This group of topics provides detailed descriptions of standard English commands entered at TCL. A few commands included here do not have standard English syntax – these are clearly indicated. The HOTEL database used for the ENGLISH-TUTORIAL account provides examples of output. Components that make up an English sentence are described in The English Sentence.
Depending on the type of data in a file or values specified in an English sentence, the stored format or input may require translation through conversion codes in the data definition items. These items are described in File and Data Definition Items and Conversion Codes.
The most frequently used English commands are:
| LIST | SELECT | SORT | SSELECT |
Other English commands described in this section are:
| BSELECT | CHECK-SUM | COUNT | EDELETE |
| ESEARCH | GENML | I-DUMP | LISTCONN |
| LISTDICTS | LIST-ITEM | LIST-LABEL | LIST-SPREAD |
| REFORMAT | S-DUMP | SGENML | SORT-ITEM |
| SORT-LABEL | SORT-SPREAD | SREFORMAT | SSEARCH |
| STAT | SUM |
Note: With the exception of EDELETE, REFORMAT, SREFORMAT and T-LOAD, none of these commands modify the contents of any files.
The following English commands are described elsewhere in the documentation:
| DEFINE-INDEX | HASH-TEST | ISTAT | ST-DUMP |
| T-DUMP | T-LOAD |
The List Processing Commands section describes other English commands that do not have English syntax. Lists of item-ids are frequently used in conjunction with English.
Note: Some other commands that have some connection with English, such as SET-ALPHA, are described in TCL and General User Commands.