Managing Users

Perhaps the mvBase environment’s biggest responsibility is to manage the work performed by users. A user can be connected to mvBase in numerous ways (e.g., via a terminal that is connected either by cable to a communication port, or via the mvTerm client running on any Windows system). Users use mvBase clients to connect to an mvBase line. Each mvBase line is linked to a user process, which represents the user’s activity on the system.

All user processes are initially set to use the Logon processor. The Logon processor sends a message to the user’s terminal screen, such as the one below:

Logon Please:

The job of the Logon processor is to wait for a response to this prompt and then to verify that the user belongs on the system. The user must supply the valid name of an account and a password to log onto the system. Once the user’s response has been verified, the user is given access to the account selected at logon. All the files and programs that the user needs are available to this account.

Once logged on to an account, the user will be presented with the Terminal Control Language (TCL) prompt - unless the account has a Logon Proc (a routine with the same name as the account which is automatically run after logon if present).

The TCL processor displays a prompt (>) on the user’s screen. When the user enters a command line or statement, the TCL processor determines its intended system processor in the mvBase environment and executes the program. The system processor, a program that performs specialized tasks requested by users, communicates with the user process and the communications line associated with it. It may prompt the user for additional input or send output to the user’s display screen. When it is finished, control of the user process passes back to TCL.

There are a number of system processors in mvBase. Most of them are described throughout this guide. The table below contains a list of several mvBase environment system processors along with a brief description of how they are used.

Processor	Description
DocuMentor	A full-screen text editor.
Editor	A general-purpose line-oriented editor used to display and edit items in a file.
INFO/ACCESS	A database language processor that accepts English-like query statements and produces formatted reports on the terminal display or the printer.
mvBASIC	A powerful programming language based on Dartmouth BASIC and extended for creating applications in a database management environment. BASIC consists of a language compiler and a run-time package.
PROC	A simple procedural language processor that interprets a series of PROC commands stored as a Proc. It is used to automate any sequence of operations that can be performed by entering commands at a terminal. mvBase supports both PROC PQ and PROC PQX.
Runoff	A text processor that lets you format source text created by the Editor.
TCL	The Terminal Control Language processor that allows a user to invoke other processors.