New Features in Reality V15.0

Reality V15.0 contains a large number of new features since the release of V14.0, such as full 64-bit support, outgoing web services, updated ODBC support, item time stamps and so on. Other important changes are listed under the broad heading of 'MultiValue'. Compatibility, including many features that are of immediate benefit to all Reality users – like the use of case insensitive searches while selecting and then editing data items. So be sure to review the following list of new features introduced by V15.0.

Some of the new features have come from the user feedback that we receive during the life of a release, so please continue to use the 'Comment on this topic' links at the top of each topic in the Online Documentation, or visit the Reality website at www.northgate-is.com/reality, in order to help us to improve your Reality.

Full 64-bit Support Across all Platforms

Significant changes have been made to deliver optimal performance and extended datum sizes across all platforms. For Microsoft Windows, continued 32-bit compatibility ensures that Reality remains useable on legacy laptops and low end servers.

Outgoing Web Services

Reality's new outgoing web services feature enables DataBasic programmers to call third-party web services over HTTP.

SQL for Reality

Reality SQL/ODBC  now complies with ODBC version 2.5 and the ODBC Applications Programming Interface (API) Level 2.

Indexes

• The ICOUNT and ISELECT TCL commands will now accept symbols as comparison operators, as alternatives to the alphabetic ones previously available.

  In addition, when using the AND operator, the higher key value can now precede the lower key value.

• The SELECT-INDEX TCL command will now accept multiple key values separated by colons, corresponding to the BY clauses in the index definition.
• For indexes that were created from dictionary definitions that include output conversions, the ICOUNT, ISELECT and SELECT-INDEX TCL commands apply those output conversions as input conversions to the literal data specified as appropriate. This behaviour can be inhibited with the EXTERNAL.KEY environment option.
• POSITION statement (DataBasic). New keywords allow you to position the read pointer at the start of an index and at the position following an entry that matches a key value.
• LIMIT.INDEX statement (DataBasic). It specifies the end of a range of positions within an index and must be used in conjunction with the POSITION statement.
• For indexes that were created from dictionary definitions that include output conversions, the POSITION and LIMIT.INDEX statements apply those output conversions to the literal data specified as appropriate. This behaviour can be changed with the EXTERNAL.KEY compatibility switch.
• Automatic indexing is now available for Remote Q/Pointers, for deployment across multiple systems.

• All of the direct index commands, plus automatic index access through ENGLISH, now work through remote QPTRs.

Item Time Stamp

In the same way that it is possible to determine the date on which an item was last updated, Reality now allows you to determine the time of day when the item was last updated. This time is expressed as the number of milliseconds since midnight, although currently the granularity is 1000 milliseconds (that is, one second).

Time stamps are available for items read from standard Reality files, local or remote, and for items read from directory view files. When the item is remote the remote Reality must be release V15 or later. Non-zero time stamps are immediately available on directory view items which already exist, but are available on items in standard Reality files only when they are updated or created. Time stamps for items read from other types of file, such as (make) special files, are zero.

SYSTEM(111) returns the time when the most recently read item was last updated.

Time stamp values can be used as operands in algebraic (A code) and mathematical (F code) English conversion codes.

File Save and Restore

From V15.0, items that are saved from the local database by using the SAVE verb (or a derivative) include the item time stamp. When these saves are restored to the same release of Reality or later, the time stamps are applied to the restored items.

When a file which has been saved from an older version of Reality is restored, where the items do not include time stamps a time stamp of zero is applied to the restored items.

Items saved using T-DUMP do not include time stamps; T-DUMP save format is dictated by the SMA standard which does not include meta-data such as date and time stamps. Items restored using T-LOAD have a time stamp of zero applied.

Configurable 2-Digit Date Window

Reality has always allowed dates to be entered into the system with a one- or two-digit year, but until now it has always used a fixed date window of 1930-2029 (so that, for example, 11 means 2011 rather than 1911).

