TARGET/400 Database Definition.

Database File Layout Creation - Pre DDS Generation

     If you do not have your application file layouts in the form of S/36 "F and I" specifications, detailed compound file descriptions may be extracted from a designated application library.  The extracted "F and I" specification file layout is then used to create an AS/400 data base file and associated DDS.

DDS Generation and Database File Creation

    DDS file specifications are created from isolated "F and I" specs or from S/36 IDDU data dictionaries.  Multiple record types are automatically processed with a maximum of 26 record formats permitted per file, a physical file is created for each record type encountered, and a logical overview is built along with the necessary format selection program, the logical file is then accessed in the same manner as the original S/36 file.

    An interactive file description validation option ensures that the field definitions in the input file description do not conflict with any previously defined fields in the data base by verifying the incoming new field information against the current field reference file detail.

Field Reference File Processing

    An application field reference file is automatically updated with the field specifications of any file description processed by the DDS generator.

Logical File Creation

    An interactive logical file creation feature allows you to build any logical files (alternate indexes) and associated DDS quickly and easily.

Ancillary DDS Creation

    To ensure that the converted application has all the necessary DDS required to action file builds (CRTPF) in the converted CL/400 programs, basic DDS specifications will be generated from your S/36 OCL procedures for any required application files which are found not to have associated DDS definitions.

Loading the AS/400 Database Files

    Converted data base files may be loaded directly from the S/36 (saved using the SAVE command), or from an existing S/36 file on the AS/400.  If the original file contained multiple record types, simply qualify the name of the generated logical file when requesting the load option and  TARGET/400 will automatically load the data into the relevant physical files.

Decimal Data Error Correction

    Decimal data error correction is performed on the converted data base files to initialize numeric fields containing blanks to zero in the data base records.  Note, to further reduce the possibility of decimal data errors the  RPG/400 converter also ensures that the converted programs initialize all numeric work fields prior to execution.