MULTIDB

Opens additional data bases and modifies their environment specifications.

Syntax

   MULTID[B] [data base name]

Parameter

data base name: is the name of an IMAGE data base.

Discussion

MULTIDB enables you to open two or more data bases for simultaneous access, and can also be used to modify the environment of those data bases already opened with a MULTIDB command.

MULTIDB can specify an additional data base only after a primary data base has been defined with the DEFINE or DATA-BASE= command. Up to 10 data bases can be opened at one time, including the data base opened with the DEFINE or DATA-BASE= command.

Assume you have defined data base FIRST with the DEFINE command and want to access data base SECOND. You would enter:

      >MULTIDB

      DATA-BASE = >>SECOND

      PASSWORD = >>CLERK

      MODE = >>6

      DATA-SETS = >>RETURN

      DATA-BASE = >>//

The DATA-BASE, PASSWORD, MODE, and DATA-SETS parameters have the same meaning as in the DEFINE command. To clear the data sets list for a specific data base, enter two asterisks (**) after the DATA-SETS prompt. MULTIDB will continue to prompt you for these specifications until a carriage return or two slashes (//) is entered at the DATA-BASE= prompt. Entering a carriage return has no effect on the current environment specifications.

If you are signed on as the creator and enter a semicolon in place of the data base password, you will be given read and write class access to all data items and data sets in the specified data base. This is true even if there are no passwords specified for the data base.

If you enter an invalid password, you will be assigned a user class of zero which allows you read and/or write access to some or all of the data sets and data items in the specified data base. When this happens, the following message is printed:

      PASSWORD DOES NOT MATCH ANY DEFINED FOR SPECIFIED DATA BASE;

      USER CLASS ZERO (0) WAS ASSIGNED

If there are no data sets and/or data items which you can access, the following message will be returned:

   BAD PASSWORD

If you are not sure that you will have access to the data items that you need, you can change the password with the MULTIDB command.

You must qualify the first data item name in the command with the appropriate data base name. If you are accessing a data base:

other than the one opened with a DEFINE or DATA-BASE= command.
with a command other than JOIN, MULTIFIND, SUBSET on a compound select file, or REPORT on a compound data set select file.
with a command for which a data base name can be specified.

Only the first item need be qualified. If the item name is not qualified, QUERY assumes the data base to be the one opened with the DEFINE or DATA-BASE= command. If the data base is in another group and/or account, then the group and/or account name must be specified. The JOIN, MULTIFIND, SUBSET, and REPORT commands will prompt for a data base name if there is any ambiguity. The DBLIST= command may be used to specify which data base(s) to use.

The MULTIDB command can be used to open more data bases or to modify the environment specifications of a data base previously opened with MULTIDB. For example, if you wanted to open a third data base (THIRD) and modify the MODE of data base SECOND, you would enter:

Example

      >MULTIDB

      DATA-BASE = SECOND

      DATA-BASE = >>RETURN

      PASSWORD = ********

      PASSWORD = >>RETURN

      MODE = 1

      MODE = >>2

      DATA-SETS = SALES,INVENTORY

      DATA-SETS = >>RETURN



      DATA-BASE = >>THIRD

      PASSWORD = >>MGR

      MODE = >>6

      DATA-SETS = >>CUSTOMER



      DATA-BASE = >>//

MULTIDB

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents

Syntax

Parameter

Discussion

Example