With this release, this date window is configurable, either at the database level by means of the IDateWindow database configuration parameter, or at the user level by means of the IDATE-WINDOW TCL command.

Memory Mapped I/O

Memory mapped I/O has been introduced in Reality for Windows, and may produce performance gains. If necessary it can be suppressed using the new environment variable, REALUSEMMAP.

MultiValue Compatibility

Reality V15.0 has been further enhanced to improve compatibility with other MultiValue systems. In addition, the following features simplify migration to Reality from other MultiValue systems.

• MultiValue Compatible Databases (see below). This feature allows you to select all the options necessary to emulate a different MultiValue system with a single command.

• Case-insensitivity. Options are available to make Reality operate in either the default, case-sensitive mode or a D3 compatible, case-insensitive way. Refer to the sections Data Case-insensitivity, Keyword Case-insensitivity and Item-id Case-insensitivity.

  You should not normally need to use these, as the correct options are set when you specify the MultiValue emulation for a database.

• DataBasic Environment Control. This allows the run-time behaviour of a DataBasic program or subroutine to be determined by the compiler used and the MultiValue compatibility mode.
• Logon Programs. Reality logon programs have been enhanced in various ways.
• TCL. The command line language.
• Other MultiValue Features.

MultiValue Compatible Databases

The mkdbase host command has an interactive menu interface which allows you to choose a MultiValue emulation (Reality, mvEnterprise, mvBase or D³) for a new database. This automatically enables data, keyword and item-id case-insensitivity if appropriate, sets the frame size to an appropriate value, and changes the default user operating environment to be compatible with the selected emulation (To find out which predefined environments are available and in which a particular option is set, use SSM option 4 (Define Environment Settings) or the DEFINE-ENVIRONMENT TCL command.).

The VendorEmulation database configuration parameter specifies the MultiValue emulation. If set in the master database configuration file, it sets the default value for this mkdbase menu option. The SYSTEM(102) function (DataBasic and Proc) returns the currently selected emulation.

Case-insensitivity

Data Case-insensitivity

This can only be used if enabled both for the database with the DataCaseControl database configuration parameter and for a particular user with the DATA.CC environment option. Once enabled, it is possible to select or deselect it with either the CASE TCL command or the DataBasic CASING statement. If data case-insensitivity is enabled at both levels, it is initially selected for that user.

Features made case-insensitive

If data case-insensitivity is enabled, the following features become case-insensitive:

• DataBasic relational expressions.

• The following DataBasic functions and statements. Functions: CHANGE, COMPARE, CONVERT, COUNT, DCOUNT, FIELD, FMT, GROUP, ICONV, INDEX, LOCATE, OCONV, TRIM. Statements: CONVERT, FIND, IF, INPUT, INPUT@, UNTIL, WHILE.
• SORT function. The sortOrder parameter now accepts additional options to control data case-insensitivity.
• The Proc IF and IF (Multivalued) commands use case insensitive string comparisons.

• In English selection clauses, case is ignored when comparing attribute values.

  Notes:

  • Because index definitions are based on English, this also applies to indexes.
  • If attribute 8 contains any pre-processor codes, case is also ignored when comparing item-ids.

The SYSTEM(101) function (DataBasic and Proc) returns the current state of data case-insensitivity. In D3 mode (set with the $OPTIONS statement) the SYSTEM(28) function returns the current case-insensitivity setting for DataBasic.

TCL Commands

The SEARCH, ESEARCH and SSEARCH commands now accept additional options to control data case-insensitivity.

Line Editor

The editor commands that search for strings (DE, L , R, SP and TR) can now operate in both case-sensitive and -insensitive modes. The required mode can be specified when starting the editor (the default is the current data case setting) and changed while editing with new CI, CS and = commands. See Search Strings for more details.

Screen Editor

The screen editor commands that search for strings (L and S) can now operate in both case-sensitive and -insensitive modes. The required mode can be specified when starting the editor (the default is the current data case setting) and changed while editing with the new = command.

