ProView

1. Access records in your database in an ad hoc manner, including display, change, add and delete capability. This function is of use mainly to programmers and DP personnel.

2. Create customised programs for viewing specific files. These programs may be used in end-user applications for search, display and simple update operations.

Viewing Database Records

• Access physical or logical files, including join files & OPNQRYF's by key or Relative Record Number (RRN).
• Display single or multiple records per screen.
• Optional audit trail.
• Display/update/add/delete records.
• Instant creation without setup time.
• Select fields for display and rearrange their order.
• Display field names and attributes (length, decimal positions).
• Display database relations - logicals over a physical, with their keys.
• Scan for data in one or more fields.
• Print single or multiple records.

Creating Customised Programs

Customised programs may be created interactively by ProView. The creation process is quicker than conventional compilers (it takes about 20 sec.) because compile and assembly stages are bypassed.

Each PROVIEW program is created to display a single file, which may be physical or logical, including join and OPNQRYF's. Exit calls to other programs may be defined and data from the files may be passed as parameters; these called programs may be PROVIEW-created or non- PROVIEW programs. Thus, an application system can be built from communicating programs.

To create a customised program over a file, use the VIEW command to display the file and select options to arrange the screens as desired. Then use F6 to create a program which incorporates the chosen options.

ProView Options allow you to:

• Allow or prevent add, change or delete functions.
• Specify screen titles and footings.
• Eliminate information not useful to end-user audiences: e.g., file name.
• Select and rearrange the sequence of fields.
• Override column headings, edit codes, display lengths.
• Edit Julian dates.
• Specify whether lower-case data may be keyed into fields.
• Specify programs to be called by Function keys, selection bar entries, or characters (such as ?) keyed into fields.
• Call OS/400 programs, such as QCAEXEC.
• Specify data to be passed to called programs such as:
  • Fields from the file.
  • Literals (constant data).
  • Names of the file, format, fields, job, user profile, etc.
  • Substrings of names.
• Limit the display to records with the same leading keys, e.g. item records for one sales order number.
• Prevent the user from changing leading keys passed from a calling program.

ProView has the following limits:

• Maximum number of fields in a file: 9999
• Maximum record length:                   9999
• Maximum field size:                          1356