Dictionary Database Structure
Data Definition Language (DDL) Reference Manual — 426798-002
D- 2
Elements
DDL assigns each object a unique object number for identification. Object numbers are
assigned in ascending order and are never reused. When an object is removed from
the dictionary, all references to its object number are also removed.
Elements
Definitions and records can contain one or more elements. For example, a single-field
definition contains a single element; a record or group definition contains an element
for itself and additional elements for each field description within the record or group
definition.
DDL assigns each element a unique element number for identification. In the following
example, the DEFINITION statement describes an object that contains a single
element. The RECORD statement describes another object that contains six elements,
one for the entire record and five for the five fields in the record.
Text Items
Text items can contain any text associated with an object. A text item can be one of the
following five types:
The dictionary stores all of the text items associated with each statement in a text file.
Each text item is uniquely identified by a text ID number. A single text item can consist
of a list of several lines of text; the list is ordered by element number.
Number
ASCII representation of a numeric literal in a VALUE or MUST BE
clause
String
Alphanumeric string in a COMMENT, DISPLAY, PICTURE, VALUE,
HEADING, HELP, or MUST BE clause
Keyword
Keyword in a VALUE or MUST BE clause
Enumeration
Name of a value in a level 89 enumeration clause
National
National string in a VALUE or MUST BE clause
International
Internationalized text items in an AS, HEADING, 88, or VALUE
clause.
DEF partnum
PIC 999.
Field element 0
RECORD parts.
Group element 0
02 partnum
TYPE *.
Field element 1
02 partname
PIC X(18).
Field element 2
02 inventory PIC 999.
Field element 3
02 location
PIC XXX.
Field element 4
02 price
PIC 999999V99.
Field element 5
END
Object
Object
VSTD01.vsd