ME Development Editor

The ME editor commands that search for strings (/, L and R) can now operate in both case-sensitive and -insensitive modes. The required mode can be specified when starting ME (the default is the current data case setting) and changed while editing with new CI, CS and = commands.

Keyword Case-insensitivity

This can only be used if enabled both for the database with the KeyCaseControl database configuration parameter and for a particular user with the KEY.CC environment option. If enabled, the following features become case-insensitive as regards keywords:

• The contents of account and file definition items (local, synonym and remote).

  Note: Although the user can use mixed case when editing a D-pointer, attribute 1 is converted to upper case when saved.

• The contents of command and command synonym definition items.

  Notes:

  • This does not currently apply to Proc commands, which must be entered in upper case.
  • The case-sensitivity of TCL commands called from Procs and TCL macros depends on the item-id case sensitivity of the account's master dictionary.
• String keyword parameters in the following DataBasic functions and statements: COMPARE function (alignment parameter), LOCATE statement (sequence parameter), SORT function (sortOrder parameter), TRIM function (type parameter), UNTIL statement (limit-expr parameter), WHILE statement (limit-expr parameter).
• In the ICOUNT and ISELECT TCL commands, the case of alphabetic comparison operators is ignored.
• English conversion codes (wherever used) and their operators and operand keywords.
• Proc commands and their operators and operand keywords.
• Command definition items (attribute 1).
• Data definition items (attributes 1 and 9).

The following features are always available and do not have to be enabled:

• A new TCL command, COMPILE, provides a case-insensitive alternative to the BASIC command. This is functionally identical to BASIC, except that the case of keywords, variables and labels is ignored; for example, the variables FRED, fred and FrEd are treated as a single variable.
• DataBasic debugger. The / command now allows you to enter variable names in any case.

Item-id Case-insensitivity

This is enabled by selecting the appropriate option from the mkdbase menu when creating a database. To set the default to case-insensitive, either set the IIDCaseControl database configuration parameter in the master configuration file or set the REALCASEINSENSITIVE host environment variable.

• If item-id case-insensitivity is enabled on a database, you can create files, accounts and directory views with case-sensitive item-ids. The INSENS.CREATE.FILE environment option specifies the default. This may be overridden with two new options: U (case sensitive, as on Unix) and W (case insensitive, as on Windows).
• Files, directory views and accounts are marked as case-insensitive by the addition of a D-pointer option (I) as the second character in attribute 1. The I option can only be set when the file or account is created, or with the CONVERT-FILE command; it cannot be changed by editing the D-pointer.

• Directory views. On UNIX hosts a directory view is made case-insensitive by making all item-ids lower case in the Reality file. As a result, all host files created as Reality items will have lower case names and only host files with lower case names are visible.

  Note: Since Windows has a case insensitive file system, directory views are unchanged on this type of host.

The following item-id case-insensitivity features are also available:

• SYSTEM(100) function (DataBasic and Proc). This returns whether the database supports case-insensitive item-ids.
• The USER, ISTAT, HASH-TEST and LISTFILES TCL commands display whether the file contains case-insensitive item-ids.
• A new TCL command, CONVERT-FILE allows you to convert a file or an account MD from item-id case-sensitive to case-insensitive and vice versa. It is available in all user accounts, but can convert an account MD only if run from the SYSMAN or SYSPROG account.

• Elements 104 to 107 of the DataBasic SYSTEM function return the state of item-id case-sensitivity for the SYSTEM, NETWORK, USERS and SECURITY system files.
• The SYSTEM(108) function returns whether the host operating system is case-sensitive or -insensitive.

For information about how item-id case-insensitivity affects Reality, refer to Case Sensitivity.

Indexes

• When an index is created, the current settings for data and item-id case-sensitivity are saved with the index to ensure correct operation.
• Changing the item-id case-sensitivity of a file with the CONVERT-FILE command will invalidate any indexes. The indexes must be deleted and recreated to restore correct operation. The VERIFY-INDEX TCL command reports if the item-id case-sensitivity for an index does not match that of its file.

