HP System Dictionary/XL General Reference Manual Vol 1 (32256-90004)

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System Dictionary Description
HP System Dictionary/XL is a flexible and extendible data dictionary that is designed to be a central
information resource and index to programs, users, input forms, and network configuration on a 900 Series
HP 3000 system. You can customize and localize this dictionary to meet the needs of your data resources.
The information contained in HP System Dictionary/XL defines, describes, and identifies the data in your
resources, and the relationships between that data.
HP System Dictionary/XL software is divided into two products:
• HPSystemDictionary/XL,whichconsistsofthecoreset,theintrinsics,andeightutilities:SDMAIN(the
user interface), SDINIT, SDCONV, SDDBD, SDDBC, SDVPD, SDUPGRAD, and SDUTIL.
• The HP System Dictionary/XL COBOL Definition Extractor Utility (SDCDE). This utility, though sold
as a separate product, requires System Dictionary to be already installed, in order to run.
Features
The Entity-Relationship Model The Entity-Relationship (E-R) model consists of entities,
relationships between entities, and attributes that define and characterize entities and relationships.
Extensibility and Customization The models and applications described in a dictionary will grow. To
handle this growth, System Dictionary provides the ability to extend the dictionary, by adding entity types,
relationship types, relationship classes, attributes, and type-attribute associations.
N-ary Relationships You may need to express a relationship between more than two entities. System
Dictionary supports relationships between six entities. This ability allows greater consistency of
information when renaming or deleting definitions.
Dictionary Domains Although most of the definitions in a dictionary are meant to be commonly shared
by all of you, many of you need separate name spaces, or separate partitions for different applications. HP
System Dictionary allows you to define entities and relationships within a local domain, which you may
use to separate applications or duplicate names.
Version Control You may have separate dictionaries to model your test and production environments.
System Dictionary allows you to define multiple versions of an entity or relationship within a single
dictionary.
Security HP System Dictionary will be central to your network processing environment, often containing
sensitive information. It therefore provides a security scheme that allows you to access the dictionary only
if you are authorized, and controls your access to dictionary data.
Utilities System Dictionary includes several utility programs, as described below:
• SDINIT initializes and re-initializes the dictionary.
• SDMAIN is a user interface that creates, maintains, and retrieves dictionary components.
• SDCONV is a program that converts and loads data from Dictionary/V to System Dictionary.
• SDDBD is a program that loads information about a TurboIMAGE/V database structure from an Tur-
boIMAGE/V root file into System Dictionary.
• SDDBC creates TurboIMAGE/V schemas and root files, using System Dictionary data as the source.
• SDVPD is a program that loads information about VPLUS forms from a VPLUS forms file into System
Dictionary.
• SDUPGRAD is a program that automates the inclusion of new, HP-provided definitions into the core
set.
• SDUTIL is a general purpose utility program which has the following capabilities: