NET/MASTER Network Control Language (NCL) Reference Manual

FILE GET
Verbs
106126 Tandem Computers Incorporated 3–79
ALTKEY= altkey
specifies the two-character identifier that identifies the record's alternate key. This
is applicable to key-sequenced files only.
GENLEN= num
specifies the length of the generic key portion to be used for a generic FILE GET
operation. You can set a current GENLEN value by using the FILE SET verb; this
is the value that NCL uses if this operand is omitted. If no current GENLEN value
has been set, and this operand is omitted, NCL regards the generic key value to be
that of the whole of the supplied key.
ID= fileid
specifies the identity of the file, or pair of files, you want to access by using the
FILE GET verb. This file, or pair of files, becomes the current file, or pair of files.
If this operand is omitted, NCL accesses the last file, or pair of files, identified by
the ID operand in a previous file operation.
KEY= keydata
specifies the partial (generic) or complete key of the record you want to access.
The length of the key operand depends on both the function being performed and
the length of the key required for the current file being accessed. The maximum
key length supported is 255 characters. This operand applies only to
key-sequenced files. This operand can only be used with OPT=KEX or OPT=UPD.
OPT
specifies a generic retrieval operand that determines the search argument for the
record(s) to be accessed.
Note The KEL, KEQ, KEX, KGE, KGT, KLE, KLT, SAVE, and UPD operands apply only to key-sequenced files.
BWD, END, FWD, and SEQ can be used for either key-sequenced or entry-sequenced files. For more
information on key-sequenced and entry-sequenced files, refer to the NonStop NET/MASTER NCL
Programmer's Guide.
BWD
specifies that sequential retrieval is to be performed in a backward direction.
If no preceding file verb has established a position within the file, retrieval
starts with the last record in the file. Subsequent FILE GET verbs that use this
operand return records in descending key order until the beginning of the file
is reached.
You can retrieve records from a specific point by issuing a FILE GET verb with
either a specific or a partial key, followed by a series of FILE GET OPT=BWD
statements to access the required range of records. The KEY= keydata