iX V6.5 (30391-90011)

28 Chapter1

Introduction

Rapid Data Retrieval and Formatting

Conventional ﬁle organization frequently requires using multiple ﬁle extracts, sorts, and

report programs to produce meaningful output. Information requests frequently require

weeks to implement, during which time the usefulness of the requested data can decrease.

QUERY/3000, the Hewlett-Packard database inquiry facility, or user-written inquiry

programs that use the TurboIMAGE/XL procedures, allow instant interrogation of the

database by individuals with access to the system. Other ad-hoc reporting packages are

also available.

Program Development

The database structure can be deﬁned and built without using special purpose application

level programming. Because control of the linkage portion of the database is under

TurboIMAGE/XL software control, the programmer does not need to be concerned with

testing the structure and can concentrate on the functional programming task.

QUERY/3000 can be used to build test data, as well as to interrogate the results of

program and system tests. This feature eliminates the requirement that ﬁle-related

programs be completed before meaningful functional programs can be written. It is no

longer necessary to hold up functional program testing until ﬁle building or ﬁle

maintenance programs are completed. More modules of a given system can be tested at the

same time.

A speciﬁc beneﬁt in the COBOL environment is program coding time. The programmer

need only deﬁne File Division entries for those ﬁles that exist outside the control of

TurboIMAGE/XL. Typically, such ﬁles are concerned with original entry into the

processing cycle (data entry ﬁles) and with report ﬁles. All data under the control of

TurboIMAGE/XL is implicitly deﬁned in every program that accesses the database. The

programmer need not code the Data Division entries associated with anything except the

detail data used by a given program. The time savings generated in correct data deﬁnition

the ﬁrst time the program is coded, as well as in the correct description of the physical

location of the data to be processed, will reap signiﬁcant beneﬁts in the program test cycle.