DIGITAL_DATATRIEVE____________________________ Release Notes Order Number: AA-QN5UA-TE October 1997 This manual contains release notes for DIGITAL[TM] DATATRIEVE [TM] Version 7.2. Operating System: OpenVMS VAX[TM] Version 6.2 or higher OpenVMS Alpha Version 6.2 or higher Software Version: DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2 Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, Massachusetts October 1997 Possession, use, or copying of the software described in this documentation is authorized only pursuant to a valid written license from DIGITAL or an authorized sublicensor. DIGITAL conducts its business in a manner that conserves the environment and protects the safety and health of its employees, customers, and the community. While DIGITAL believes the information included in this publication is correct as of the date of publication, it is subject to change without notice. Digital Equipment Corporation makes no representations that the use of its products in the manner described in this publication will not infringe on existing or future patent rights, nor do the descriptions contained in this publication imply the granting of licenses to make, use, or sell equipment or software in accordance with the description. © Digital Equipment Corporation 1997. All rights reserved . We welcome your comments on this book. Please use one of the following ways to send your comments: o Send an electronic mail message to comments@galvia.enet.dec.com o Send a fax to (+353) (0)91 -754444 The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation: CDA, DATATRIEVE, DEC, DEC Fortran, DECdecision, DECdesign, DECforms, DECnet, DECpresent, DECwindows, DECwrite, DIGITAL, FMS, OpenVMS, PATHWORKS, PDP, ReGIS, VAX, VAX BASIC, VAX COBOL, VAX MACRO, VAX Pascal, VAX Rdb/ELN, VAXcluster, VIDA, VMS, VMS RMS, WPS-PLUS, and the DIGITAL logo. The following are third-party trademarks: DB2 is a trademark and IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. LOTUS 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corp. Motif is a registered trademark of Open Software Foundation, Inc. ORACLE is a registered trademark, and Oracle CDD/Repository, Oracle CODASYL DBMS, Oracle Expert, Oracle Rdb, SQL/Services, Oracle Rdb Transparent Gateway, Oracle TRACE are trademarks of Oracle Corporation. PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Corp. SYBASE is a registered trademark of SYBASE Inc. Windows is a trademark, and Excel, Microsoft, MS-DOS, Visual Basic, Visual C++ are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders. This document is available on CD-ROM. This document was prepared using VAX DOCUMENT Version 2.1. ________________________________________________________________ Preface These release notes describe new features, corrections to software, restrictions, workarounds, and known problems for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2. They cover both DIGITAL DATATRIEVE for OpenVMS Alpha operating systems and DIGITAL DATATRIEVE for OpenVMS VAX operating systems, which are referred to by their abbreviated name DIGITAL DATATRIEVE. New features for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2 are also described in the online help. To read a description of the new features from within DIGITAL DATATRIEVE, enter the following command: DTR> HELP New_Features Intended Audience This manual is intended for all DIGITAL DATATRIEVE users. It assumes that you understand the concepts and terminology of the OpenVMS operating system. Operating System Information Information about the versions of the operating system and related software that is compatible with this version of DIGITAL DATATRIEVE is included in the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE media kit, in either the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Installation Guide or the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Before You Install Letter. For information on the compatibility of other software products with this version of DIGITAL DATATRIEVE, refer to the Software Product Description (SPD). You can use the SPD to verify which versions of your operating system are compatible with this version of DIGITAL DATATRIEVE. vii Related Documents For further information on the topics covered in this manual, you can refer to: o DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Installation Guide Describes the installation procedure for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE. The manual also explains how to run User Environment Test Packages (UETPs), which test DIGITAL DATATRIEVE product interfaces, such as the interface between DIGITAL DATATRIEVE and Oracle Rdb[TM]. o DIGITAL DATATRIEVE User's Guide Describes how to use DIGITAL DATATRIEVE interactively. o DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Guide to Interfaces Includes information on using DIGITAL DATATRIEVE to manipulate data with forms, relational databases, and database management systems. o DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Reference Manual