What
is DDBuilder?
DDBuilder has been superseded by the BASIS DBMS Data Dictionary module accessible from the BASIS IDE or the Enterprise Manager. Recommended for usage with ODBC/JDBC access to PRO/5, Visual PRO/5, BBj application data. DDBuilder is no longer included in the BBj download package as of version 12.0 but can be downloaded with Visual PRO/5.
DDBuilder is a utility that can quickly and easily define and create new BASIS data dictionaries, modify existing data dictionaries for use with PRO/5, Visual PRO/5, BBxPROGRESSION/4, and TAOS: The Developer's Workbench. Additionally, it can define SQL Views for use by the BASIS ODBC Driver. DDBuilder runs under Microsoft Windows 95 and NT 4.0.
What is a Data Dictionary?
A data dictionary is an organized, formal description of data files
that describes physical file attributes, such as record lengths and file
types, as well as logical file attributes, such as column names and output
masks.
Applications can be designed to query a data dictionary at run time, which
eliminates the reliance on hard-coded program data structures. Because
the application code can be data independent, data dictionaries can eliminate
the necessity of changing I/O lists and string references in numerous
programs. Rather, one change is made to the data dictionary, and a simple
file update program is run.
What can be done with DDBuilder?
DDBuilder lets the user exploit the power and convenience of a data
dictionary without having to spend the time and resources to create a
custom data dictionary utility.
The following can be done using DDBuilder:
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Create and define data structures.
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Open data dictionaries created in other applications, and modify them for use with BASIS products.
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Create and define SQL views for the BASIS ODBC Driver.
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Print a representation of the database structure and contents.