Coding Standards for Database Files › Data Dictionary/Field Reference File › Standard for Field Reference Files › Referring to the Field Reference File in DDS

Referring to the Field Reference File in DDS

Files of all types, device and database, should reference the field reference file directly, not via another file. Logical files are an exception to this rule: they always reference a physical file. This means that you can resolve all inquiries about a field by looking directly in one place. It also simplifies the order in which you need to recompile objects.

The following example illustrates the use of field reference files.

CA 2E Standard Method:

From the point of view of expressing design dependencies, the second method is preferable. The first method is the recommended CA 2E standard for purely pragmatic reasons.