Conventions used for the syntax of 4GL instructions.
Element representing an identification code
Id |
Identification code comprising at least one letter followed by a group of AlphaLetter and/or figures and/or underlined character "_". |
Element representing a variable or array
VarOrArray |
Id | Id(Integer) | Id(Integer,Integer) |
Elements representing a variable in the data environment
VarId |
Environment variable |
AlphaVarId |
Alpha environment variable |
NumVarId |
Numeric environment variable |
BoolVarId |
Boolean environment variable |
IndicatorVarId |
2-byte binary variable (SQL indicator variable) |
etc. |
Element representing a series of variables in the data environment
These can be presented in two ways:
SeriesVarId |
SeriesVarId VarId | VarId |
SeriesVarId either represents a series of environment variables separated by a space, or else a single variable. There must be at least one variable.
SeriesVarId |
SeriesVarId VarId | VarId | None |
Here, the SeriesVarId element is optional. Therefore, there can be a series of environment variables separated by a space, a single variable or else no variables at all.
Note: The word Series is also used with other words (SeriesParameters, SeriesEntities, SeriesEntityFields, SeriesAccessFields, SeriesTransactionNum, SeriesWindowNames, etc.).
Although the presentation rules are the same, the syntax can vary (Example: elements separated by a coma instead of a space).
Element representing a constant
AlphaConstant |
Alphanumeric character string | Named alphanumeric constant | Compatible constant from the constant dictionary |
NumConstant |
Numeric literal | Named alphanumeric constant | Compatible constant from the constant dictionary |
BoolConstant |
*TRUE | *FALSE | Named boolean constant |
Element representing an entity, access or join entity
EntityAccJoin |
EntityName | AccessName | JoinName |
Element representing a series of entities
SeriesEntities |
EntityName | AccessName | JoinName |
Element representing an Adelia SQL request condition
AdeliaCondition |
*COND(<AdeliaCondition>) | None |
In SQL requests, the request conditions are written using the Adelia grammar structure. These are simple conditions that use the comparison operators <, >, =, <=, >=, <>, the conditions BETWEEN, START_WITH, CONTAINS and the AND and OR linking operators.
Element representing a sorting criterion
SortOption |
*SORT(SeriesSortFields) | None |
SeriesSortFields |
SeriesSortFields, FieldId Order | FieldId Order |
Order |
*ASC | *DESC | None |
*SORT is used to specify the sorting criterion following a list of FieldId fields, with an Order comparison instruction for each.
By default, all fields are included.
The instruction is *ASC for ascending order or *DESC for descending order. If the order is not specified, ascending order is used by default.
Details of the SortOption element are not given in the description of the instructions in which it appears. Instead, there is a reference to the section that contains the relevant explanation.
Element representing a data structure
SeriesDSFields |
SeriesDSFields DSFields | DSFields |
DSFields |
VarId | VarId,PosAndType | VarId,Type |
PosAndType |
Integer | TypeInteger |
Type |
P | B | None |
SeriesDSFields is used to define the fields in the data structure, with their start position and type (P for packed numeric, B for binary numeric, and blank characters for extended numeric).
Details of the SeriesDSFields element are not given in the description of the instructions in which it appears. Instead, there is a reference to the section that contains the relevant explanation.