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by Doug Myers
Database Lab, Commercial System Division
Overview
This is an overview of the features of ALLBASE/SQL version G3 on MPE/iX 6.0
release (C.60.00):
- ALLBASE/SQL manual set on is on Instant Information CD-ROM
- String functions, a new feature for ALLBASE/SQL G3
- Security features, introduced with ALLBASE/SQL G2
- Year 2000 compatibility, introduced with ALLBASE/SQL G2
- Manuals updated
- CAST function, introduced with G1.15
Instant Information CD-ROM
The entire manual set for ALLBASE/SQL is now available on the new CD-ROM
documentation system, "Instant Information." You can now look up information
quickly in the on-line documentation.
String Functions
The supported SQL syntax has been enhanced to include the following string
manipulation functions: UPPER, LOWER, POSITION, INSTR, TRIM, LTRIM
and RTRIM. These string functions allow you to manipulate or examine
the CHAR and VARCHAR values within the SQL syntax, allowing
for more sophisticated queries and data manipulation commands to be formed.
The specifications for each of these functions is described in "New Features
in ALLBASE/SQL Version G3" in Chapter 10, "Technical Articles."
MONITOR and INSTALL Authorities
Two new authorities were added in the G2 release of ALLBASE/SQL:
MONITOR and INSTALL. These authorities can be granted or
revoked to users. MONITOR authority gives the ability to run
SQLMON, an on-line diagnostic tool that monitors the activity of an
ALLBASE/SQL DBEnvironment.
INSTALL authority gives users the ability to use the SQL
preprocessors to create an SQL module owned by someone other than themselves,
or to use ISQL to install a module owned by someone other than themselves.
This is an important capability for those needing to move modules from a
development DBEnvironment to a production DBEnvironment.
Year 2000 Compatibility
ALLBASE/SQL has always stored dates in a four-digit year format which largely
eliminates the year 2000 compatibility problem. ALLBASE/SQL applications can
be coded using four-digit year dates. However, for existing applications that
may allow dates to be entered using a two-digit year format, there is still an
issue as to how these dates get converted to the ALLBASE/SQL internal format
using the TO_DATE function or TO_DATETIME. For an
explanation on how these are handled, refer to the article, "New Features in
ALLBASE/SQL Version G3," in Chapter 10, "Technical Articles."
CAST Function
The CAST function enhancement for ALLBASE/SQL and IMAGE/SQL became
available to customers with the G1.15 release. The CAST function is
used to explicitly convert data from one data type to another.
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