CA Culprit in the CA IDMS/DB Environment › CA Culprit Security Considerations › Auto Attribute Security

Auto Attribute Security

Auto attributes define field and file characteristics in IDD that CA Culprit copies from the data dictionary at run time. Auto attributes are established in IDD with the Culprit AUTO ATTRIBUTES ARE ON/OFF clause of the SET OPTIONS FOR DICTIONARY statement.

Auto Attributes Off

When the clause specifies OFF, CA Culprit automatically generates REC parameters for fields defined to the data dictionary; it does not automatically supply the characteristics of input files and keyfiles defined to the data dictionary. For each field that is defined to the data dictionary and coded on a CA Culprit parameter, CA Culprit retrieves the field definition from IDD and generates a corresponding REC parameter. The field can be a field in a database record or a file defined to data dictionary.

Auto Attributes On

When the clause specifies ON, CA Culprit automatically generates REC parameters and retrieves the following characteristics of a file defined to the data dictionary:

• Record size
• Block size
• Record type
• File and device type
• VSAM type (for VSAM files only)
• Input user module name (for UM type files only)
• Label type

Example

An example of a file defined to the data dictionary is shown below:

ADD
FILE NAME IS EMPLOYEE VERSION IS 788
    DATE CREATED IS mm/dd/yy
    RECORD SIZE IS 80
    BLOCK SIZE IS  400
    RECORDING MODE IS F
    PUBLIC ACCESS IS ALLOWED FOR ALL
    CONTAINS RECORD EMPLOYEE VERSION 788
    CONTAINS RECORD NAME SYNONYM EMPLOYEE VERSION IS 788
    FILE-TYPE IS PS
    DEVICE-TYPE IS 3350.

A CA Culprit user can override any of these file characteristics by supplying another value on the INPUT parameter. For example, file EMPLOYEE is defined in the data dictionary with a record size of 80 bytes; a user can override this file characteristic by coding 100 on the INPUT parameter:

INPUT 100  FN=EMPLOYEE

If auto attributes are in effect (that is, the clause specifies ON), CA Culprit performs the following when it encounters an INPUT or KEYFILE parameter that specifies the FN= keyword expression (which indicates that the file is defined to the data dictionary):

• Retrieves the file characteristics from the data dictionary for all values that are not supplied on the INPUT or KEYFILE parameter.
• Generates a REC parameter for each field defined to the data dictionary and coded on a CA Culprit parameter. It adds 4 bytes to the start position defined in the data dictionary when the following conditions are both true:
  • The file is defined in the DDDL FILE statement with the following substatements:

    RECORDING MODE V
    RECORD DESCRIPTOR NOT DEFINED
    

  • The file is defined in the DDDL FILE statement with any option other than the following substatement:

    INCLUDE FILE-TYPE IS VS
    

Note: For more information about defining products, users, and files to IDD, see the CA IDMS IDD DDDL Reference Guide.