PCFORMAT User's Guide

Tandem Database to 654X Application: A Complete Example
Operation
066374 Tandem Computers Incorporated 2–9
with the Lotus “/File Import” command. Since the BASIC format is the
most direct approach, we will use it in this example.
Assuming the database dictionary is in the same subvolume as the
CYCPARTS file, the PCFORMAT command should look like:
:PCFORMAT COPY (FORMAT BASIC,PURGE) CYCPARTS
AS PARTLIST
The BASIC format output file is named PARTLIST, and if an earlier version
of PARTLIST is in the current subvolume, it is automatically purged.
6. It’s time to return to the MS-DOS environment to run IXF and
Lotus 1-2-3. To do so, press and hold the CTRL key and then press
END (CTRL-END).
7. When the MS-DOS prompt appears on the screen, remove the diskettes
from drives A and B. Install the IXF diskette in drive A and your
formatted data diskette in drive B. Enter the following IXF GET
command at the MS-DOS prompt:
A>IXF GET (PURGE) PARTLIST AS B:PARTLIST.PRN
IXF responds by displaying two lines of header information and a status
line explaining that the transfer is underway. This command transfers the
PARTLIST file from the current subvolume on the host to the root directory
on the data diskette in drive B. If the root directory contains a file named
PARTLIST.PRN prior to the transfer, it is automatically purged. The IXF
command performs a binary (byte-for-byte) transfer on all PCFORMAT
output files by default because all PCFORMAT output files are
unstructured (see Section 3). This means the BINARY option does not have
to be explicitly used in the IXF command.
The PRN extension was added to PARTLIST in the IXF command so that
PARTLIST.PRN can be used directly by Lotus 1-2-3. Lotus 1-2-3 uses the
PRN extension to denote print files, and a file must have a PRN extension to
be used with the “/File Import” command. By including the PRN
extension with the IXF command, you can avoid having to add the
extension later with the MS-DOS RENAME command.