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Character-based Querying and Reporting Tools User Guide
1. Introduction
- In This Guide
- Querying and Reporting Tools at a Glance
- Audience
- What You Need to Know
- Special Considerations
- Query Language Used in this Guide
- System-specific Text in This Guide
- Terminology Used in this Guide
- Syntax Conventions Used in this Guide
2. Fundamentals of Using Querying and Reporting Tools
- Before Using the Querying and Reporting Tools
- How to Start an Ingres Tool
- Access to Database Tables
- Frames and Forms
  - Forms
  - Fields on Forms
- Find Entry Using First Letter
- Menus
- Keys and Mouse Support
- On-Screen Help
- Printing and Redrawing the Screen
  - Print the Screen
  - Refresh the Screen
- Error Messages
  - Error Message Viewing
- Naming and Name Use Conventions
3. Using the Tables Utility
- Tables Utility
- Tables, Synonyms, Views, and Indexes
- Start the Tables Utility
  - Menu Options for the Table Catalog
- Create a Table
- Destroy Tables, Synonyms, Views, and Indexes
- Get Information about Tables and Views
  - Fields for Examine a Table
- How You Add or Delete Columns in an Existing Table
4. Using QBF
- Query-By-Forms (QBF)
- Query Definition and Execution Phases of QBF
  - Query Definition Phase
  - Query Execution Phase
- Ways to Start QBF
  - How You Start QBF from the Operating System
  - Start QBF from the Ingres Menu
- Query Target Selection
  - Catalog Frames for Query Target Selection
  - Data Display Forms for Query Targets
    - Custom Forms
    - Default Forms
- Query Execution
- How Query Results Are Displayed and Saved
5. Working with QBF Operations
- QBF Append Operation
- QBF Retrieve Operation
- QBF Update Operation
6. Using JoinDefs in QBF
- JoinDefs
- JoinDef Rules
  - Join Columns with Coercible Data Types
  - Multiple Join Columns
- Join Types
  - Master/Master JoinDefs
  - Master/Detail JoinDefs
- Automatic Joins
- Fields on a JoinDef Form
- How You Create a JoinDef
  - Optional JoinDef Specifications
- JoinDefs Catalog Frame
- JoinDef Definition Frame
- How Columns Are Joined
  - JoinDef Specification Frame—Specify Other Components of the JoinDef
- Single-Table JoinDefs
  - How You Build a Single-table JoinDef
- Update and Delete Rules
- JoinDef Change Display
  - Delete Fields from JoinDef Displays
  - Exit the JoinDef Change Display Frame
- Test JoinDefs
- Save JoinDefs
- Edit JoinDefs
- Delete JoinDefs
7. Using RBF
- Report-By-Forms (RBF)
- RBF Frames and Operations
- Start RBF
  - Report Catalog Frame
- Obtain Information About a Report Specification
  - MoreInfo about a Report Frame
- RBF PopUp Frames
- Preview Reports
- Report Specifications
  - How to Produce a Report in RBF
- Sources of Report Data
- Sort Columns and Breaks
- Date, Time, and Page Number
- Report Styles
8. Working with RBF Report Specifications
- Create a Default Report Specification
  - Choose Columns on which to Base the Report
  - Choose a Report Style
- RBF Report Layout Frame
  - How You Get to the Report Layout Frame
  - Report Components in the Report Layout Frame
- Layout and Create Operations—Create New Report Components
- Layout and Delete Operations—Delete Report Components
  - Delete Break Headers, Footers, and Other Report Sections
  - Delete Other Report Components
- Edit Operation—Edit Report Components
  - Edit Trim and Headings
  - Edit Columns
- Column Display Formats
  - Representation of Display Formats
  - Change Display Formats
- Column Options
  - Sort Order
  - Runtime Data Selection
    - Hexadecimal Constants
    - Null Values for Numeric Variables
- Column Break Options
  - Options for Showing a Change of Value
  - Use the Break Options Operation
- Move Operation—Move Report Components
  - Move Trim, Columns, Aggregates, and Headings
    - Place and Shift Operations
  - Move the Report Margins
- Report Options Frame
- Obtain the Name of a Column
- Undo Operation—Undo Edits
- Save Operation—Save a Report Specification
- Archive Operation—Archive a Report Definition
  - Use the Archive Operation
  - Comment Blocks in Archived Reports
- How to Copy Report Specifications
- Delete a Report Specification with Delobj Command
9. Producing a RBF Report
- How You Produce RBF Reports
- Report Destinations
- Background Mode
  - Report Log
  - Specify Report Variables
- Produce a Preview Report
  - Produce a Report from a Report Specification
- Report Sent to a Screen
  - Send Reports from a Screen to a File
  - Send Reports from a Screen to a Printer
- Send a Report Directly to a File
- Send a Report Directly to a Printer
- Run Report Specification from Command Line
  - Send Reports to a Screen using Report Command
10. Using Report-Writer
- What Is Report-Writer?
  - Report-Writer and RBF
- Report Preparation
- How to Produce a Report with Report-Writer
- Considerations for the Finished Report
- Types of Report Specification Statements
- Format of Report Specification Statements
- Sample Report
- Report Setup and Format
11. Report-Writer Expressions and Formats
- Expressions in Report-Writer
- Object Naming Conventions for ANSI/ISO Entry SQL-92 Compliant Databases
- Recognition of Delimited Identifiers
  - How to Specify Delimited Identifiers
    - Case Sensitivity of Delimited Identifiers
    - Multiple Delimited Identifiers
  - Precedence over String Constants
- Reserved Words
- Types of Data in Expressions
- Operations
- Format Specifications
- Expressions and Formats Syntax Summary
12. Report-Writer Statements
- Report Setup Statements
- Page Layout and Control Statements
- Report Structure Statements
- Column and Block Statements
- Text Positioning Statements
- Print Statements
- Conditional and Assignment Statements
  - .If Statement—Specify Alternative Statements
    - Description
    - Examples
  - .Let Statement—Assign Expression Value to a Variable
- Statement Syntax Summary
13. Using VIFRED
- What Is Visual Forms Editor (VIFRED)?
