Other features
- Redefined fields
- Give the command REDEF and place the cursor on the field you wish to redefine. A window will appear,
allowing you to enter the name, format and length of each of the field's components. Once the field
has been redefined, you can easily switch between the original display and the new, redefined field
display.
- Use of Natural Programs and LDAs
- Any Natural program, subprogram or LDA which contains a file view may be used to provide a subset of
the DDM's fields. Any redefined fields are also included. You can easily switch between the cut-down
file view display and the full DDM display.
- User-specified subsets of the DDM
- If the DDM has too many fields for PEEK to keep in memory, or if there are fields which you want to
permanently suppress, PEEK allows you to define a 'User DDM'. This is simply a subset of the DDM which
you define.
- User preferences file
- This file keeps track of all the user preferences, as well as details about each file access - the
access method, any starting value, which record was being displayed, any mask settings and field
redefinitions. These values are automatically restored whenever you access the file again.
- Scan function to search for a particular field
- Enter the command 'SCAN' on the command line, followed by a field name and PEEK will switch to the
screen which contains that field.
- Comprehensive help system
- Enter 'HOW' or 'FAQ' on the command line, and a list of frequently asked questions relating to the
current screen will appear. Select a topic, and a description on that subject will appear.
Each site may also provide their own help topics to be used in addition to, or in place of, the Peek
screens. These additional screens may be in any language.
- Previous starting values are stored for easy reuse
- Each time a starting value is entered for a descriptor or sub/superdescriptor, PEEK will store the
value for later use. When the starting values screen is being shown, use PF7/PF8 to scroll through
all the previously entered starting values for the current key.
- A 'go to' window for MUs and PEs
- From the single-record browsing screen, give the command G or GOTO. A window will appear listing
each MU and PE in the DDM, along with the count (C*) values for the current record. Tab to the one
you wish to display and press ENTER. The selected MU/PE screen will be shown.
- User-exits for modifying data
- Up to ten fields from each file can be associated with a user-exit. This user-exit can modify the
data before it appears on the display screen.
- Record printing
- For sites that have implemented remote printing via the SET CONTROL H command, PEEK will print the
entire record at the specified printer.
- File linking
- Press PF22 (or give the command PR or PREV) from either browsing screen, and PEEK will automatically
switch to the previously active session. Press PF22 repeatedly to switch quickly between these two
sessions. If you position the cursor on a field before pressing PF22, that field's data will be
passed to the previous session as a starting value, thus causing the displayed record to depend on
the data that you selected.
- MU and PE display options
- The report screen allows more than a single occurrence of each MU and PE field to be displayed. Give
the command 'O', followed by the number of occurrences to display. Valid options are 'O 1', 'O 3'
and 'O 5'.
The detail screen allows only the first occurrence, as each MU and PE has a dedicated
screen which can display all occurrences. An option for the elementary field detail screen is to
suppress all MU and PE fields.
- Automatic program generation
- Natural report programs can be automatically generated from either browsing screen. The program
generated will be suitable for running in batch and will be based on the current layout and format
of the file being browsed.
- UDB access
- For sites that have made the Software AG UDB user exit available, the UDB setting can be manipulated
from within Peek.