© 1990-2012 Seagull Software.
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The Application Builder is a user computing tool for the rapid development of
supplementary systems in the TITAN environment. The system consists of utilities for
designing a central data dictionary, and then allowing easy reporting, querying or updating of this data,
with the necessary in-built controls.
The Application Builder module
- Caters for the rapid creation of ad-hoc systems, with user defined menus, screen and report layouts
- Has an efficient view of the TITAN and other file systems, allowing for the creation of cost-effective sub-modules.
A few of the special features of this system are:
- Application Builder Dictionary
Files and fields are easily created and modified.
- Program Generator
Programs such as on-line updating, batch updating, are easily created with step-by-step prompting.
No programming knowledge is required.
- Menu Generator
Easy selection through grouping of generated programs or menus.
- Report Generator
The TITAN Report Writer module has full access to any Application Builder file.
- Application Builder Library
A comprehensive command library exists which can be compiled into programs, giving expert users
full access and manipulation of the Application Builder.
- Data Integrity
Once validation criteria has been set up, the system will reject invalid data in any field.
Many types of validation may be applied; namely range selection, inclusive, exclusive, exist, not exist.
- Help Messages
Help messages may be entered for each field in the Application Builder. When the Help key is pressed
in a particular field, the relevant help message is displayed on the status line.
- User defined prompts and error messages
You also have full control over the contents of operator warning and error messages. Warning messages
will allow the field to be updated, whereas an error condition will not allow this.
- Data Defaults
A value may be given to a field at either the creation of a new record or the first time the generator tries
to amend a field. Default values may be derived from a constant, a special function (TIME, DATE, DATE-TIME)
or from the contents of another field.
- Special Fields
Lookups
- Enable data to be extracted from any TITAN file or other Application Builder file.
This reduces data redundancy, because the value only appears once, and not for every record.
Calcs
- Cater for a value to be computed based on the contents of another field or fields.
Also allow for partial extraction of data for example, the 2nd and 3rd characters of a field.
Variables
- Allow the contents of a field to vary, depending on the contents of another field,
for example:
If value A = 1 then value B = ALPHA
If value A = 2 then value B = NUMERIC ... and so on.
Accumulators
- Enable a field to be incremented by 1 for each addition, such as invoice numbers.
Deleted numbers may be re-used if so selected.
- Indexing
Every field stored by the Application Builder is indexed, and automatically maintained if its contents
are changed in any way. This allows for ordered querying and scanning of any field stored in the
Application Builder.
- Field Formats
Major field formats are:
Alphanumeric - 1 to 50 characters.
Numeric - 0 to 11 integers, 0 to 7 decimals, signs.
Dates - yymmdd, ddmmyy, mmddyy, yyyymmdd, mmyyyy, mmddyyyy.
- Output Format
Extensive output formats may be selected for any field, such as:
- left or right justify
- centring
- leading, trailing sign
- DR, CR
- fill character
- decimal
- separator.
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