File preferences

file preferences

Description

After the user preferences window has been shown, the file preferences window appears. This window contains settings which apply to the current file access.

Screen fields

Screen field Description
Starting values case Whether PEEK should translate starting values for alphanumeric fields to uppercase or not.
Null starting value When building a starting value for a key (or component) that has not been entered by the user, PEEK will use the default format for the key type. However, if a key is defined as an alpha but is redefined within NATURAL to be of a different format (usually as one or more packed fields), then the database access will not begin from the desired position. To overcome this problem, PEEK allows the user to specify hex nulls (H'00') as the filler character instead of the default spaces (H'40').
Compress PE histogram When using a histogram on a key within a periodic group, ADABAS returns information separately for each PE occurrence. This option allows the user to combine all occurrence information into a single line.
Show sub/superdescriptors Whether or not the sub- and superdescriptors should be shown on the browsing screens.
Show MU/PE fields on EL screen Whether or not the multiple value and periodic group fields should be displayed on the single-record elementary browsing screen.
Maximum WHERE rejections When using WHERE criteria, it is possible that large numbers of records may be rejected before enough records are found to fill the record buffer. The value specified here controls how many records can be rejected before PEEK will ask the user whether they want to continue with the current access.
Single-record fld names width This parameter applies only to the single-record browsing screen. It effectively shifts the display of each field's output to the specified column.
Multi-record min field width The minimum field width for fields on the multiple record screen. PEEK will truncate the field name if it is wider than this value, so some fields may be difficult to identify. If this field is set to '0', PEEK will always display the full field name.
Multi-record MU/PE lines Multiple value and periodic group fields show only the first occurrence by default. You may alter the number of occurrences to three or five with this setting.
File user-exit This setting determines whether any of the field on the current file should be modified by a user-exit. Specify here the name of a Natural subprogram which will be called before displaying certain field's data on the screen.
Prefix to be suppressed Each field name on the file will be checked to see whether it begins with the value specified in this field. If it does, the suffix will be suppressed. For example, if several fields on a file begin with the text 'DATE-', then enter that string into this field to suppress it from the display. This will make your browsing screens less cluttered and easier to read.

Commands

PF key Command Description
PF3   Return to the previous screen.
PF7/PF8   If both preferences screens are available, you may use the PF7/PF8 keys to switch between them.
CLR . Exit from PEEK.
Enter   Return to the previous screen.
  ? Enter a question mark in any of the preference input fields to display a help screen about that item.