CA-Datamacs/II CA-DATACOM/DB Interface › Overview › Using CA-Datamacs/II CA-DATACOM/DB

Using CA-Datamacs/II CA-DATACOM/DB

There are four CA-Datamacs/II tasks which service and populate a database. The tasks and their functions are:

CREATE

Use this option when there is no existing source for the test data. The CA-Datamacs/II field generators are used to populate the database. Field generators such as SEQUENCE, RANDOM, HEX, CONSTANT, COMPUTE, CLUSTER, DATE, MOVE, MIX, and CHECK are available. The database may be empty or already have data in it.

LOAD

This option is chosen when the source of the test data is in another database or file. The LOAD option requires that an input file be built prior to the LOAD run. If the records to be used as test data are in a DATACOM/DB database, the CA-Datamacs/II UNLOAD option should be used to build the input file. If the records are in an IMS or IDMS database, or in a flat file, the CA-Datamacs/II Command Language (DCL) can be used to build the input file.

UNLOAD

Use this option to unload selected records from an existing (production or test) DATACOM/DB database into a sequential output file (QSAM for MVS) with a blocked, variable length record for subsequent reloading with the CA-Datamacs/II LOAD option. This intermediate output file can also be used to 'refresh' the test data throughout the test phase, or be saved for future regression testing.

MODIFY

If while testing, changes to the existing test data are needed, the UPDATE and DELETE commands can be used to create the modified test scenario. Of course, the CREATE or LOAD options would be used to add more data.

For each option, record descriptions must be available to define the fields of the records. The CA-Datamacs/II CA-DATACOM/DB interface will copy the COBOL record descriptions from Datadictionary, merging any CA-Datamacs/II field generators to each field copied by a line sequence number.

Logical capabilities will be provided with various commands such as READ or ADDIT a database record, PERFORM a paragraph, WHEN statement for conditional testing, DELETE or UPDATE a database record, reading a database table sequentially while testing for a specific value, and others.

The CA-Datamacs/II CA-DATACOM/DB interface is compatible with either the single or multi-user facility. It supports CA- DATACOM/DB CA-DATACOM/DB Release 7.5 and above and Datadictionary Release 2.4 and above.

The prerequisites for understanding this document are a basic knowledge of CA-DATACOM/DB, Datadictionary, and CA-Datamacs/II.