Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Basic Database Tools

Preface

This Preface contains the following sections:

Purpose
Audience
Organization
Typographical conventions
OpenEdge messages

Purpose

This book is a user guide for the OpenEdge® RDBMS basic database administration toolset for character-mode.

Audience

This book is intended for developers who want to use the character-mode Data Dictionary to manage the OpenEdge RDBMS.

Organization

Chapter 1 "Data Dictionary Basics"

Describes how to access the Data Dictionary and its menu options.

Chapter 2 "Database tasks"

Describes how to perform database tasks.

Chapter 3 "Table Tasks"

Describes how to perform administrative tasks for tables and files.

Chapter 4 "Field Tasks"

Describes how to perform tasks to create and maintain fields.

Chapter 5 "Index Tasks"

Describes how to perform tasks to create and maintain indexes.

Chapter 6 "Sequence Tasks"

Describes how to perform tasks to create and maintain sequences.

Chapter 7 "Trigger Tasks"

Describes how to perform tasks to create and maintain schema triggers.

Chapter 8 "Database Menu Reference"

Describes the Database menu options and dialog boxes.

Chapter 9 "Schema Menu Reference"

Describes the Schema menu options and dialog boxes.

Chapter 10 "Admin Menu Reference"

Describes the Admin menu options and dialog boxes.

Chapter 11 "Advanced Menus Reference"

Describes the menu options and dialog boxes for the Utilities and PRO/SQL menus.

Typographical conventions

This manual uses the following typographical conventions:

Convention	Description
Bold	Bold typeface indicates commands or characters the user types, provides emphasis, or the names of user interface elements.
Italic	Italic typeface indicates the title of a document, or signifies new terms.
SMALL, BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS	Small, bold capital letters indicate OpenEdge® key functions and generic keyboard keys; for example, GET and CTRL.
KEY1+KEY2	A plus sign between key names indicates a simultaneous key sequence: you press and hold down the first key while pressing the second key. For example, CTRL+X.
KEY1 KEY2	A space between key names indicates a sequential key sequence: you press and release the first key, then press another key. For example, ESCAPE H.
Syntax:
Fixed width	A fixed-width font is used in syntax statements, code examples, system output, and filenames.
Fixed-width italics	Fixed-width italics indicate variables in syntax statements.
Fixed-width bold	Fixed-width bold indicates variables with special emphasis.
UPPERCASE fixed width	Uppercase words are Progress® 4GL language keywords. Although these are always shown in uppercase, you can type them in either uppercase or lowercase in a procedure.
	This icon (three arrows) introduces a multi-step procedure.
	This icon (one arrow) introduces a single-step procedure.

OpenEdge messages

OpenEdge displays several types of messages to inform you of routine and unusual occurrences:

Execution messages inform you of errors encountered while OpenEdge is running a procedure; for example, if OpenEdge cannot find a record with a specified index field value.
Compile messages inform you of errors found while OpenEdge is reading and analyzing a procedure before running it; for example, if a procedure references a table name that is not defined in the database.
Startup messages inform you of unusual conditions detected while OpenEdge is getting ready to execute; for example, if you entered an invalid startup parameter.

After displaying a message, OpenEdge proceeds in one of several ways:

Continues execution, subject to the error-processing actions that you specify or that are assumed as part of the procedure. This is the most common action taken after execution messages.
Returns to the Progress Procedure Editor, so you can correct an error in a procedure. This is the usual action taken after compiler messages.
Halts processing of a procedure and returns immediately to the Progress Procedure Editor. This does not happen often.
Terminates the current session.

OpenEdge messages end with a message number in parentheses. In this example, the message number is 200:

** Unknown table name table. (200)

If you encounter an error that terminates OpenEdge, note the message number before restarting.

Obtaining more information about OpenEdge messages

On UNIX platforms, use the Progress pro command to start a single-user mode character OpenEdge client session and view a brief description of a message by providing its number.

To use the pro command to obtain a message description by message number:

Start the Progress Procedure Editor:

install-dir/dlc/bin/pro

Press F3 to access the menu bar, then choose Help Messages.
Type the message number and press ENTER. Details about that message number appear.
Press F4 to close the message, press F3 to access the Progress Procedure Editor menu, and choose File Exit.