Pathmaker Programming Guide

Updating Rows
How to Operate a DB Requester Application
B–14 067868 Tandem Computers Incorporated
Updating Rows Only rows that are currently displayed on the screen can be updated. To retrieve a
row(s) to be updated, the end user can use any suitable read operation. After
retrieving the row(s), the following update operations can be requested:
UPDATE—To update a single row at a time.
UPDATE BOX—To update all rows in one box at a time.
When an UPDATE operation is requested, the cursor must be positioned within the
row being updated. When an UPDATE BOX operation is being requested, the cursor
must be positioned within the appropriate box.
You can change the primary key of a record in a Key-Sequenced file or the primary
key of a row in a NonStop SQL table that resides in a Key-Sequenced file when you
initiate an UPDATE operation. (Actually, a DELETE followed by an ADD is
performed by the Pathmaker application.)
Note If the application retrieves a numeric field value and the data value stored in that field is invalid, the
application issues an error message under certain circumstances and displays zeros in the field.
Because Data Administrators often wish to examine any invalid data, you should avoid requesting an
update operation (F14) if the application indicates that an invalid numeric has been encountered. In this
event, the application highlights the fields containing invalid data. (If you press F14 , the application
stores the zeros in the row.)
UPDATE (F14) To change a single row, the end user requests an update operation by doing the
following:
1. Use any read operation to retrieve the row.
2. Make the necessary changes to the fields of the row.
3. Position the cursor within the row to be updated if more than one row appears in
the box.
4. Press F14 to update the row.
UPDATE BOX
(Shifted F14)
To change several rows from one box at one time, the end user must request an
UPDATE BOX operation. (Only those rows that appear on the screen may be
updated.) To request an UPDATE BOX operation, the end user must do the following:
1. Use any read operation to retrieve the rows.
2. Make the necessary changes to the fields of the rows.
3. Press shifted F14 to update the rows.
For applications that access Enscribe files, if the application encounters an error during
the UPDATE BOX operation, it highlights the fields of the record in error. The
application then displays the following prompt on the screen:
Continue processing, Y/N, F1