Enform Plus Reference Manual

Introduction
Enform Plus Reference Manual—422684-001
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Enform Plus Terminology
Request-qualification. A condition or conditions that a database element must meet
before it is selected to contribute to your query output. A request-qualification begins
with a WHERE keyword followed by a logical expression.
Compiler/report writer. The Enform Plus process that compiles your query and writes
a report (if one is requested). The compiler/report writer issues error messages for
syntax errors. If no errors exist, the compiler/report writer passes your compiled query
specifications along with information obtained from the dictionary to the query
processor. After the query processor returns the retrieved data (in the form of target-
records, described later on this page), the compiler/report writer formats and writes the
report.
Dictionary. Physical files that contain information called record descriptions. A record
description provides Enform Plus with information about the name of the record being
accessed, the name and data type of any fields within the record, the record and field
length, the name of any primary or alternate key fields, and the name of the physical file
associated with the record description. The Data Definition Language (DDL) compiler
creates the dictionary from record descriptions written in DDL. The dictionary must
exist before your query specifications are processed. See the Data Definition Language
(DDL) Reference Manual and the Enform User's Guide for more information about the
dictionary.
Query processor. The Enform Plus process that uses the information provided by the
compiler/report writer to retrieve information from the database. The query processor
also performs other functions such as creating a new physical file and transmitting
records to a host language program. Creating a new physical file is described with the
FIND Statement
on page 4-16 of this manual. The host-language interface is described
in the Enform User's Guide.
Target-records. The records built by the query processor from which your Enform Plus
output is produced. The query processor returns the target-records to the compiler/report
writer if the Enform Plus output is to be formatted and written as a report.
Database. The collection of physical files from which the query processor retrieves
data. Any physical file from which data is retrieved must be associated with the record
description obtained from the dictionary.