Contains reference information for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE. o DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Guide to Programming and Customizing Explains how to use the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Callable Interface. The manual also describes how to create user- defined keywords and user-defined functions to customize DIGITAL DATATRIEVE and how to customize DIGITAL DATATRIEVE help and message text. o Getting Started with DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows Describes basic DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows[TM] functions. Conventions In this manual, every use of OpenVMS VAX indicates the OpenVMS VAX operating system, every use of OpenVMS Alpha indicates the OpenVMS Alpha operating system, and every use of OpenVMS indicates both the OpenVMS VAX operating system and the OpenVMS Alpha operating system. viii The following conventions are also used in this manual: { } (braces) Braces enclose a clause from which you must choose one alternative. [ ] (brackets) Brackets enclose optional clauses from which you can choose one or none. ... (horizontal A horizontal ellipsis indicates you can repeat ellipsis) the part of the clause, statement, command, or expression immediately to the left of the ellipsis. . A vertical ellipsis indicates you can repeat . (vertical the line of the clause, statement, command, or . ellipsis) expression immediately above the ellipsis. Bold type Bold type is used for terms being defined for the first time. Bold type in examples indicates user input. References to Products The DIGITAL DATATRIEVE documentation to which this manual belongs often refers to products by their abbreviated names. DIGITAL DATATRIEVE was formerly known as DEC DATATRIEVE. All DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2 documentation refers to this product as DIGITAL DATATRIEVE. o DIGITAL DATATRIEVE refers to both DIGITAL DATATRIEVE for OpenVMS Alpha and DIGITAL DATATRIEVE for OpenVMS VAX software. o Oracle Rdb refers to both Oracle Rdb for OpenVMS Alpha and Oracle Rdb for OpenVMS VAX software. o Oracle CODASYL DBMS[TM] refers to both Oracle CODASYL DBMS for OpenVMS Alpha and Oracle CODASYL DBMS for OpenVMS VAX software. o DIGITAL Fortran[TM] refers to both DIGITAL Fortran for OpenVMS Alpha and DIGITAL Fortran for OpenVMS VAX software. o DEC C refers to both DEC C for OpenVMS Alpha and DEC C for OpenVMS VAX software. o DEC TPU refers to both DEC TPU for OpenVMS Alpha and DEC TPU for OpenVMS VAX software. ix o DEC DB Integrator Gateway refers to DEC DB Integrator Gateway for DB2[TM] Client, DEC DB Integrator Gateway for ORACLE[R], and DEC DB Integrator Gateway for SYBASE[R]. o RMS[TM] refers to the OpenVMS Record Management Services. This manual uses the terms relational database and relational source to refer to all three of these products: o VAX Rdb/ELN[TM] o Oracle Rdb o DEC DB Integrator Gateway ___________________________Note ___________________________ DEC DB Integrator Gateway is now owned by Oracle Corporation and has been renamed Oracle Rdb Transparent Gateway[TM]. ___________________________________________________________ x 1 ________________________________________________________________ New Features for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2 This chapter describes the new features for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2. 1.1 HTML Reports DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2 features a HTML report format that enables you to generate a HTML file suitable for loading into a standard Web browser. Using the HTML option on the format qualifier of the report statement, you can create a HTML file that can be displayed online. HTML is a markup language used to create hypertext doc- uments that are portable across platforms. DIGITAL DATATRIEVE's Report Writer outputs a file in HTML format using the following command: DTR> REPORT YACHTS ON YACHT.HTML FORMAT HTML 1.2 Bundling of DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows Effective with this release of DIGITAL DATATRIEVE the rights to use the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows are granted under the server license. The Windows client is now bundled with the server binaries. A separate purchase is no longer required. To install the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows read the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Installation Guide and the Getting Started with DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows. 1.3 Year 2000 Readiness DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2 is Year 2000 compatible. There are some considerations that should be taken into account, see Chapter 2 for further information. New Features for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2 1-1 2 ________________________________________________________________ Restrictions and Known Problems This chapter describes the restrictions, known problems, and solutions for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2. 