Using INFO/ACCESS Commands for Special Processing

This section describes four groups of INFO/ACCESS commands that process data in special ways:

Creating labels

LIST-LABEL

SORT-LABEL

These commands display file items in label or block format. Users may define the exact placement of these blocks on the screen or page. This format is especially useful for printing mailing labels.

Generating statistics

COUNT

SUM

STAT

These commands do not format and display the data in file items. Instead, they return statistics about the data, such as the total for a numeric attribute in selected items, allowing users to perform simple analyses on a database.

Copying items to and from backup media

T-DUMP

S-DUMP

T-LOAD

These commands copy items to and from backup media, and may be used to create and maintain permanent records of a database and to store selected data offline.

Restructuring output

REFORMAT

SREFORMAT

These commands actually alter the structure of file items. They may be used to copy restructured items to backup media, to another file, or within the same file. Restructuring items in this way is useful for rearranging existing files.

The table below summarizes the INFO/ACCESS commands that do special processing.

Command	Description
LIST-LABEL	Displays items in label format.
SORT-LABEL	Displays items in label format in sorted order.
COUNT	Counts file items.
SUM	Totals the data in a numeric attribute.
STAT	Displays statistics about a numeric attribute.
T-DUMP	Copies items to backup media.
S-DUMP	Copies items to backup media in sorted order.
T-LOAD	Copies items from backup media to hard disk drive.
REFORMAT	Restructures items and directs output to backup media, another file, or within the same file.
SREFORMAT	Restructures items in sorted order. (See REFORMAT.)

The following topics are presented in this section:

Printing Labels

Generating Statistics (COUNT, SUM, and STAT)

Copying Items to and from Backup Media

Restructuring File Items