HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Using BRWCONV
This section describes the steps you must follow to run the BRWCONV
program. In addition to this description, the steps are illustrated in
the conversion example at the end of this chapter.
To convert reports
1. Define files and elements in the data dictionary.
2. Verify that item names correspond to HP ALLBASE/BRW syntax.
3. Identify DATE and TIME items.
4. Create the BRWDIC file.
5. Create group sets if desired.
6. Run BRWCONV.
The following sections describe each step in detail.
Define Files, Items, and Elements
Make sure that all items used in the reports you are converting are
defined in the data dictionary. Report/V allows elements to be defined
within a report. HP ALLBASE/BRW always looks in BRWDIC for item
definitions so all elements, including child elements, used in a
report must be defined in the dictionary. (Report/V uses only HP
Dictionary/3000).
There are two ways to tell which items and files you must define in the
dictionary:
* Look through the reports you want to convert for DEFINE
statements. Any count, type, size, dec, storage, parent-name,
orposition parameters contain element information that you must
define in the dictionary. ACCESS statements contain information
about the files that must be defined.
Or...
* you can compile the Report/V reports with the DEFN option to get a
list of all items defined in each report. Use the DICT option to
check the dictionary for definitions. Any elements that are not
defined in either the report or the dictionary and any files
accessed that are not defined in the dictionary will cause
compilation errors.
Verify Item Names
Verify that all item names correspond to the HP ALLBASE/BRW name syntax.
Item names in HP ALLBASE/BRW can be up to 20 characters long. In
addition they must start with a $, @, # or letter. Item names cannot
contain points, commas, round parentheses or spaces. You can use the
dictionary alias name to give an item a legal HP ALLBASE/BRW name.
(There are also a few restrictions, detailed under the section
IMCOMPATIBLE FEATURES, on the Report/V item names that HP ALLBASE/BRW can
recognize.)
Define Date and Time Items
Use the dictionary long-name to identify Date and Time items. In
Report/V, dates and times are ordinary String items. HP ALLBASE/BRW
allows greater flexibiliy for these items. To allow the HP ALLBASE/BRW
options, modify the long-names as described in Chapter 18 of this manual.
Create BRWDIC
Run the appropriate dictionary interface program to create a BRWDIC file.
See Chapter 18 of this manual.
If your dictionary is in another account and you want to create a BRWDIC
in the account where the data is located, you can use file equations:
:file DICT.PUB = DICT.PUB.OTHER
:run BRWD3000.PUB.SYS
Create a Group for Sets of HP ALLBASE/BRW Reports
The BRWCONV program can convert sets of Report/V or Inform/V files. If
you want to convert a set of files, you must create a group to hold the
new HP ALLBASE/BRW specification files before you run the BRWCONV
program.
Run BRWCONV
Follow the steps below to convert the reports.
NOTE If you want to leave the BRWCONV program at any time, do not type a
response to the prompt. Press Return.
To convert a report
1. Run the program BRWCONV.
:RUN BRWCONV.PUB.SYS
BRWCONV prompts you for the type of reports you want to convert.
Report/V or Inform/V to BRW Conversion Program
Enter ? for Help.
Convert from Report/V or from Inform/V (R/I) ?
2. Type R for Report/V reports or I for Inform/V reports.
If you enter a report type, BRWCONV prompts you for the name of
the report you want to convert.
3. Type the report name.
Report/V Source File(s) = @.REPSCRC
You can use wildcards to specify sets of files. (If you are
converting sets of files, you must create a group to contain the
HP ALLBASE/BRW reports before you run BRWCONV.)
When converting Inform/V files, enter the file name or fileset
name only, that is, do not include the II that prefixes all INFORM
filenames. For example, if you want to convert the INFORM file
IIREP01, just enter REP01 when BRWCONV prompts for the filename.
BRWCONV prompts you for the names of the HP ALLBASE/BRW
specification file and execution file (or the groups, if you are
converting a set of reports).
4. Type the execution file or specification file name and press
Return.
Group for BRW Specification Files = BRWSPEC
Group for BRW Execution Files = BRWEXEC
If you specify an execution file name or group, the converted
report(s) are compiled into the specified file(s).
When you convert sets of reports, the HP ALLBASE/BRW files get the same
name as the Report/V files, but are located in the appropriate group.
Verification of Report/V Reports
Before it converts a report, BRWCONV calls the Report/V compiler to make
sure the report is valid. If the compilation fails, an error message is
issued and the report is not converted.
If the compilation succeeds, BRWCONV issues the message "verified" and
proceeds with the conversion. If a file with the name of the HP
ALLBASE/BRW specification file already exists, BRWCONV will issue the
following prompt after the 'verified' message.
verified
BRW specification file SPECLIST.RSPEC exists. Replace it (N/Y)?
If you enter N (or simply press Return), BRWCONV aborts the conversion of
the report (conversion of other reports in a set of reports will not be
affected).
If you enter Y, the old file is purged, and a new one created if the
report conversion is successful.
You can avoid getting this prompt if you run BRWCONV with PARM=1 (see
next page). Parm=1 causes all files with names identical to the HP
ALLBASE/BRW specification file to be purged without getting this prompt.
File Lockwords/Passwords
During the conversion, BRWCONV prompts you for database passwords and
file lockwords. If you specify passwords during report conversion, they
are included in the HP ALLBASE/BRW specifications.
To convert reports with file passwords
1. Follow the same steps as when converting reports without file
passwords.
After the verification of the report, BRWCONV prompts you for the
passwords or lockwords.
2. Respond to the prompts with the appropriate lockword or password.
Here is an example of the prompts for file lockwords and database
passwords:
CUSTLIST.REPSRC
verified
Password for database TOYDB =
converted
compiled
CUSTSTAT.REPSRC
verified
Password for database TOYDB =
converted
compiled
The passwords do not appear on the screen when you type them.
NOTE When you convert sets of reports that use the same database or
file, you can enter the password for the first prompt, then press
Return to subsequent prompts that require the the same password.
To define passwords at execution time
1. Run BRWCONV with PARM=1 as shown here:
:RUN BRWCONV.PUB.SYS;PARM=1
The PARM=1 option suppresses the password prompt and the purge files
prompt. This makes it easy for you to run BRWCONV as a batch job to
convert all of your reports.
Error Messages (RWARN)
Any exceptions that occur during the conversion, such as items which are
not defined in the dictionary or features which do not convert, are
written to a file called RWARN. You can use this file to determine
whether you must make any manual modifications to the HP ALLBASE/BRW
specifications. RWARN has a maximum size of 10000 records. In the
unlikely event of 10000 errors, the RWARN file will fill up, and any
other warnings found will be lost (unless you enlarge the file).
BRWCONV does not change the Report/V reports. It creates new files for
the HP ALLBASE/BRW specifications. Therefore, if BRWCONV warns you that
a feature was not translated correctly, you can either make the necessary
correction to the Report/V report and run BRWCONV again, or you can
modify the new HP ALLBASE/BRW report.
Inform/V Reports
You can use BRWCONV to convert Inform/V reports if you have the program
INFCNV.PUB.SYS on your system. BRWCONV translates all Inform/V features,
so no manual modifications are necessary.
On-line Help Facility
BRWCONV includes an on-line help facility that you can access by entering
a question mark (?) as the response to any prompt. (Except, of course,
prompts for passwords!)