Pathmaker Reference Manual

2 Pathmaker Application
Definition Language (PMADL)
067869 Tandem Computers Incorporated 2–1
PMADL provides a syntax-based interface for accessing Pathmaker projects and
project catalogs. It supports many of the same functions supported by the Pathmaker
block-mode interface, such as managing Pathmaker application objects.
This section on PMADL describes general PMADL usage and language elements, and
then includes syntax descriptions for PMADL statements and PMADL commands.
PMADL statements are functions that pertain to Pathmaker application objects in a
Pathmaker catalog. PMADL commands are functions that pertain to a specific
PMADL environment or to standard features supported by PMADL.
The section is organized as follows:
“PMADL Usage” covers the benefits of using PMADL and lists the statements and
commands in the order in which you would use them.
“PMADL Language Elements” gives the command syntax for invoking PMADL
and summarizes PMADL features such as input and output file management and
process termination procedure.
“PMADL Statements” defines language statements supported by PMADL.
“PMADL Commands” gives the syntax of PMADL compiler and utility
commands.
A sample PMADL session appears in Appendix A, “Sample PMADL Session.”
PMADL Usage Use PMADL to:
Define, generate, and delete Pathmaker application objects. PMADL generates
application objects from the Pathmaker project catalog, using textual statements
and commands instead of the Pathmaker screen interface.
Edit the generated Pathmaker application objects with a text editor and source
them into the same or a different project catalog. The editing process simplifies
making large-scale changes to the objects in a Pathmaker project.
Generate Pathmaker objects programmatically. PMADL eliminates the necessity
for programs or tools to communicate with Pathmaker user interface servers or
access Pathmaker project catalogs directly. Thus, customer-developed programs
or tools that generate PMADL source code do not have to be modified when the
Pathmaker catalog structure is modified—for a new release, for example. The
PMADL application development language is easy to generate and remains stable
across Pathmaker releases.
Make an image of a reference catalog to facilitate testing, diagnosing, and
correcting problems in Pathmaker projects. PMADL can describe objects in
unusual or arcane states and can be used to compare objects obtained using
different interfaces or operations.
Archive a project into a single, large text file.