Identifying a Library

Throughout tablesONLINE you will use the Identify Table/Row screen (see Figure 129) to specify the name and location of a table to browse or edit. On these screens, in most cases, you will be asked to supply the name of the library that contains the table or View that you wish to use.

The most common way to specify the library name is with a List Facility. If you wish to see a list of either View or Data Table libraries, insert the cursor in the appropriate library field and press <PF1>. This will display a list of all libraries that the user is authorized to access.

To select a Library from the list, place the cursor beside the row and press <Enter> or use the S line command.

There are four other ways to specify a library name:

  • insert a DDNAME
  • insert a Dataset Name
  • specify a library alias
  • specify a number from 1-7

While a library can be identified by a DDNAME or Dataset Name, tablesONLINE provides two additional methods to specify a library. You can set up aliases for your tablesONLINE libraries that can then be used to reference that library. An alias is simply another name for a library that can be used in tablesONLINE more easily than the library Dataset Name. These aliases are stored in the table. For complete details for editing the Library Table see Library Table.

Or, you can identify a table in a Library Name field by inserting a number from 1-7 in the field. The number refers to the position of the library in the library list for the application as defined in the Application Control Table. When an application is initially set up by the tableBASE administrator, an entry is made in the Application Control Table. The Application Control Table includes seven fields that are used to identify the libraries that will be used by that application. The relative position of a library in that list can be used to identify a library in the Library Name field of the Identify screen.