2.1 Restrictions This section describes restrictions applying to DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2. 2.1.1 Incorrect Edit Strings Generated by Oracle CDD/Repository In previous versions, DIGITAL DATATRIEVE did not correctly compute the length of packed-decimal fields contained in records that had been converted from DMU to CDO format, using the CDO CONVERT command. Although this problem has been fixed, a problem still exists with incorrect edit strings generated by Oracle CDD/Repository. To resolve this last problem, edit the converted record and remove the incorrect edit strings. 2.1.2 Incorrect Formatting of CDA Format Reports The NEW_PAGE clause of the REPORT statement does not process correct CDA (DDIF and PS) reports, when it appears in a print list following an inner print list and it's itself followed by other print elements. The following example produces an incorrect report: READY CDD$TOP.DTR$LIB.DEMO.FAMILIES ; REPORT FIRST 3 FAMILIES ON CDA_NEWPAGE_LIST.PS FORMAT PS PRINT ALL KID_NAME OF KIDS , NEW_PAGE, MOTHER END-REPORT; Restrictions and Known Problems 2-1 Restrictions and Known Problems 2.1 Restrictions 2.1.3 Year 2000 Considerations You should take into account the following considerations: 1. In DIGITAL DATATRIEVE, leading zeros in dates are suppressed. Therefore, if you define a year 2000 date and print it in the form YY/NN/DD, as follows: DTR> define d date.; DTR> d = "01-JAN-2000" DTR> print d using format YY/NN/DD the date is displayed as follows: 101 To avoid this problem, use some other date format, for example, DD/NN/YY. 2. In some applications DIGITAL DATATRIEVE accepts a 2-digit year date. DIGITAL DATATRIEVE converts this 2-digit date to a 4-digit date by using the current century digits. This may cause problems when you are entering a year that is not in the current century. To avoid this problem, enter the four digits of the year in the date. 2.2 Known Problems This section describes the known problems for DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2. 2.2.1 Connecting from DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows to the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Server on OpenVMS Alpha If you try to connect from DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows to a DIGITAL DATATRIEVE server running on OpenVMS/Alpha, the attempt may fail to connect. In this case, the DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Client for Windows will display the error: Attempt to connect timed out without establishing a connection This problem is under investigation. 2-2 Restrictions and Known Problems Restrictions and Known Problems 2.3 Solutions 2.3 Solutions This section describes software problems corrected in DIGITAL DATATRIEVE Version 7.2. In the previous release of DIGITAL DATATRIEVE, when writing into a record and trying to validate a value that required the use of a table, the error "invalid dictionary directory" was displayed. This problem has now been resolved. Restrictions and Known Problems 2-3 3 ________________________________________________________________ Upward Incompatibilities Between DATATRIEVE-11 and DIGITAL DATATRIEVE This section discusses problems that can result when appli- cations developed using DATATRIEVE-11 are run with DIGITAL DATATRIEVE. 3.1 Incompatibility in the Handling of Negative Representation of Zero Some data types (such as PACKED or NUMERIC strings) allow two representations of 0. These are +0 and -0. Although +0 is usually the result of an arithmetic operation, both DIGITAL DATATRIEVE and DATATRIEVE-11 store a value of -0 in the following case: DTR> DECLARE ABC PIC 999 USAGE PACKED. DTR> ABC = -1000 In this case, the two DIGITAL DATATRIEVE products display the result differently. The following example illustrates DATATRIEVE-11 results: DTR> PRINT ABC USING ++999 -000 The next example illustrates DIGITAL DATATRIEVE results: DTR> PRINT ABC USING ++999 000 The reason for the incompatibility is that DIGITAL DATATRIEVE manipulates the data before editing and changes the sign in the process. Incompatibilities Between DATATRIEVE-11 and DIGITAL DATATRIEVE 3-1 Upward Incompatibilities Between DATATRIEVE-11 and DIGITAL DATATRIEVE 3.2 Incompatibility Assigning COMP-2 Values to Integer Fields 3.2 Incompatibility Assigning COMP-2 Values to Integer Fields When a COMP-2 real number is stored in an integer field, DIGITAL DATATRIEVE rounds the value and DATATRIEVE-11 truncates it. DTR> DECLARE I USAGE INTEGER. DTR> DECLARE X USAGE COMP-2. DTR> X = 1.7 DTR> I = X Loss of precision during arithmetic calculation. DTR> PRINT I DIGITAL DATATRIEVE rounds the number to 2. DATATRIEVE-11 truncates the number to 1. To correct this incompatibility, use the FN$FLOOR function in DIGITAL DATATRIEVE to store the truncated COMP-2 value in the integer field: DTR> DECLARE I USAGE INTEGER. DTR> DECLARE X USAGE COMP-2. DTR> X = 1.7 DTR> I = FN$FLOOR(X) DTR> PRINT I I 1 3-2 Upward Incompatibilities Between DATATRIEVE-11 and DIGITAL DATATRIEVE