Any of DataMiner's functions can be limited to a group of records with simple selection commands:

* Stop after 1000 records have been read

LAST=1000

* Select only records with a positive balance

ONLY BALANCE>0

* Skip records you are not interested in

SKIP NAME='JONES' AND CITY='LONDON'

Records can be written to a new file, inserted into an existing file, or updated. DataMiner can change file organization, recording medium, block size, record length or record content while copying data to a new dataset. So, for example, it is easy to create a KSDS from a sequential file.

DataMiner offers two ways to print a report. It has a simple PRINT command and a more powerful report writer. The PRINT command produces a formatted report that DataMiner lays out for you. Records can be selected or skipped when printing so that you get a report of just the data you want. For example, this script produces a report of the people who owe more than $1,000:

PRINT INPUT=VSAM FILENAME=ACCOUNTS

* The next line includes our record layout for this file

INCLUDE ACCREC

ONLY BALANCE>1000

SELECT ACCTNO NAME BALANCE

When a more "industrial strength" report is required, the DataMiner report writer is up to the job. It can sort the report into any order you like, summarize fields, do control breaks and print totals. You also have more control about where fields appear on the print line. A typical report layout looks something like:

REPORT ACCSTAT

ORDER LNM FNM

BREAK LNM

SUM BAL

LINE LNM FNM KEY BAL TALLY

TITLE 'ACCOUNT STATUS REPORT'

The report writer is equally at home producing mailing labels. Just tell it how big the labels are, what information you want on them and how many there are across the page and it will print them for you.

REPORT ADDRLAB LABELS ACROSS 3 WIDTH 40 HEIGHT 5

LINE 1 INIT LNM LINE 2 ADDR

LINE 3 CITY LINE 4 STATE ZIP

Intended mainly for programmers, the DUMP function produces a character/hex dump of the input file or the output file or selected records from them. The SHOW command does the same for individual fields and records.

We want to create a test file containing all the records from a production file with negative balances. Our auditors want us to hide the names and addresses in the records. We will get the record layout from a COBOL copybook called “ACCTLAY”.

COPY

INPUT=VSAM FILENAME=ACCOUNT

OUTPUT=VSAM FILENAME=TESTFLE

WHERE BALANCE<0

COPY ACCTLAY

CLOAK NAME ADDRESS

We want to create a sequential disk file containing certain fields from our STAFF database for records where the salary is less than $50,000. Note that we are using SQL to select the records we want - we could also have asked DataMiner to do it. We also want a report sorted by department & name with departmental totals.

EXTRACT

INPUT=SQL (SELECT NAME, SALARY, DEPT , JOB-TITLE FROM STAFF

WHERE SALARY < 50000)

OUTPUT=DISK FILENAME=LOWPAY LRECL=100 BLKSIZE=4000 FIXED

OUTPUT=PRINTER FILENAME=MAINP

SELECT *

PRINT REPORT-001

REPORT REPORT-001 PRINTER MAINP

ORDER DEPT, NAME

BREAK DEPT

SUM SALARY

LINE DEPT NAME SALARY JOB-TITLE

TITLE “DEPARTMENTAL SALARY REPORT”

DataMiner/VE is an easy to use, general purpose VSAM module that simplifies and standardizes access to VSAM files.

It works with any language that can call an assembler routine including fourth generation languages (4GL) such as NATURAL and Focus.

DataMiner/VE also provides a more efficient way of accessing VSAM from programs written in COBOL and PL/I.

DataMiner/VE provides consistent VSAM access across applications and processing environments, and reduces VSAM training needs for your programming staff. VSAM expertise is no longer required to access VSAM files!

DataMiner/VE also:

Lets you add new VSAM capabilities to your programs while simplifying VSAM coding.

Improves programmer VSAM productivity - access VSAM files from any program in any language (including COBOL, PL/I, NATURAL, Assembler and most 4GLs).

Enhances your programmers' VSAM proficiency. DataMiner/VE reduces the frequency of VSAM programming errors, simplifies VSAM request processing and makes VSAM error . DataMiner/VE ensures that correct VSAM commands are always issued even if the programmer doesn't specifically request them.

Makes VSAM easier to use from COBOL and PL/I. Programmers are freed from considering most technical aspects of using VSAM. Programmers need to know fewer commands and handle fewer errors when they access their VSAM files with DataMiner/VE.

DataMiner/VE gives 4GL users the ability to read and write VSAM files. Over 100 users of Software AG's NATURAL language have used DataMiner/VE to access VSAM files with full power and exceptional reliability. Users can bring all the power and productivity of their 4GL programming language to the VSAM world, making VSAM a full partner to their Data Base Management System (DBMS). The DataMiner and 4GL partnership optimizes development efforts by: Requiring only one programming language for all application development and increasing programmer productivity by 10:1 over COBOL and PL/I; Coupling the productivity of your 4GL with the efficiency of VSAM and permitting users to quickly satisfy report requests and requests for VSAM information; Accessing VSAM and DBMS files at the same time in the same program, eliminating the need to maintain redundant copies of VSAM files in your DBMS; Delaying or avoiding conversion of VSAM files to DBMS, allowing users to easily handle VSAM files that they don't wish to migrate to the DBMS.

In addition to providing VSAM access from languages that do not have native access to VSAM, DataMiner/VE also provides simpler VSAM access from languages such as COBOL, PL/I and Assembler. DataMiner/VE makes VSAM access easier and more flexible in COBOL and PL/I programs. DataMiner/VE offers an extremely simple syntax using standard program calls. Programmers no longer have to know anything about VSAM and its complex protocols. DataMiner/VE also lets users do things that are either difficult in COBOL or totally impossible. Some of these functions include: automatic loading to empty files, backward browsing in the middle of a file, reset to empty on the fly and automatic retrieval of record lengths for variable length records. DataMiner/VE makes COBOL/VSAM access faster and more efficient.

DataMiner/VE works both for CICS programs, too, bringing new simplicity to the job of the online transaction programmer. Application programs can access VSAM files and CICS temporary storage queues through a standard program CALL and a single parameter. All programming languages that can call Assembler sub-routines are supported.