Search the "Free Online Dictionary of
Computing"
- Attribute Dictionary
- See
Data
Dictionary.
- Audit
- A VA FileMan feature that provides an ongoing chronological listing
of who made what changes to data values and to data definitions.
- Canonic Template
- A Template of any of the three types that has been chosen as the "default", "most often used" Template for a particular File.
- Compound Index
- An index that has more than one data-valued subscript. See
Index.
- Compound Key
- A key that is composed of more than one field. Keys are stored in the
KEY file (#.31). See Key and
Simple Key.
- Computed Field
- The definition of an algorithm pertaining to a certain Entry in a certain File, combining values from
other Fields in that Entry. The algorithm is stored in the Data
Dictionary. Its value is not stored, but recalculated whenever used.
- Cross-reference
- An attribute of a field or a file that identifies an action that
should take place when the value of a field is changed. Often, the action is
the placement of the field's value into an
index. A traditional
cross-reference is defined with a specific field. A new-style cross reference
is a file attribute and can be composed of one or more fields.
New-style cross-references are stored in
the INDEX file (#.11).
- Database Management System
- A collection of software that handles the storage, retrieval and
updating of records in a data base.
- Data Dictionary
- This is a file that defines a file's structure, to include a file's
fields and relationship to other files. This is sometimes called schema.
- Data Dictionary Listing
- The printable report that shows the data dictionary.
- Delimiter
- A special character used to separate a field, record, or string. VA
FileMan usually uses the ^ character as the delimiter within strings.
- DIC
- VA FileMan routine that searches a file and finds an entry, adds an
entry, or returns a condition indicating that the lookup was unsuccessful.
- DIFROM
- VA FileMan routines that transfer software packages from one FileMan
environment to another. DIFROM is used to install new packages as well as
update versions of current packages. DIFROM can also be used as a simple
archiving tool.
- DIE
- VA FileMan routine that edits data elements for a given file
entry.
- DIK
- VA FileMan routine that re-indexes or deletes file entries.
- DIP
- VA FileMan routine that prints data.
- DIQ
- VA FileMan routine that displays a range of data elements.
- DIR
- VA FileMan's general purpose reader routine that can be used to issue
a prompt, interactively read input, do syntax checking on input, issue error
messages or help text, and return input in a processed form.
- DIWF
- VA FileMan routine that uses the contents of a word processing field
as a target into which data will be inserted at print time. The data may come
from another file or can be provided by the user interactively at the time of
print.
- DIWP
- VA FileMan routine that formats and (optionally) outputs any group of
text lines.
- FDA
- FileMan Data Array
- Global Variable
- A variable that is stored on disk.
- Hook
- A documented data dictionary attribute, input variable, or parameter
in which an application developer can place M code that will be executed during
a VA FileMan call. Also called
Programmer
Hook.
- Index
- An ordered list used to speed retrieval of entries from a file based
on a value in some field or fields. The term "simple index" refers to an index
that stores the data for a single field; the term "compound index" refers to an
index that stores the data for more than one field. Indexes are created and
maintained via
cross-references. See also
Uniqueness
Index.
- Initialization
- The process of setting variables in a program to their starting
value.
- INPUT Transform
- An executable string of M code which is used to check the validity of
input and to convert it into an internal form for storage.
- Key
- A group of fields that, taken collectively, uniquely identifies a
record in a file or subfile. All fields in a key must have values. The term
"simple key" refers to keys that are composed of only one field; the term
"compound key" refers to keys that are composed of more than one field. Keys
are stored in the KEY file (#.31). See also
Primary Key and
Secondary
Key.
- Key Integrity
- When a KEY is defined for a file, FileMan enforces key integrity. All
fields in a key must have values (must not be null) and those values, taken
together, must be unique across all records in the file; that is, no two
records in the file can have the same key. VA FileMan enforces key integrity
whenever records are added or edited.
- Local Variable
- A variable that is stored in a local partition.
- New-style Cross-reference
- A Cross-reference that is stored in the INDEX file. New Style
Cross-references can be more complex than traditional cross-references. They
can create an index with more than one field value, with transformed field
values, or with computed subscript values. They can be defined so that
subscripts are displayed in inverse collation sequence during question-mark
help or when using a Lister call (LIST^DIC). Firing of SET and KILL logic for
the index can happen at the record level, rather than each time individual
fields that make up the index are edited.See
Cross-reference.
- OUTPUT Transform
- An executable string of M code which converts internally stored data
into a readable display.
- Primary Key
- The Key chosen by the database designer to be VA FileMan's principal
means of identifying records in the file. VA FileMan automatically displays the
Primary Key during classic interactive lookup (^DIC) and uses the Primary Key
to identify records brought in during a KIDS installation. Exactly one Key in a
file or subfile must be designated the Primary Key. See
Key.
- Programmer Hook
- A documented data dictionary attribute, input variable, or parameter
in which an application developer can place M code that will be executed during
a VA FileMan call. Also called Hook.
- Routine
- A set of M code that performs a process.
- ScreenMan
- A component of FileMan that allows full-screen data review and entry. ScreenMan allows creation and running of "FORMS" (stored in File .403).
- Secondary Key
- Like a Primary Key, fields that make up a Secondary Key must uniquely
identify a single record on the file. Key integrity is enforced by FileMan for
a Secondary Key, exactly the same as for a Primary Key. Secondary Key values,
however, are not automatically displayed by FileMan during interactive lookup
^DIC. A file or subfile can have more than one Secondary Key. See
Key and
Primary
Key.
- Simple Index
- An index that stores the data for a single field. See
Index.
- Simple Key
- A key that is composed of only one field. See
Compound
Key.
- Spooling
- Procedure by which programs and output can be temporarily stored
until their turn to execute or print.
- Sub-routine
- A sequence of M code that performs a specific task, usually used more
than once.
- Template
- A stored pattern of fields, used for editing ("Input Template") sorting ("Sort Template") or listing ("Print Template")
- Uniqueness Index
- An index associated with every key and used to enforce uniqueness of
the key. Every field in the key must be a subscript on the Uniqueness Index and
must have no transforms.
- Utility Routine
- A routine that performs a task that many programmers utilize.
- Variable
- A symbol representing a value that changes during the execution of a
routine.
Reviewed/Updated: October 2016