Additional CA IDMS/DB Facilities › Retrieving Record Types by Key › What You Can Do

What You Can Do

You can retrieve the entry record on a PATH parameter directly by using a specific key value or a range of key values. Key values allow you to avoid sweeping a database area for a particular record.

The following types of key values can be specified:

• CALC-key values when entry records are stored in the CALC location mode
• Index-key values when entry records are indexed
• Db-key values for any location mode (VIA, CALC, or DIRECT) unless the entry records are indexed or are logical records
• Any logical record fields when entry records are logical records

How to Do It

Retrieve specific occurrences of the PATH entry record by using:

• KEY parameters to name key fields and key values

  To code a KEY parameter, supply the following information:

  1. The KEY keyword (beginning in column 2)
  2. The key field name
  3. A key value, a list of values, or a range of values
• A KEYFILE parameter to access a sequential file containing the key values

  To code a KEYFILE parameter, supply the following information:

  1. The KEYFILE keyword (beginning in column 2)
  2. The size, in bytes, of the key file record
  3. The KF= keyword expression, followed by the starting position of the key field in the file and its length in bytes
  4. Other options:
     • The FN= keyword expression to name a file defined to the data dictionary:

       PATH01 DEPT-EMP-LR WHERE EMP-NAME EQ EMP-KEY

       KEYFILE FN=EMPLOYEE-KEYS

     • The LRFNAME= keyword expression to name a logical record when the entry record is a logical record and you are supplying key information to the WHERE clause on the PATH parameter:

       PATH01 DEPT-EMP-LR WHERE EMP-LAST-NAME EQ KEY-VALUE

       KEYFILE CARD KF=10 15 LRFNAME=EMP-LAST-NAME

You can also use the KEYFILE parameter to:

• Define fields in a sequential key file that are not defined to the data dictionary:

  REC EMP-ID (KEYFILE)  20 4
  

• Define selection criteria applicable to key-file records:

  KEYFILE 80 KF=1 4
  SELECT DEPT-LOCATION EQ 'DEDHAMPLAC'