HP System Dictionary/XL Utilities Reference Manual - Part 1 SDDBD (32256-90003)

Chapter 6 55

Running the SDDBC Program

System Dictionary Command Language

The general format of the System Dictionary Command Language for SDDBC is:

• a command

• one or more keyword clauses (if required)

The System Dictionary Command Language is free formatted, which means the command

and keyword clauses may appear on the same or different lines. Commands and keyword

clauses are considered to be phrases and the order of these phrases is important. The

command must precede the keyword clauses, but the keyword clauses are non-positional.

This means that among themselves, keyword clauses may be entered in any order, thus

relieving the user from having to follow any particular sequence. For example, it does not

matter if keyword-clause1 is entered before or after keyword-clause2.

Phrases

command SDDBC-deﬁned name which speciﬁes the action to be

taken

keyword clause A qualifying value. A keyword followed by an equal sign

(=), followed by a keyword value list. A keyword is an

SDDBC-deﬁned name. A keyword value list is zero or

more values separated by commas. Values are user-deﬁned

names. Keyword clauses are separated by semicolons.

Punctuation Characters

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

. Command terminator. The period is used to signify the end of a string of

characters denoting a command. It is optional for the one word commands:

COMMENT, CREATE, EXIT, HELP, REDO, RESET, SHOW.

, Separates items in a list. The comma is used to separate values in a

keyword value list.

; Separates keyword clauses. If there are two or more keyword clauses,

there must be semicolons between them.

= Speciﬁes a keyword and a keyword value list pair. For example,

DICTIONARY = sysdic

( Used with the CONTROL keyword clause to specify the beginning of a

keyword value list.

) Used with the CONTROL keyword clause to specify the end of a keyword

value list.

“ Used around character string values (use two “ to represent an embedded “

in the string). Optional around passwords as long as the value can be

accepted as a valid name to the System Dictionary (i.e., no punctuation or