Defining INFO/ACCESS

INFO/ACCESS is a dictionary-driven database processor which uses a query language to generate formatted reports from a database. INFO/ACCESS queries are constructed of English-like words whose meanings match the functions they perform. Queries are entered either directly at the TCL prompt or through a Proc or mvBASIC program. INFO/ACCESS queries entered at the TCL prompt may be saved and re-executed from a user’s command stack.

INFO/ACCESS provides great flexibility in extracting information from a database and in formatting reports. This makes INFO/ACCESS a powerful tool for applications development.

A query performs the following operations:

Reports data by displaying the contents of specified attributes
Extracts data by defining the criteria by which items are selected
Formats reports by manipulating the display of the data

The main component of an INFO/ACCESS query is an action-oriented command, such as LIST, SORT, or COUNT.

INFO/ACCESS commands can be used to:

Display and print file items
Sort items according to multiple keys
Generate forms
Count and produce statistics for selected items
Select items for further processing
Read and write data to backup medium
Display file hashing statistics

LIST is a general-purpose command that lists items in a file. By default, this list is displayed on the terminal screen. For example, type the following statement and press ENTER to produce a listing from the CUSTOMERS file:

>LIST CUSTOMERS

PAGE 1 10:43:27 DD MMM YYYY

CUSTOMERS...

HJENK7129

JBOHA5422

JBROW6749

JBUCK6488

BLEAR6803

JMASO6378

AORLA5993

SPIRS5289

MASHX5777

AEDWA5224

JPEER5993

RPIER5539

AJOHN5396

HJOHN7265

HHIGG6849

DEDGE6635

BLAMP6196

AMEAD5619

18 ITEMS LISTED.

The preceding single-column report shows the item-ID for each item in the CUSTOMERS file.

INFO/ACCESS queries are usually not this simple. They generally include an output specification, which is a list of the attributes whose data will be included in the report. For example, the user may generate a report that displays the last name, street address, city, and state of all customers in the CUSTOMERS file.

Providing that LAST-NAME, STREET, CITY and STATE are Attribute Definition items in the CUSTOMERS dictionary, the following query could be entered:

>LIST CUSTOMERS LAST-NAME STREET CITY STATE

PAGE 1			10:43:46 DD MMM YYYY

CUSTOMERS.	Last Name..	Street............	City.......	State

HJENK7129	JENKINS	1222 MAIN ST.	INDIANAPOLIS	IN
JBOHA5422	BOHANNON	126 TREMONT ST.	BOSTON	MA
JBROW6749	BROWN	129 BOYLSTON ST.	BOSTON	MA
JBUCK6488	BUCKLER	26 STONE AVE.	LINCOLN	IN
BLEAR6803	LEARY	34 TREMONT ST.	BOSTON	MA
JMASO6378	MASON	226 ROCK RD.	LINCOLN	IN
AORLA5993	ORLANDO	55 VENTURA HWY	VENICE	CA
SPIRS5289	PIRS	112 APPLEBEE RD.	WINSTON	NC
MASHX5777	ASH	912A E. OAK ST.	INDIANAPOLIS	IN
AEDWA5224	EDWARDS	51 BLAIR AVE.	SUDBURY	MA
JPEER5993	PEERCE	89 RIALTO WAY	LOS ALTOS	CA
RPIER5539	PIERCE	123 W RIDGE AVE	RIDGEWOOD	NJ
AJOHN5396	JOHNSON	760 JEFFERSON ST.	LOUISVILLE	KY
HJOHN7265	JOHNSON	45 5OTH ST.	OMAHA	NB
HHIGG6849	HIGGINS	54 25TH ST.	OMAHA	NB
DEDGE6635	EDGECOMB	338 BROADWAY	MIAMI	FL
BLAMP6196	LAMPSON	344 TREMAIN RD.	BOSTON	MA
AMEAD5619	MEADE	251 BLOWNEY AVE.	SUDBURY	MA

18 ITEMS LISTED.

The preceding report displays all of the items in the CUSTOMERS file, producing a line of data for each customer. The format of this report is columnar; the contents of each attribute are listed vertically, and each customer is listed horizontally. As described in Using INFO/ACCESS Syntax, it is also possible to generate reports in non-columnar format.

By default, all INFO/ACCESS reports automatically include item-IDs, but using the ID-SUPP modifier suppresses the inclusion of these item-IDs in a report. There are many other INFO/ACCESS modifiers that affect the processing or format of a report, and are shown in a table at the end of this section. Formatting modifiers are described in Formatting a Report.

The rest of this section demonstrates the power and flexibility of INFO/ACCESS by expanding the preceding report. All syntax elements treated here are described in detail in Using INFO/ACCESS Syntax.