DDF Builder Tasks

DDF Builder Tasks

This section explains the tasks that you perform with DDF Builder. The tasks are divided into the following categories:


Category	Description
General Tasks	Orient you to the overall use of DDF Builder
Tasks Initiated from Data Sources Explorer	Allow you to access editors, views, and wizards

General tasks apply to the overall use of the tool.

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To start DDF Builder

See Starting DDF Builder

Accessing User Documentation

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To access DDF Builder online documentation

1

Start DDF Builder and press F1 or click HelpDDF Builder Help Contents (see Note).

2

Click Available Chapters in User’s Guide, then the desired chapter.

Note: DDF Builder and the PSQL Control Center (PCC) utility share common components, such as SQL Editor. Because of this, help invoked from certain areas within DDF Builder accesses information in other PSQL books, such as in the PSQL User's Guide.

DDF Builder Log File

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To access DDF Builder Log file

1

Start DDF Builder and click HelpDDF Builder Log.

The log file displays in your system text editor.

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To clear DDF Builder Log file

1

Start DDF Builder and click HelpClear DDF Builder Log.

A dialog box displays for you to confirm the action.

2

Click Yes to confirm and the log file is deleted.

The next time you start DDF Builder, a new log file is automatically created.

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To see added or deleted nodes in Data Sources Explorer

1

Right-click on the node for which you want to see the addition or deletion.

2

Click Refresh.

The context of the Refresh command applies to the node from which you invoke it. If you want to refresh all nodes in Data Sources Explorer, execute the command from the Engines node (the top of the tree).

Tasks Initiated from Data Sources Explorer

Most tasks in DDF Builder are initiated by selecting a command relevant to a node in Data Sources Explorer. The commands invoke an editor, a view, or a wizard. The following tables direct you to tasks based on what action you want to take. The tables are categorized by areas of interest:

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Data Sources Explorer

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Note: When using DDF Builder with security-enabled databases, you should always take the database offline and turn off all security prior to working with the files in DDF Builder.


If You Want To…	Then…	Notes
Create a new Btrieve file with an editor.	Right-click a data path under the Data Paths node. Click Create Btrieve File .	DDF Builder does not automatically create DDFs for the new file. See Btrieve File Editor.
Export the Btrieve file structure to an XML file.	Right-click a Btrieve file name under the Data Paths node. Click Export Btrieve Schema .	The data in the Btrieve file is not exported. See Export Btrieve Schema.
Create a new file based on the structure of another Btrieve file, as specified in a XML file.	Right-click a data path under the Data Paths node. Click Import Btrieve Schema .	The data in the Btrieve file is not imported. See Import Btrieve Schema.
Specify a directory where you want a Btrieve file located.	Right-click the Data Paths folder . Click Add Data Path .	Any DDFs that you create for the Btrieve file are located in the original data path for the database. This is because all SQL tables are defined in the same set of DDFs. See Add Data Path.
Remove a data path directory from Data Sources Explorer.	Right-click a data path under the Data Paths node. Click Delete .	Neither the directory nor any files in it are deleted from physical storage.
View the Btrieve file statistics with which the SQL table is associated.	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click Edit Table Definition . Click Statistics tab.	The table names appear under the SQL Tables node, or under Data Paths node. See Statistics Page.
Change the Btrieve (data) file associated with the selected SQL table.	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click Change Associated Data File .	Only one data file may be associated with a particular table.


If You Want To…	Then…	Notes
Check the consistency for all tables at once	Right-click Databases node. Click Check Database.	See Check Table Consistency.
Check the consistency for one or more tables individually	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click Check Tables.	The names appear under the SQL Tables node, or under a Btrieve file name (Data Paths node) if the Btrieve file has DDFs. You can select multiple tables by holding down the Shift or Control key then clicking the desired table names. See Check Table Consistency.
Specify in Data Sources Explorer a directory where you want data files to reside or where they already reside	Right-click the Data Paths folder . Click Add Data Path .	See Add Data Path.
Remove from Data Sources Explorer a directory where data files reside	Right-click a data path listed under the Data Paths node. Click Delete .	Neither the directory nor any files in it are deleted from physical storage.


If You Want To…	Then…	Notes
Create a new database	Right-click Databases node. Click Add Database.	See Add Database.
Remove a database from Data Sources Explorer	Right-click Databases node. Click Delete .	The database is not deleted from physical storage.

Data Sources Explorer


If You Want To…	Then…	Notes
Update the tree to show additions to or deletions from a node(s)	Right-click on any node except for the name of an SQL table. Either click Refresh or press F5.	The context of the Refresh command applies to the node from which you invoke it. If you want to refresh all nodes in Data Sources Explorer, execute the command from the Engines node at the top of the tree.


If You Want To…	Then…	Notes
Access the user documentation	Press F1 (or Shift F1 for Linux) within an editor, view, or wizard (or click HelpDDF Builder Help Contents).	See the Note in Accessing User Documentation.


If You Want To…	Then…	Notes
Execute a SELECT statement for all records in an SQL table (SELECT * FROM) or Access an editor in which you can type SQL statements to execute against an SQL table	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click SQL Editor .	By default, SQL Editor executes a SELECT * FROM statement when it opens. SQL table names display as subordinate nodes under SQL Tables and under the Btrieve file name (provided the Btrieve file has DDFs). See Add Database.
Execute SQL statements in SQL Editor or in Outline View	See “Execution Tasks” in PSQL User's Guide.	You can perform numerous tasks with SQL Editor. See “SQL Editor Tasks” in PSQL User's Guide for a complete list.


If You Want To…	Then…	Notes
Create a new table definition with an editor	Right-click a Btrieve file name under the Data Paths node. Click Create Table Definition .	You can create one or more SQL tables for a Btrieve file. Each SQL table appears as a subordinate node under the Btrieve file name. See Table Definition Editor.
Create a new table based on the schema of another SQL table	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Btrieve file or SQL Tables node. Click Copy SQL Definition .	The table names appear under the SQL Tables node, or under a Btrieve file name (Data Paths node) if the Btrieve file has DDFs. See Copy SQL Definition.
Modify a table definition	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click Edit Table Definition .	The names appear under the SQL Tables node, or under a Btrieve file name (Data Paths node) if the Btrieve file has DDFs. See Table Definition Editor.
Remove a table from Data Sources Explorer	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click Delete .	The table is not deleted from physical storage. The table names appear under the SQL Tables node, or under a Btrieve file name (Data Paths node) if the Btrieve file has DDFs.
Change the Btrieve (data) file associated with the SQL table.	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click Change Associated Data File .	Only one data file may be associated with a particular table.
View the Btrieve file statistics with which the SQL table is associated	Right-click an SQL table name under either the Data Paths or SQL Tables node. Click Edit Table Definition . Click Statistics tab.	The table names appear under the SQL Tables node, or under Data Paths node. See Statistics Page.