- VIFRED Frames and Operations
- Start VIFRED
  - Start VIFRED in Expert Mode
- VIFRED Forms Catalog Frame
- Create New and Duplicate Forms
- Form Layout Frame
  - Alignment Guides
  - Layout Frame Menu Options
- Form Attributes
- Form Display Style
- Borders for Pop-up Forms
- Form Size and Position
- Save a Form
  - Save Submenu
  - Save Changes Pop-up
- Destroy Forms
- Edit Existing Forms
- Rename Forms
- Compile Forms
  - Translate Compiled Form into Object Code
- Print Forms
- QBFNames Operation
  - QBFNames Catalog Frame
  - Assign Additional QBFNames to Forms
- Run QBF from VIFRED
  - Quit Operation—Exit VIFRED
14. VIFRED Form Components
- Parts of a Form
  - Fields on a Form
- Operations on the Form Layout Frame
- Create Operation
- Delete Form Components
- Change the Tabbing Order of Fields on a Form
- Move Operation—Move Components on a Form
  - Move a Single Component
  - Move a Group of Components at Once
15. VIFRED Field Specifications
- Field Attribute Specifications
  - Default Attributes
  - Set Attributes for a Field or Column
- Attributes in the Set List
- Required and Other Attributes
- Default Values for a Field
- Specify a Validation Check
  - Comparison Operator Validation Checks
  - Validation Error Message
- Derived Fields
16. Interactive Query Language Terminal Monitor
- What Is the Interactive Terminal Monitor?
- Capabilities of the Interactive Terminal Monitor
- Start the Interactive Terminal Monitor
- Interactive Terminal Monitor Frame—Enter Query Language Statements
- Query Language Statement Execution
- Print or File Output
- How Error Messages Are Handled
17. System Commands for the Forms-based Tools
- Standard Flags and Parameters
- compform Command—Compile a Form
  - compform Example
  - Compile a Form into Object Code
- copyform Command—Copy a Form to Another Database
- copyrep Command—Copy a Report to a Text File
  - copyrep Example
- delobj Command–Delete Objects from Database
  - delobj Examples
- ingmenu Command—Start Ingres Menu
- iquel Command—Start Interactive QUEL Terminal Monitor
  - iquel Example
- isql Command—Start Interactive SQL Terminal Monitor
  - isql Examples
- printform Command—Print a Form to a File
  - printform Example
- qbf Command—Start Query-By-Forms
  - qbf Examples
- query Command—Invoke QBF Query Execution
- rbf Command—Start Report-By-Forms
- report Command—Run a Report
- sreport Command—Store Report Definition in a Database
  - sreport Examples
- vifred Command—Start the Visual Forms Editor
  - vifred Examples
18. Working with Data Types and Data Display Formats
- Data Types
- Data Display and Input Formats
- Numeric Templates
- Date and Time Templates
  - Absolute Date and Time Templates
  - Time Interval Templates
- String Input Templates
A. Defining Your Terminal
- The Termcap File
- How to Define Your Terminal
B. Defining Function and Control Keys
- Why Key Mapping?
- Key Mapping Overview (Windows Environment)
- Key Mapping Overview (UNIX and VMS Environments)
- Obtaining Information on Mappings
- FRS Mapping Objects
- Mapping File Syntax
- Restrictions and Limitations (Windows Environment)
  - Troubleshooting Checklist (Windows)
- Restrictions and Limitations (UNIX and VMS Environments)
  - Troubleshooting Checklist (UNIX and VMS)
C. Writing Termcap Descriptions
- Why Modify the Termcap File?
- Supplied Termcap File
  - How to Set the II_TERMCAP_FILE Variable
  - Format of a Termcap Description
- How to Start Writing New Termcap Descriptions
- Eleven Basic Commands
  - Cursor Motion Command
- Commands for Advanced Features (Windows Environment)
- Commands for Advanced Features (UNIX and VMS Environments)
- Commands for Special Situations
  - Commands from the UNIX Termcap File
- Examples of Termcap Descriptions
C. Data Types
- Data Types in SQL, OpenSQL, and QUEL
D. Calling Ingres Tools from Embedded SQL and OpenSQL
- How Ingres Tools Are Called from Embedded SQL and OpenSQL
- Call Statement—Call an Ingres Tool or Operating System
- Ingres Tool Parameters
E. Report-Writer Report Examples
- Overview of Report Examples
- POPULATION Example
- POP2 Example
  - QUEL User Notes for POPULATION and POP2 Examples
- ACCOUNT Example
  - QUEL User Notes for ACCOUNT Example
- DICTIONARY Example
- DICT2 Example
  - QUEL User Notes for DICTIONARY an DICT2 Examples
- LABEL Example
  - QUEL User Notes for LABEL Example
- Report Creation Using Several Tables
  - How to Join Tables for a Report
  - How to Avoid Awkward Page Breaks
    - QUEL User Notes for a Join
F. Troubleshooting Report-Writer
- Parameter Substitution Troubleshooting
- Query Troubleshooting
- Comment Troubleshooting
- Default Print Position Troubleshooting
- Formfeed Troubleshooting
- Performance Problem Troubleshooting