User guide

Selecting Information
Developing an ENFORM Query
058058 Tandem Computers Incorporated 3–27
Creating a New
Physical File
Use the FIND statement to select data base elements and store them in an unstructured
disc file called a FIND file. A FIND file is useful as an intermediate file for a multi-step
query (one in which a LIST statement subsequently retrieves the data stored in the
FIND file).
Before executing the FIND statement:
Add a description of the record type to be created to the data dictionary.
Establish the necessary query environment.
Establish the necessary linking relationships either with a LINK statement or by
specifying a WHERE clause in the FIND statement.
The FIND statement selects the target list elements to contribute to the FIND file.
Permissible target-list elements for the input records of the FIND statement are: field
names, literals, arithmetic expressions, IF/THEN/ELSE expressions, user variables,
user aggregates, or predefined aggregates.
Figure 3-10 shows the DDL record description of a FIND file named profit, the
ENFORM query containing the FIND statement, and a logical diagram of the resulting
FIND file.