SQL for Reality

Although Reality files can now be case-insensitive as regards item-ids, SQL for Reality currently remains case-sensitive. The SQLM command has been enhanced to ignore case-insensitive files (and display an error message to that effect) when creating or regenerating SQL tables. A new option (W) allows you to force SQLM to convert case-insensitive files, but its use is not recommended because SQL access to Reality files is always case-sensitive.

DataBasic Environment Control

This allows the run-time behaviour of a DataBasic program or subroutine to be determined by a combination of two factors:

• The run-time version. There are two ways of setting this:

  • By using the compiler associated with the required version of Reality - the compiler version is embedded in the compiled code.
  • By specifying run-time version at the beginning of the source code with the $OPTIONS statement; the code produced will then behave as if it is being run on an earlier version of Reality. Note that can only be done if you use the V15 compiler or later; also, code compiled in this way can only be run on V15 or later.
• The MultiValue compatibility mode (if any) set at the beginning of the source code with the $OPTIONS statement.

Each combination of compiler version and MultiValue compatibility mode sets a unique combination of compatibility switches that control individual DataBasic features. These allow Reality V15 to work in a similar way to both earlier versions and other MultiValue systems, so that existing applications can run with the minimum of modification.

Logon Programs

• These could previously only be Procs, but it is now possible for any TCL command to be used; for example, a cataloged DataBasic program, synonym command, macro, sentence or menu. This applies to all types of Logon program: user, account and TCL inhibit.

  This feature is enabled on a user-by-user basis by setting the LOGON.PROGS environment option.

• User and Account logon programs. In previous versions of Reality, if both the user and the specified or default account had a logon program, only the user program was executed. If this feature is enabled and both the user and the account have logon program, when the user logon program completes, the account logon program is run.

  This feature is enabled on a user-by-user basis by setting the ACCOUNT.LOGON environment option.

• Global Logon Program. This allows the definition of a global logon program that runs when any user logs on. The program must be defined as an item called GLOBAL-LOGON in the MD of the GLOBAL.MD account.

TCL Macros

TCL macros provide an alternative to Proc for simple batch tasks. Four types of macro are available:

The following macro-only commands are provided:

Macros are items in the MD of an account. The user can create them with any of the Reality editors, or by using the .C TCL Stacker command to save commands from the stack as an S-type sentence. If a different type of macro is required, the user must use one of the editors to modify the saved item.

Macros of any type can be run from the TCL command line. In addition, an S-type macro can be loaded onto the TCL stack using the .X TCL Stacker command command and the commands it contains executed from there. This is intended primarily for executing macros that were saved from the stack; any secondary input is ignored.

Other MultiValue Features

MultiValue Environments

• Support for the 'DATA' prefix to a filename.
• Predefined V15 environments have been provided for Reality, D3, mvEnterprise and mvBase. UniVerse, UniVision and UniData environments are now available. For details of which options are set in these, use SSM option 4 (Define Environment Settings) or the DEFINE-ENVIRONMENT TCL command.
• The TCL stacker command now has UniVerse, UniVision and UniData modes, set in the operating environment.
• The DataBasic $OPTIONS statement now accepts keywords representing UniVerse, UniVision and UniData systems. For each of these, an appropriate symbol is defined to control condition compilation with the $IFDEF and $IFNDEF statements.
• The mkdbase host command now allows you to choose UniVerse, UniVision and UniData emulations.
• A new DEFAULT.TO.ALL environment option allows the COPY, CP, CT, ECOPY and QSELECT TCL commands to behave in the same way as on D3 (if the item-list parameter is omitted, the default is *: all items). This option is set in the V15 D3 predefined environment.
• Predefined operating environments have been added for Reality V15, PICK, R83 and AP.

TCL

The information displayed by the WHO command and user exit U50BB depends on the selected MultiValue environment; for details, see MultiValue Compatibility.

