Generating a Database Block

After all the required information is entered in the Block design editor, you can generate the Block in the Data Description Language (DDL).

Before you begin

You can decide where the files are to be generated. Refer to the link about the target of the generated files for more explanations.

About this task

The DDL is generated according to the logical information that is specified in the Block design, with the Data Elements and Segments that define the tables, views, and indexes.

Several Database Blocks can have the same external name in a location. The generation of Database Blocks with the same external name is managed with the option Allow the generation to override generated files from another design in the Pattern Driven Programming preferences. With this option, a Database Block can then be generated, even if it has the same external name as another Database Block that is already generated in the location. In this case, after the new generation, the former file generated from the other Database Block is automatically removed whereas the new generated file is nested under the new Database Block.

The generation also takes into account the physical information that is entered on the -GG Lines associated with the Block definition and description lines.

Note: For the instances that are imported from Pacbase, the skeleton language of the local generation is identical to the Pacbase skeleton language. This piece of information is retrieved from the extraction of the Pacbase models and from the import. It is stored in the Library.

Procedure

You can generate a Database Block in two different ways:
  • Enter an rpp --generate command line from a command prompt.
  • Right-click a Database Block in the Design Explorer view and select Generate > Database Block generation.

Results

A progress information message box is displayed until the generation is complete.

The generation produces a .dll file (for a relational Block) or a .txt file (for the other Blocks) file under the instance in the Design Explorer view. Right-click it and select Open with > SQL file editor to access the DDL. If you right-click it and select References > Subreferences, the instances involved in this file generation will be automatically displayed in the References view.

The generation also produces the corresponding metadata files:.dllpdp (for a relational Block) or a .txtpdp file (for the other Blocks). These files can be viewed in the Package Explorer view. They must not be edited but must be assigned the same version number as the other generated files.


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