HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
GLOSSARY This glossary explains the meaning of terms and words used in HP ALLBASE/4GL. In some cases, the terms used in HP ALLBASE/4GL may differ in meaning from the same terms used in a conventional programming environment. administ The name of the administrator application. It is a reserved application name. It is also the user name reserved for the system administrator. Administrator The person who controls the HP ALLBASE/4GL site configuration and controls access by developers and users. Administrator application The HP ALLBASE/4GL application used by the system administrator to control the system-wide site configuration. *ALL A special HP ALLBASE/4GL user name to allow all system users access to an application or version. Application A computer solution designed to suit a specific purpose, also known as a program. An HP ALLBASE/4GL application is a program written in HP ALLBASE/4GL which is executed using the HP ALLBASE/4GL run-time or developer environment. Archive A mode of operation for HP ALLBASE/SQL databases. In archive mode, HP ALLBASE/SQL maintains a permanent log of all database transactions in a log file (or two log files if dual logging is enabled). The database log files can be used in conjunction with a backup copy of the database to recover lost data with the STARTDBE RECOVER command. Base application An application that is used as a base for one or more versions. The base application can be used without the versions, but the versions of a base application cannot be used unless the base application is present on the same HP ALLBASE/4GL system. Case A typographical term used to distinguish uppercase (capital letters) and lowercase characters. HP ALLBASE/4GL is case sensitive with respect to user names, application and version names, and passwords. Commit The HP ALLBASE/4GL term for the action that terminates the processing of a field or screen and stores the user's input. Communication area field A field maintained by both the application and HP ALLBASE/4GL itself. Communication area fields may be either alterable or read only. Database A central storage mechanism for computer data. HP ALLBASE/4GL applications can access data stored in HP ALLBASE/SQL databases and HP TurboIMAGE/iX databases. Data file File used to hold data for an application. HP ALLBASE/4GL uses KSAM data files or serial data files. Data set A collection of data entries, or records, within an HP TurboIMAGE/iX database. Data screen A screen on which the user can enter data, and on which the system displays information. HP ALLBASE/4GL data screens can contain a scrolling area and/or a window. Date format Each HP ALLBASE/4GL site has one date format (specified by the system administrator) that applies to all developers and users. The format is either the US date format MM/DD/YY, or the European date format DD/MM/YY. Regardless of the date format, HP ALLBASE/4GL stores all dates internally in the format YY/MM/DD. The chosen system-wide data format controls the presentation of dates on screens and reports. Default application An application or version whose name always appears in the Application or Version field on the HP ALLBASE/4GL sign-on screen when a particular user signs on to HP ALLBASE/4GL. The user can type over the default to run a different application if required. The end user definition screen contains a field that allows you to enter a default application or version name for a user. Developer A person who uses the developer application to develop end-user applications. Development security code An auxiliary password that enables developers to protect individual item specifications against unauthorized modification. A development security code can be set by the system administrator for each application. A developer signing on to the application under the security code can then secure items in the application. Secured items can only be changed by developers who have signed on using the correct development security code. developr The name of the developer application. It is a reserved name and cannot be used for other purposes. Dictionary The part of an HP ALLBASE/4GL application that contains definitions such as field specifications and the names of application components such as variables. The application developer uses the facilities in the dictionary menu of the HP ALLBASE/4GL developer to define dictionary entries. Edit code A code assigned to a field specification, a screen field, or a report field that defines the type of data stored or displayed in the field. Refer to the HP ALLBASE/4GL Developer Reference Manual for an explanation of the HP ALLBASE/4GL edit codes. Enable/disable To make active (or inactive). End user A person who uses HP ALLBASE/4GL to run an application or a version. Field specification A dictionary entry that defines the editing and data validation characteristics of a field. Function An HP ALLBASE/4GL logic entity. A function is similar to a subroutine in a conventional language system. It consists of between 1 and 30 logic commands. Generate To validate and transform HP ALLBASE/4GL source parameters into an executable format. An application must be generated before it can be used. HP ALLBASE/4GL contains facilities to generate individual components or entire applications. HP ALLBASE/QUERY HP ALLBASE/QUERY is an easy-to-use terminal based interface to databases that allows users to formulate queries and print reports about database records. It also allows users to update databases. HP ALLBASE/SQL A relational database management system which operates on both the HP-UX and MPE/iX operating systems. HP TurboIMAGE/iX A network database management system which operates on the MPE/iX operating system. Initial action The first action executed in an HP ALLBASE/4GL application. This action can be a menu or a process. The name and type of the initial action for an application is defined in the development administration environment. ISQL ISQL is an abbreviation for "interactive structured query language." The ISQL program allows you to create, configure and access HP ALLBASE/SQL databases interactively. Refer to the ISQL Reference Manual for more information. Justification Alignment of data within its boundaries. HP ALLBASE/4GL provides justification of data within the left and right boundaries of the field. A field can be specified such that it is justified on the first character position (left justified), the last character position (right justified), centered within the field, or not justified at all. KSAM This is a data file management system, used by HP ALLBASE/4GL. It is an abbreviation for "keyed sequential access method". An HP ALLBASE/4GL KSAM file consists of three MPE/iX files with the suffixes D, K, and S. The D suffix file contains the actual data records, and the K suffix file is the index to the data records. The S suffix file contains information about the structure of the file records and the index. Load/unload The HP ALLBASE/4GL utilities used when transporting an application to another