DCL_DATABASE, Utilities, A DCL Database



LAST UPDATE - 13th June 1994

Its only simple so I'm not going to explain, best thing
to do is to read the headers at the top of the command
procedures BUILD_DATABASE.COM and USE_DATABASE.COM

Basically you'll need to run BUILD_DATABASE.COM
first - this allows you to define the different
fields for each record in your database. Once
this is done and setup to use it do :

@use_database name_of_database.FDL

If you have any suggestions/enhancements/ comments
mail me on :

MVANBELLEN@JABBA.HNS.COM

Regards,

	Mark Van-Bellen

p.s. Let me know if you find this useful (I'm just kinda curious!)

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NEW FEATURES

Customisation, create a file with the same name as the database but of type CUS
Its easier if I illustrate :

ie. if you have a database called

LAT_PORT_CREATIONS

its definition will be called

LAT_PORT_CREATIONS.FDL

the database information will be in

LAT_PORT_CREATIONS.DAT

The customisation file will be (where required)

LAT_PORT_CREATIONS.CUS

The example below is a .CUS file

2=DEFAULT_DATE.DB
3=DEFAULT_USER.DB
4=LAST_ENTRY.DB
5=LAST_ENTRY.DB

Then each time the database has additions or modifications made to it, when
you come to enter field 2, the program default_date.db is called, the same with
field 3. Field 4 fills in the last entry you used for this field etc..

This is default_date.db

$date=f$cvtime("TODAY","ABSOLUTE","DATE")           ! <- todays date
$write sys$output "›''p1';''p2'H''date'"	    ! <- p1 and p2 are passed
						    ! by use_database as the
						    ! location where the info
						    ! is being prompted for
$write sys$output "›22;30HPRESS RETURN TO ACCEPT TODAYS DATE              "
$read sys$command a /prompt="›''p1';''p2'H"
$if a .eqs. ""
$	then
$		a="''date'"			    ! basically if you push
$	else					    ! return, this date is
$		a="''a'"			    ! accepted
$endif
$result:=='a					    ! your response returned
$exit						    ! in a global symbol

You can write your own custom programs providing they return a result in the
global symbol result.

Mail me any custom bits you might think useful to others and I'll repackage
and send back to fileserv@wkuvx1.bitnet (I won't do this immediately).

Logical Names
=============

DBASE$PROGS should be defined to point to where your custom programs (*.DB)
are, otherwise it defaults to sys$login.

DBASE$EXTRA should be defined if you wish to pass options on the request
to print line. For example

	define dbase$extra "\queue=lineprinter\form=continuous\notify"

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