Personality Modules
A limited selection of report writers, data access and development tools has long hampered the value of data trapped in proprietary Data General file formats. This data has little value unless it is accessible and usable. Users today demand the ability to access central data bases using a variety of PC-oriented tools, even if data data exists in large mainframe repositories. Large organizations in particular face the challenge of accommodating a wide array of user preferences. Wouldn't it be ince to have an industry standard interface that can be used by almost every major tool on the market, allows SQL access, can connect to major data bases and is easy to implement?
Wild Hare's Personality Modules are designed to meet these criteria. Interfacing to a relational data base with ICOBOL programs is no longer a painful, expensive re-engineering project. Please each COBOL file may be directed to a different data source so data may exist in the file format most appropriate.
The Choice! runtime system
can handle data files residing in the following different formats, and any
program may access any file that exists in any format simultaneously.
The program does not even know where or what the ultimate data file format
is. In all cases the full ICOBOL record locking and file access
capabilities are maintained - all without touching a line of code or without
a single recompile.
DG ISAM
The Choice! runtime system supports the standard DG ICOBOL file systems in a bit-for-bit compatible basis. This includes the old ICOS file system which has 16 MB file size limitation, the early ICOBOL file system which supported up to a 32 MB index and 2 GB data file, and the latest ICOBOL file system which supported up to 2 GB index and 2 GB data files.WH ISAM
Choice! supports various Wild Hare extensions to the standard DG ISAM formats. These enhanced WH ISAM capabilities include up to sixteen (15) file indexes, support for duplicate primary keys and honoring the concept of INFOS "occurrence".
C-ISAM
The Informix C-ISAM file format is the basis of several important data base implementations, including earlier SQL data bases, the C-ISAM file system itself and the derivative X-OPEN ISAM file system standard. As a result many products were developed for this important popular standard.The Choice! runtime C-ISAM Personality Module supports transparent simultaneous access to files in any of these C-ISAM formats, along with files in the original DG ISAM or extended WH ISAM format. The client may even integrate his own C-ISAM library into the Choice! runtime if desired to insure complete compatibility with special simultaneous data base access.
Custom ISAM
Custom enhancements have been made to meet special demanding client requirements. These include support for file 64-bit addressing and multi-terrabyte data bases, emulation of INFOS features within open system file structures, and transparent ICOBOL access to additional proprietary data bases.