Before creating a database, the user should know what information is useful to retrieve and in what context it should be presented. INFO/ACCESS gives developers the ability to design complex reports and forms, which can be sent to the user’s display screen, a printer, a tape drive, floppy disk drive or other backup media. For the most part, INFO/ACCESS allows the developer to forego writing programs to generate reports.
Its English-like syntax makes it suitable for direct use even by end users. Users can query the database and display information in formatted reports on the screen or printer.
The major component of an INFO/ACCESS query is an action-oriented command, such as LIST, SORT, or COUNT. You can use INFO/ACCESS commands to:
Display and print lists.
Sort items according to complex criteria.
Select items to be included in a report.
The various elements of INFO/ACCESS syntax can make for some long command lines. There are several ways to store and execute INFO/ACCESS commands. Using the EXECUTE statement, any INFO/ACCESS statement can be executed from an mvBASIC program or submitted from a Proc. An INFO/ACCESS statement can be saved from the TCL stack (.C) and stored as an item in the Master Dictionary or in any dictionary or data file. This item can also be recalled and executed at a later time (.R).
Format
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dictionary [,datafile] |
The first parameter is the name of the dictionary. The second parameter specifies the name of the data file. The name of the dictionary and the data file can be the same, as they normally are when they exist in a one-to-one relation. If the dictionary points to a single data file, the name of the data file is the same as the name of the dictionary. When multiple data files are using a shared dictionary, you must specify which data file is to be accessed. To view the dictionary instead of the data file, you must use the DICT modifier.
The following topic is also presented in this section:
Defining Default Output Specifications
See Also