Product specifications

FILE ALLOCATION

Sharp Electronics Corporation

2. Glossary or Terms:

The following terminology is used when discussing the Memory File Allocation Table:

Table #: This is a reference number for the file and is used in the actual File Allocation

Programming

File Name: Indicates the purpose of the particular file.

File #: Is used to indicate individual files (by giving them a unique file number) the POS

terminal’s application can prevent conflicts in memory allocation by preventing selected files

from being opened at the same time. For example, you cannot have memory allocated for

both 8 character departments and 16 character departments at the same time.

# Records: This area refers to the amount, or number, of each function that memory can

be allocated for. The actual meaning of each record depends upon the file. For example,

with PLU or Department Files, each PLU, or Department requires one record; with table

files such as PLU Link or Condiment, each record equals one line of the table.

“ # Records” is usually divided into two columns on the file table – MRS DEFAULT and

MAXIMUM. When asterisks denote the Maximum number of records for the file, it is

limited only by the available memory in the machine.

# Blocks: The “Blocks” referred to are actually individual memory areas set aside for

transaction data for each Server. Each block of memory has a fixed number of records in it.

Each record corresponds to a particular piece of data that would be printed in the Server

Report. Block counts other than “1” are seldom recommended.

Label Size: This denotes the number of bytes in the header area of each memory file. The

number of bytes in the label MUST be added to the number of bytes in the record length to

get an accurate number of bytes each record requires.

Record Length: Shows the number of bytes required for the data in each record within

a specific file.

Memory Size: Shows the total number of bytes required for the file at default. In

some File Allocation Tables the total number of bytes is also shown for the file if it is

opened to the maximum number of records.

3. File Types:

There are four types of files that can be listed in the File Allocation, depending upon the

Primary Files: These include functions such as Departments, PLU and Servers. The

by the register’s logic. Operational buffers, such as the “Register Buffer”, are also

considered to be Primary Files.

Primary Files also include those files opened for report data storage such as Term,

Gross Margin, Daily Net, Hourly, and Transaction. Without these files being opened,

these reports cannot be run.

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