Location of Files / Expand Settings

This option allows you to reference the database files that are to be used within the ProFiler application.

You may use up to eight files in each application, the possible file types are:

Main (or Master) file

Detail File

Look-Up File

Text Look-Up File

Constant File

Independent File

The first file must be the main file and it usually has a prime index. The main file is also often referred to as the master file. The main file can have a one-to-many relationship with a detail file; thus one customer (say) on the main file may have many transactions on the transaction detail file, but each transaction only belongs to one customer. The main file may have several different detail files off it but a detail file cannot itself have another detail file (except when defined via another ProFiler application).

Datafile Accounting Applications

Any file (main file or detail file) may have a look-up file. If you already use other Datafile applications you will quickly see examples of lookup files – for example when entering order details you ‘look-up’ to the stock record to validate the input of the stock code and to copy description and price information to the order detail file.

A text look-up file may also be defined as part of your application. If used then this DFD must be file 8 in the location of files for the application. A text look-up file allows you to enter a short ‘code’ and replace it with text up to 64-characters in length (subject to the size of item being updated). This allows you a facility to enter brief short codes for text that recurs frequently.To enable the text lookup option you need to set the options within Application Profile / General Details – setting that you wish to use the facility and that the code, usually a $ sign, that you enter after the code to signify that a text lookup is required.

The structure of the text lookup file is:

No Item Name Type Description

1 CODE X (16) Prime Index of lookup file

2 TEXT X (64) Text to be updated

A constant file is a database with only one record reserved.The values of the constant single record can then be used throughout your application screen and report designs and also in selection criteria. E.g. a constant database could contain name & address details which could be printed in your reports. The use of a constant database is discussed in greater detail in Application Profile of this chapter.

An independent file is one that is not related to any of the other files.

Remember that for each application in ProFiler, there must be one overall main file, and it must be first on the list of files which this screen defines.

Name

The name is the short identification given to each file. This name will be used throughout the ProFiler program as the main way of identifying the database file.

Base Files

Base files are used in a similar manner to Datafile accounting applications, whereby the layout of the file is maintained as a base file with only one record. This file will be used for when you use New Database Creation to create your live database files.

Bases file are optional and you may specify live files only. This is usual when your ProFiler application is using existing database files from other applications such as those in Datafile accounting applications or you have created the files yourself by use of Database Utilities or by use of the DataFiler options.

Live Files

Live files must be specified. These will be the files your application actually uses when it is loaded. Use the <F4-Select> key to help locate the files you require. The pathname prefix used for the application in Multi-Application Facilities is inserted for you when you specify the location of a new file — you can override it as appropriate.

If referencing a database from the standard applications, such as the Sales Ledger Accounts file, and the ProFiler application is to be used for several companies then you can replace the company id for the live file with three question marks (i.e. ???-SLA.DFD). When using the ProFiler application the system will replace the ??? with the current company id and open the file. You can also use the ??? option against databases that are only used in ProFiler.

Expand Settings

When a database is created it is given a fixed amount of records available (reserved). As the file becomes full over time it needs to be expanded to continue adding records to it. This option allows you to set parameters to automatically expand the file as it becomes full.

Each database used within the application is listed and you set three parameters for each:

Expand By – set the number of records to add to the database during the expansion. If the database is added to regularly then set the number sufficiently high so that 2-3 months of transactions can be added before it requires expansion again.

When less – this asks for the number of records free before expansion will take place. The expansion takes place when an operator opens this file and the records available (reserved less in use) is less than this value and the operator can gain an exclusive lock on the file. If the database is added to regularly set this value to be slightly more than the number of records added in an average day – this helps ensure the first operator to use the file in the morning will expand the file and you will not have to have a delay later in the day to ask all users to release the file so that a necessary expansion takes place.

Minimum Spare – this asks for the number of records free before an expansion must take place. This would only be reached in no operator has had an exclusive lock on the file to expand it since the ‘when less’ value was reached. When this value is reached operators are prevented from beginning any process within the application, but allowing operators to finish the procedures they are running and exit the process – the file will then be expanded by the first operator back in the application. The minimum spare would typically be set to a quarter of the ‘when less’ than value but you may increase this if a common process generates a lot of new records, or reduce this if no process adds more than 1 or 2 records.

Constant File