HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
HP ALLBASE/4GL Program Files HP4GLB is the program that drives HP ALLBASE/4GL. When a user logs in to the MPE/iX system and runs HP ALLBASE/4GL, this is the program that the system runs. (This program file is HP4GLBR in the run-time environment.) HP ALLBASE/4GL also uses a number of other executable binary files in addition to HP4GLB). Normally, users run an MPE/iX command file HP4GL to start HP ALLBASE/4GL, rather than running the HP4GLB program file directly. The HP4GL command file sets a number of MPE/iX variables before it starts the main HP ALLBASE/4GL program. All the HP ALLBASE/4GL program files must reside in the PUB.SYS group and account. HP ALLBASE/4GL System Files The HP ALLBASE/4GL system files (known as S-files) contain the HP ALLBASE/4GL system and the definition of the HP ALLBASE/4GL applications on the system. Each HP ALLBASE/4GL system uses a set of 11 S-files identified as S01 to S11. All files in a set of S-files must reside in the same group and account. In effect, each set of S-files is an HP ALLBASE/4GL system. One set of S-files can support a number of applications, and a number of users on different terminals. The tasks you perform as system administrator define parameters for all applications on the one set of S-files. Each set of S-files supports the administ application, and must be administered by a system administrator. If necessary, you can have more than one set of S-files on the MPE/iX system. In this case, each set of S-files must reside in a separate group although the groups may be in the same account. In an application development environment, the S-files are the most important files in your HP ALLBASE/4GL system. Treat them with the same respect that you give to source code files for third generation language applications. They represent the results of the application developers' efforts, and should be backed up regularly. HP ALLBASE/SQL Database Environments HP ALLBASE/4GL allows application developers to access HP ALLBASE/SQL databases. The developer application contains facilities to create and delete HP ALLBASE/SQL tables in the database environment. The HP ALLBASE/SQL database must exist, and developers must have RESOURCE authority to develop applications that use HP ALLBASE/SQL. Refer to the HP ALLBASE/SQL Database Administration Manual for more information about creating HP ALLBASE/SQL databases. HP ALLBASE/4GL uses the MPE/iX variable HP4SQLPATH to identify the name of the group and account that contains the DBECon file for the database environment, unless you include the group and account in the database name on the application definition screen. Refer to Appendix D of this manual for more details about using HP ALLBASE/SQL databases with HP ALLBASE/4GL. HP TurboIMAGE/iX Databases HP ALLBASE/4GL allows developers to access HP TurboIMAGE/iX databases in applications. Existing HP TurboIMAGE/iX database definitions in schema files can be uploaded into HP ALLBASE/4GL applications using the HP4TUPLD and HP4ATOS utilities. Refer to Appendix E for more information about uploading utilities. HP ALLBASE/4GL uses the MPE/iX variable HP4TIPATH to identify the name of the group and account that contains the HP TurboIMAGE/iX databases, unless the group and account are included in the external database name on the database definition screen. Refer to Appendix E for more information about this variable, and about using HP TurboIMAGE/iX databases used with HP ALLBASE/4GL. Application Data Files HP ALLBASE/4GL can use KSAM (keyed sequential access method) data files and serial data files. Data files for end-user applications can reside in any group and account. This group and account is identified by the variable HP4DATAPATH (refer to MPE/iX Variables). Application developers can use fully qualified file names to specify the external name of a data file. If the developer does not use a fully qualified name, HP ALLBASE/4GL appends the current value of HP4DATAPATH to the file name to determine the external name of the file. If the developer uses a fully qualified file name, HP ALLBASE/4GL uses the data file in the group and account specified by the name. KSAM Data Files. For each KSAM data file, the data manager creates the files name, nameK, and nameS where name is the file name. The name file contains the data, and the nameK file is an index file. The file manager generates and maintains the index file automatically. The nameS file contains a description of the structure of the record layout for the file. This structure file is used during the data file reformatting process. Serial Files. Application developers can use serial files with HP ALLBASE/4GL applications. Typically, a developer would use serial files to import data from external sources, or make data available for other programs. HP ALLBASE/4GL application serial files can have fixed length records, or variable length records. Data File Reformatting KSAM data files used by HP ALLBASE/4GL applications may need to be reformatted after developers have made changes to applications. If changes to applications involve changes to dictionary field specifications or file record layouts, the files must be reformatted before the modified application can use them. HP ALLBASE/4GL provides two ways of reformatting KSAM data files. Application developers can use the Data File Reformat screen in the HP ALLBASE/4GL developer to reformat individual data files. Refer to the HP ALLBASE/4GL Developer Reference Manual for more information about the developer file reformatting facilities. HP ALLBASE/4GL also provides an automatic system that reformats data files during the application loading process. This system is described in Chapter 6 of this manual.