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New Features in 9.4
Sunbelt Computer Systems proudly announces the 9.4 release of its PL/B software. Included
in this release runtime is an embedded SQLite database engine, a new utility, and new methods
for accessing your data within IO statements.
SQLite
SQLite is one of the most widely deployed
database engines in the world. In the past, users wanting to store information in a database were
required to evaluate a number of products, license the software from a third party, install, configure,
and maintain the database. You also needed to locate, install, configure, and maintain an
ODBC interface to access the database from PL/B. All in all, it could get expensive, time consuming, and
required a good bit of technical knowledge.
With the 9.4 version of PL/B, everything has been done for you! Within your PL/B program, you simply
connect to the embedded database engine and start using it.
To connect to the engine, execute a DBConnect instruction with a
connection string of "SQLite;;filename". The "filename" in this case is a binary file that is your
database. If the file doesn't exist, it is created. Once the connection has been made, you
can create tables, insert data, use transactions, and any of the normal database activities using Sunbelt's
existing database verbs. How easy is that? There is no installation, no configuration,
and (did you notice) no cost. For most of your database needs, the ANSI 92 compatible
SQLite engine will have plenty of power.
DBExplorer Utility
Also included in the 9.4 release is Sunbelt's new DBExplorer utility. This tool makes common
database administration functions such as table and index creation, table altering, and data import
and export a snap. The database structure is presented in a clear and simple explorer style format.
The utility also has special functions for creating table structures based on PL/B source
definitions.
Named IO
As if just having the SQLite engine at your fingertips isn't enough, the initial need to add the
SQLite engine to the runtime was to allow users to create a
data dictionary. This data dictionary (commonly called the DBSchema) allows users to
describe a data file as a "View" with named fields at specified offsets with the record.
Once defined, associating the view
with a file on an OPEN or PREPARE statement allows IO to be performed using the field names in much the
same manner as IO for XML. A simple example would be:
OPEN F1,"myfile",View=MyFileView
READ F1,Seq;Name=NameVariable
Notice that it does not matter where the Name field is within the record. The DBSchema provides
the information to the READ instruction to locate the field.
If a field is moved or other fields added or removed and the DBSchema updated, no program changes
will be required.
FILTER Instruction
To carry the Named IO capability even farther, users can now employ the FILTER instruction. When applied to
an open FILE, IFILE, or AFILE, FILTER will restrict the data returned to those records that match a specified
criteria. For example, the following would display all records where the name field begins with "John".
OPEN F1,"myfile",View=MyFileView
FILTER F1,"Name like 'JOHN%'"
.
LOOP
READ F1,Seq;Name=NameVariable
UNTIL OVER
DISPLAY Name
REPEAT
Still more
Actually, there is more in the 9.4 release.
Download it now and see how these
enhancements can enrich your programs.
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