site. The unload utility copies the application into a single file, and the load utility transfers the application copy from that file into the HP ALLBASE/4GL environment at the destination site. Logic block The series of commands that make up an HP ALLBASE/4GL process or function. Each logic block contains from 1 to 99 lines of logic commands. Logic command The HP ALLBASE/4GL commands a developer uses to manipulate an application's data and control its logic flow. Master title A literal defined under a master title name by the system administrator. The master title can be referenced by name by developers for use in applications to ensure consistency of items such as company names, report titles, and so on. Menu A type of screen that allows the user to choose from a number of options using the terminal keyboard (or a touchscreen terminal). Pressing the Return key or the Activate Item function key activates the selected item. Menu item security The system administrator can choose to apply menu item security to any items on the application menus. The security consists of a list of authorized users for each secured item. To activate a secured menu item, a user must be listed as an authorized user for that item. Message An information message, query, error, or warning displayed on an application screen. HP ALLBASE/4GL displays all messages on lines 23 and 24 of the screen. The user must acknowledge query messages by entering a reply and pressing Return. Module A group of commands stored in an HP ALLBASE/SQL database. The module for an HP ALLBASE/4GL application contains information that HP ALLBASE/SQL needs to execute the commands required for the application. The module must be installed in the database environment before the application can be used. All application users must have run authority for the module. MPE/iX The operating system for the HP 3000 series 900 computers. MPE/iX environment The system environment under which HP ALLBASE/4GL operates. It includes peripheral devices, the data storage devices, and the file management system. MPE/iX variables Variables set in the MPE/iX environment and used by HP ALLBASE/4GL to determine the locations of the files used by HP ALLBASE/4GL. Name recall Context-sensitive recall facility that allows developers to scroll through the names of items that are defined for the field type (the item type expected in the active field) on an active HP ALLBASE/4GL screen. Pad character A character used to fill a field. Typically a space or a zero. Process An HP ALLBASE/4GL logic entity. A process is similar to a program in a conventional language system. It consists of between 1 and 30 logic commands. Range A validation range specifying the lower and upper limits for the contents of a field. Reserved names HP ALLBASE/4GL has six reserved names. All six are contained in the developer system. The runtime environment does not contain the HPLIBnnn and ULIBnnn reserved applications. HPLIBnnn and ULIBnnn (where nnn is the three-digit language identifier) are the names of applications that contain module builder templates. The following names are reserved in both the developer and run-time environments: administ is the name of the administrator application; developr is the name of the developer application; HPlogo is the name of an application used to contain customized sign-on screen windows; and hpqm is a user name to be used to gain direct access to HP ALLBASE/QUERY, if it exists on the system. Run-time environment A special version of HP ALLBASE/4GL. It contains only those parts of HP ALLBASE/4GL that are required to run completed end user applications and the necessary system administration facilities. Source code The information entered by the application developer while an application is being developed. In HP ALLBASE/4GL, the developer's source code is converted to an executable form in a procedure called generation. The developer's source code does not need to be present to run an application in the HP ALLBASE/4GL run-time environment. SQL SQL is an abbreviation for "structured query language". HP ALLBASE/SQL uses the industry standard structured query language to access and update data stored in HP ALLBASE/SQL databases used by HP ALLBASE/4GL. SQLUTIL HP ALLBASE/SQL utility program. This program allows you to perform various maintenance and utility functions on HP ALLBASE/SQL databases. Refer to the HP ALLBASE/SQL Database Administration Guide for more information. Synonyms The system administrator can establish synonyms for logic command names and communication area names. Developer users can use the synonyms in place of the standard HP ALLBASE/4GL names. Synonyms are valid only for the site for which they have been defined. System Administrator The person who administers the HP ALLBASE/4GL site configuration and controls access by users. System files The HP ALLBASE/4GL system files are sets of files containing the definitions of any installed applications. These files are referred to as the HP ALLBASE/4GL S-files. They operate in conjunction with a set of HP ALLBASE/4GL program files. termdata A database describing terminals, based on the standard MPE/iX terminfo database. Hewlett Packard programs that use termdata information include HP ALLBASE/QUERY and HP ALLBASE/4GL. See also: Terminfo. terminfo A database describing terminals. Terminals are described in terminfo by giving a set of capabilities that they have, and by describing how operations are performed. Many MPE/iX programs that interact with a terminal use terminfo information. Training mode HP ALLBASE/4GL operating mode that enables users to execute all parts of an application without being able to change or update the application's data files. This allows end users to familiarize themselves with an application without worrying about inadvertently corrupting the data files. Training mode can be invoked for individual users either by the system administrator or by the users themselves. A user can enter training mode by pressing a function key and can then exit the mode with another function key. If training mode is invoked by the system administrator it can only be cancelled by the system administrator. Unload/load The HP ALLBASE/4GL utilities used when transporting an application to another environment. The unload utility copies the application into a single file, and the load facility transfers the application copy from this file into the HP ALLBASE/4GL system at the destination site. Version A set of additional parameters that operate in conjunction with an HP ALLBASE/4GL application to modify the application to suit the needs of a particular end user or group of end users. A version cannot exist unless the base application also exists on the same HP ALLBASE/4GL system. Window HP ALLBASE/4GL screen that is overlaid on the current screen starting at the line number defined for the current screen. Window screens operate exactly as normal data screens. However, they may not contain windows or scroll areas. Window screens cannot be displayed independently of a normal data screen.