You can also 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.
- Cross-Reference
- An attribute of a field or a file that identifes 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 database.
- 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
- 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 VA
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-type
field as a target into which data will be inserted at print time. The data can
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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Local Variable
- A variable that is stored in a local partition.
- Output Transform
- An executable string of M code which converts internally stored data
into a readable display.
- 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.
- Spooling
- A 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.
- 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: March 4, 2007