INFO/ACCESS commands are words that specify the operation to be performed on a database. For example, the LIST command displays the items in a file and the SORT command displays items in sorted order.
The command is the most important part of an INFO/ACCESS query because it specifies the basic operation required to generate a report. The syntax elements that follow the command modify this basic operation.
INFO/ACCESS commands fall into six functional groups:
Listing and Sorting Commands. These commands perform basic listing and sorting operations on file items. They are described in Producing Reports with LIST and SORT.
LIST SORT |
LIST-ITEM SORT-ITEM |
Special Processing Commands. LIST-LABEL and SORT-LABEL create reports in special label format. COUNT, SUM and STAT count, total, and average information in a database. REFORMAT and SREFORMAT also restructure file items. These commands are described in Using INFO/ACCESS Commands for Special Processing.
LIST-LABEL SORT-LABEL |
COUNT SUM STAT |
REFORMAT SREFORMAT |
Forms Generation Commands. These commands position data on pre-printed or system-generated forms. They are described in Generating Forms with INFO/ACCESS.
FORMS SFORMS |
REPT SREPT |
Select-list Commands. These commands create and manipulate lists of item-IDs from a database. They are described in Using Select-lists.
SELECT SSELECT SAMPLE SSAMPLE |
FIND QSELECT FORM-LIST NSELECT |
SAVE-LIST GET-LIST COPY-LIST EDIT-LIST DELETE-LIST |
Tape Commands. These commands copy items specified or selected by INFO/ACCESS queries to and from backup media. They are described in Using INFO/ACCESS Commands for Special Processing.
T-DUMP T-LOAD S-LOAD |
File Analysis Commands. These commands display information about the use of file space and about changes in a file’s contents. They are described in another section of the mvBase Reference Manual.
CHECK-SUM |
ISTAT |
HASH-TEST |
The table below summarizes the function of each INFO/ACCESS command.
Command |
Description |
CHECK-SUM |
Provides statistical information about items and files. |
COPY-LIST |
Copies a previously saved select-list to the terminal, a printer, another saved select-list, or a file. |
COUNT |
Counts the number of items in a file that meet the specified criteria. |
DELETE-LIST |
Deletes a previously saved select-list. |
EDIT-LIST |
Invokes the Editor to change the contents of a saved select-list. |
FIND |
Creates a select-list of items that contain a specified character string. |
FORM-LIST |
A synonym for QSELECT. |
GET-LIST |
Retrieves a previously saved select-list for processing by a subsequent command. |
HASH-TEST |
Displays information about how file items hash into groups specified by a given modulo. This helps the user select the best modulo for a file when reallocating disk space. |
ISTAT |
Displays file hashing statistics that may be used to evaluate the efficiency of file storage. |
LIST |
Displays the items in a file that meet the specified criteria. Many different types of reports may be generated using the modifiers and options available with LIST. |
LIST-ITEM |
Displays items, listing data for each attribute. |
LIST-LABEL |
Prints items in a label format. |
NSELECT |
Creates a select-list of items found in a previous select-list but not found in the specified file. |
QSELECT |
Creates a select-list that consists of the data in a specified attribute. |
REFORMAT |
Creates a second file, backup medium from an INFO/ACCESS report. |
S-DUMP |
Copies items that meet the specified criteria to backup medium in sorted order. |
SAMPLE |
Creates a select-list containing a specified number of items that meet the specified criteria. |
SAVE-LIST |
Saves a select-list under a specified name. |
SELECT |
Creates a select-list of item-IDs. This list of items may then be submitted for further processing by other commands. |
SORT |
Displays the items in a file that meet the specified criteria in sorted order. The SORT command provides the same flexibility in generating reports as the LIST command. |
SORT-ITEM |
Displays a sorted list of items, listing data for each attribute. See LIST-ITEM. |
SORT-LABEL |
Creates and sorts labels from items that meet the specified criteria. See LIST-LABEL. |
SREFORMAT |
Creates a second file, backup medium in sorted order from an INFO/ACCESS report. See REFORMAT. |
SSAMPLE |
Creates a select-list of a specified number of sorted items that meet the specified criteria. See SAMPLE. |
SSELECT |
Creates a select-list that consists of sorted item-IDs that meet the specified criteria. This list of items may then be submitted for further processing by other commands. See SELECT. |
STAT |
Provides a count, average, and total of the numeric data for a specified attribute. |
SUM |
Totals the numeric data for a specified attribute. |
T-DUMP |
Saves items that meet the specified criteria to backup medium. |
T-LOAD |
Restores items that meet the specified criteria from backup medium. |
See Also