English

• English now provides default attribute definitions that allow you to specify any attribute in an English command; for details, see the topics Data Definition Item and MultiValue Compatibility in the English Reference section of the documentation.
• Certain characters have special meanings when used in an English HEADING or FOOTING modifier. A new NOOLDHEADER environment option is set in the V15 MultiValue predefined environments to inhibit this behaviour.

Proc

• The Proc A command now allows you to specify the number of characters to be extracted from a parameter in the input buffer.
• A new PQN.ABS.S environment option changes the behaviour of the PQN Proc S command so that it will insert empty parameters, if necessary, to allow the pointer to be set to the specified position. This option is set in the V15 D3 predefined environment.

DataBasic

• TCLREAD statement. This is functionally the same as the SENTENCE function, but returns its result in a variable supplied by the programmer.
• CHANGE and SWAP functions. These now accept two additional parameters that allow you to specify the number of occurrences to replace and the occurrence with which to start.
• EREPLACE function. This is identical in operation to the CHANGE function.
• DISPLAY statement. This is identical in operation to the CRT statement, but is only available in AP, D3, MVBASE, PICK and R83 modes (set with the $OPTIONS statement).
• File error handling. In some MultiValue compatibility modes the THEN or ELSE clause for certain file handling statements is optional.
• The TRIM function has a new type option (M). This is similar to the "R" type, in that it replaces repeated occurrences of the specified character with a single character, but it does not remove leading and trailing occurrences.

  In D3 compatibility mode (set with the $OPTIONS statement), the "R" type functions in the same way as "M".

• SYSTEM(98) function. This returns a number representing the current video emulation; that is, the MultiValue vendor used to map the DataBasic @(-n) function within the current program module (determined by the MultiValue mode set with $OPTIONS).

  It is also possible to set the video emulation for the current program module by using the ASSIGN or SYSTEM(98) statement.

  When called from Proc, SYSTEM(98) always returns 0 (Reality).

• When using the INPUT@ statement, a format string can now start with the letter "M" (for compatibility with other MultiValue systems).
• SYSTEM function: In Reality and D3 modes, if an item read fails because the item is locked, SYSTEM(0) now returns the number of the port holding the lock.
• DQUOTE and SQUOTE functions: In D3, AP, PICK and R83 modes, these functions search a string for a substring enclosed in quotation marks.
• QUOTE function: This encloses a string in double quotation marks in Reality in all modes, and is supplied for MultiValue Compatibility.
• EXECUTE statement:
  • In D3 mode, the SETTING clause returns error numbers only, rather than error numbers and messages.
  • The executed command can now be a dynamic array that includes responses to input prompts generated by the command.
• When called from DataBasic with ICONV or OCONV, the information returned by user exit U50BB depends on the MultiValue mode set with the $OPTIONS statement. For details, see User Exit Conversions.
• In D3 mode, strings containing only arithmetic unary operators and decimal points are treated as numeric.
• In D3, PICK/R83 and AP modes, THEN/ELSE clauses are not required in the OPEN, READ, READU, READV, READVU, MATREAD and MATREADU statements. If the statement fails, and there is no THEN or ELSE clause, the result (returned in the appropriate parameter) is set to null.
• DIV, SADD and SSUB functions: Provide alternative ways of performing arithmetic operations.
• MSLEEP statement: This causes a program to sleep for a specified number of milliseconds.
• OUT statement: Outputs raw data to the display.
• CHANGE statement: This changes the contents of a variable by replacing all occurrences of a substring with a new substring. (See also CHANGE function.)
• TRANS function: Extracts data from a file.
• LEFT and RIGHT functions: These extract substrings from the beginning and end respectively of a string.
• FOLD function: This has been enhanced to provide greater compatibility with other MultiValue systems.
  • If omitted, the fold width now defaults to 25.
  • Fold widths can be specified in a dynamic array.
  • The delimiter can now be specified.
• External functions: In additional to internal and external subroutines, Reality V15 allows you to write your own functions. These are similar to external subroutines, but return a value to the calling program and are called in the same way as intrinsic functions. The must be defined in a separately compiled and cataloged program module and declared before use in the calling program. New FUNCTION and DEFFUN statements are now available and the RETURN statement has been enhanced to return a value.
• Logical expressions. In D3, PICK/R83 and AP compatibility modes (set with the $OPTIONS statement), a complex logical expression are "short circuited" if a sub-expression evaluates to false. Subsequent sub-expressions are not evaluated. For details, see the TRUE.BOOL compatibility switch matrix setting.

