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Software Database Systems¶

ND 10185 ACCESS¶

High Level Query Language and Transaction Handling System¶

Introduction¶

Query languages provide a convenient way to retrieve data from, or modify data in a general Data Base Management System. To manipulate data, the commands in the query language may be executed directly from the user's VDU screen. A characteristic user may be a non-programmer with little prior experience, since the number of concepts to learn are reduced to a minimum. It is easy to define new databases and add information to existing ones. However, the person who is responsible for the creation of new databases should have some knowledge of databases and the operating system.

ACCESS makes it possible to manipulate the content of a database with a non-procedural language. This means that the user specifies which data are wanted, and lets the system decide how these data shall be found. The user thinks of the database as a set of tables, and may insert, delete, update and retrieve data in the database. Less than three hours of instruction are required for non-programmers to acquire the skills necessary to make fairly complex queries.

Features¶

Easy to learn (2-3 hours).
Requires little or no data processing background to use already defined databases.
Allows the end-user to express queries using familiar terminology and logic within the two-dimensional framework.
Minimizes the number of concepts to be learned.
A powerful facility for posing complex queries.
Simple report generator facility.
Output of a result with a user-defined format.
Forms for data input integrated with NOTIS-WP.
Histogram prints of a result.
Provides for a local EPSON-II matrix printer to be attached to the VDU screen.
Can be used by all VDUs supported by ND, and makes use of the special keys on the NOTIS Terminal (ND 246).
User-defined queries may be saved and executed later.
May be used in conjunction with other ND products, for example MERCUR, for data analysis of retrieved data.
Sorting on ascending or descending order with up to five sort criteria.
Provides for accessing ISAM files, SIBAS databases and flat files (sequential files with fixed record length).

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10185-A2-6000-0882

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The Basic Concepts¶

All programming is done within two-dimensional skeleton forms. This is accomplished by filling the appropriate skeleton tables of the database with an example of the solution.

The skeleton tables are displayed using a command, and the user does not need to remember the exact content of a table. It is very easy to move from column to column in a skeleton table and to delete non-desired columns. Each table may have up to 100 columns.

The system consists of a series of individual modules. All text is as far as possible similar to the NOTIS-WP editor. A compiled transaction sequence may be stored and retrieved later for execution. This execution is done in background.

It will be possible to call a stored query from application programs written in COBOL, FORTRAN or PLANC. The query execution will then be done in an RT-process.

Use of Access¶

A database is defined with the program DBA (Data Base Administration module). In order to use ACCESS, the user must have been defined by a person responsible for the system, and must have access to the databases. The database is defined through its various tables, and each table by its data elements. After the logical data model has been defined, it must be linked up with a physical set of files. If desired, data from old files may be included, and will be available for almost immediate access.

Example¶

This example consists of an operation performed on a register of the members/clients of a typical organization:

Members	First name	Last name	Address	Postal Code	Telephone
Jim	Butcher	15 Crescent Lane, London	SW4	01-2347549

Query: Find all members living in postal area EC1. Print their names, addresses, etc.

Members	First name	Last name	Address	Postal Code
Print				'EC1'

Result:

1.

Members	First name	Last name	Address
Alan	Reynolds	13 The Mall	EC1
Joan	Roberts	29 High Street	EC1
Fred	Jackson	71 Market Street	EC1

Alternative output for printing address labels:

Allan Reynolds     Joan Roberts     Fred Jackson
13 The Mall        29 High Street   71 Market Street
EC1                EC1              EC1

Creation of standard letters with NOTIS-WP:

                            our organization
                               our address
                               somewhere
                              March 12th, 1982

Allan Reynolds 
13 The Mall
EC1

Dear Allan,
------------------------------------------------

Documentation¶

Access User Guide .......................... ND-60.153
Access DBA Manual ......................... ND-30.022

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