CA Ramis and CA Ramis Reporter access to external files

Products

• Ramis Reporter

Issue/Introduction

CA Ramis is a database, reporting and application development system designed to provide features and components for use with its database as well as for use with external files and databases.

CA Ramis Reporter is designed to provide features and components for use with external files and databases only.

Users of both products have at their fingertips the data and structure independence of reporting tools that may be used with a variety of external files and databases. 
Users can easily access and report from any of these file types without regard to the internal format of their data.

 

Environment

Release: 7.4

CA Ramis
CA Ramis Reporter

Resolution

CA Ramis and CA Ramis Reporter process external files by means of an access interface module. This interface returns records retrieved from an external file or database to REF (Reporting from External Files). The facilities that can be used with REF include:

• All of the CA Ramis reporting features.
• Extracting commands and options (HOLD, SAVE, SAVB, DUMP, RDUMP and VDUMP).
• RELATE facilities to combine data from multiple sources.
• File matching (STORE and RUN) facilities to combine data from multiple sources.
• DEFINE facilities to create temporary calculated fields.
• EDIT facilities for automatic numeric field formatting (RAMEDIT) in report display.
• System Building Executive (SBX) for complex user application development.
• Networking to Advantage CA Ramis database files through virtual linkages.
• DFO model (Financial Planning Component) and library file linkages to CA Ramis database files.

Provided Interfaces to External Files

Some of the external files and databases accessible include Relational Databases such as DB2, SQL/DS, Teradata DBC/1012,  CA Datacom/SQL, CA IDMS/SQL, and also CA Datacom, CA IDMS, IMS, DL/I, ADABAS, TOTAL, VSAM, QSAM, and ISAM.

User Exits to Interface to Your Unique Files

In addition, users can access data from unique files by developing their own modules and continue to use all of the reporting and application facilities available with both Ramis products. Any of these modules are referred to as a QLINK. Users can create user-written QLINK and QUSER exits to access external file types not directly supported. Plus, a QUSER can intercept the record retrieved by a QLINK and reject retrieved records or modify them before they are passed to other Ramis facilities for further processing. This feature increases the flexibility of REF.

In addition to reporting, the Ramis system components are particularly useful in designing and developing reporting applications.
SBX (System Building Executive) is provided to allow users to develop robust procedural applications. Procedures can be compiled and automatically executed in an interactive or batch mode. FSM (Formatted Screen Manager) can enhance applications by providing user developed screens for interactive input and output.
Menu Expert supplies a user-friendly method of combining SBX requests or procedures and full screen menus.
For those users who prefer a standard menu approach, there is RMBA (CA Ramis Menu Based Architecture). This allows users to access all areas of Ramis through easy to use menus.

Discussed briefly below are highlights of some of the provided features. Specific details on these areas or features can be found in CA Ramis Bookshelves and PDFs.

The Reporter

Allows users to retrieve, manipulate, and organize data into tabular or graphic reports. Its non-procedural, English-like language makes the Reporter easy to learn, use and remember.

RELATE

Allows users to combine data, quickly and easily, from multiple sources for reporting and extraction.

REF (Reporting from External Files)

Allows users to access data from most external sources including RDBMs such as DB2, SQL/DS, Teradata DBC/1012, Advantage CA-Datacom/SQL, Advantage CA-IDMS/SQL, and also Advantage CA-Datacom, Advantage CA-IDMS, IMS, DL/I, ADABAS, TOTAL, VSAM, QSAM, and ISAM.

SBX (System Building Executive)

Allows users to build and manage sophisticated applications that can be used to control a wide range of activities, both simple and complex through compiled PROCEDUREs or REQUESTs.

FSM (Formatted Screen Manager)

Allows users to develop full screens to be used by SBX during application processing. These formats may contain single or multiple frames, and may have HELP screens developed for end user help.

RMBA (Menu-Based Architecture)

Provides users with a menu-driven entry to the components of Advantage CA-Ramis and offers menu-driven facilities for obtaining quick reports and relations, to mention a few.

MENUX (Menu Expert)

Allows users to rapidly develop menu-based applications.

FILEX (File Expert)

Allows users to create or automatically generate and modify Advantage CA-Ramis file descriptions defining an external file.

MARVEL (Menu-Based Reporting)

Allows users to develop, test, save, and generate Advantage CA-Ramis reports without having to learn the syntax through an easy-to-use, menu-driven facility. Additionally, the Advantage CA-Ramis syntax used to produce the report may be generated and saved.

SmartEdit

SmartEdit is an online, full-screen editor that allows users to develop, test, edit, and store Advantage CA-Ramis SBX REQUESTs and PROCEDUREs.

RDBMS Utility (Relational Database Management Systems)

Allows users to quickly generate an Advantage CA Ramis file description for DB2, SQL/DS, CA Datacom/SQL, CA IDMS/SQL, or Teradata DCB/1012 tables or views.
Also, allows users to connect or disconnect to RDBMS subsystems or to activate TRACE and EXPLAIN facilities.

SQL Utility

Allows users to execute SQL statements while within the CA Ramis product.

Additional Information

For more information on reporting from external files and user routines QLINK and QUSER, refer to the CA Ramis publication Reporting from External Files (REF) found via the CA Ramis Version 7.4 set of documentation can be found at CA Ramis Bookshelves and PDFs.