be updated.◦ Run Again to update layouts.

Delivered with this seminar:◦ FILEAPP.TXT – Sample Application.

Contains ODBC layouts for the Context Manager.◦ _CONTEXT – Folder containing layouts.

Create your own FILEAPP.TXT◦ Define an Application◦ Define one or more tables◦ Create layouts for one or more tables.

Still Have Time? look at Context.wb◦ 30 fnInit_Context – Open tables & define vars.◦ 40 fnopen_csv – Open FILAPP.TXT.

Intended to make things very simple. Feel free to enhance routine for other fields.

[YourFile.txt] – File Layouts for your own File.

Documentation Spreadsheet:◦ In CONTEXT\Sample Context Fields.xls

Examples in CONTEXT\_CONTEXT folder. Future Ideas:

◦ Convert your own Layouts to import layout.◦ Bypass importer, and import directly to context.◦ Convert Gabriel’s SQL layouts to Context Manger.◦ Convert Context Manager to Gabriel’s.