Databasic and Proc

• SYSTEM(94) function. This returns a unique identifier based on the date and time, with a suffix to make this unique if necessary. In D3 compatibility mode this feature is available as SYSTEM(19).
• @ function. Additional extended cursor addressing codes are now available in D3 and MVBASE compatibility modes (set with the $OPTIONS statement).
• SYSTEM function. D3 and MVBASE compatibility modes (set with the $OPTIONS statement) are now available.

Other Enhancements and Changes

Supported Platforms

The latest version of Reality adds support for:

• Windows 7 and Windows Server 2012 and 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• CentOS 6 and 5 (Linux) (64-bit only)
• Solaris 11 (for SPARC 64-bit)

Removal of Windows-specific SQL Maintenance

The WinSQLM client component has been discontinued.

Partial D-pointers

If a File or Account definition item has less than 10 attributes, default values are used for the alignment and item-id column width (attributes 9 and 10).

mkdbase

• The mkdbase host command now accepts a switch (-h) that allows the hash type to be set.
• The mkdbase host command has an interactive menu interface which allows you to choose a MultiValue emulation (Reality, mvEnterprise, mvBase or D³) for a new database. For more information, see Multi-Value Compatible Databases above.

TIPH Licences

A TIPH licence similar to the current Despooler licence is now available.

TCL

• The stacker mode where reused commands are moved to the top of the stack has been extended to include commands that are re-entered at TCL. See . (Dot - TCL Stacker Recall Command)  and SET-STACK.
• TCL macros  now combine options on the command line with those specified in the first line of the macro.
• The ACCOUNT-RESTORE, M-A-R and SEL-RESTORE TCL commands now accept a W option that specifies that the save is from a case-insensitive database.

Global TCL Commands

When a TCL command is run, the verb was previously searched for in the MD of the current account and then, if not found, in the file specified as the user's "Alternate Verbs File" (set in the user's security profile). This feature adds a third location - the MD of the GLOBAL.MD account.

An additional feature of this allows the user to bypass the local MD and the alternate file, and force selection of the global command. This is done by prefixing the command name with a tilde (~). By using this, the user could write a macro with the same name as a global command, but call the global version from with that macro.

A new environment option (INHIBIT~) allows the user to disable the latter feature, so that local commands with names beginning with tildes can still be run.

DataBasic

COMPARE Statement

This new statement allows you to compare two dynamic arrays.

PERFORM Statement

The performed command can now be a dynamic array that includes responses to input prompts generated by the command.

Conditional Compilation

$IFDEF and $IFNDEF constructs allow the programmer to mark sections of code for inclusion or exclusion depending on whether a symbol has been defined (using the EQUATE statement or a new $DEFINE compiler directive). The $UNDEFINE statement allows you to undefine a symbol that was previously defined with $DEFINE.

The $TRUE, $T, $FALSE and $Fconditional compilation symbols provided by mvEnterprise are also supported.

EQUATE Statement

The EQUATE statement will now accept the LITERALLY keyword, used with a value enclosed in quotes. This allows the substituted value to contain spaces and multiple statements (separated by semicolons).

ACCESS Function

A new element (34) has been added to the ACCESS function. When this is used in a dictionary subroutine, ACCESS returns a string containing the next conversion code, if any. This makes it possible for DataBasic to emulate certain historic types of user exit.

Dynamic Array Functions

The following new functions are introduced:

• ABSS function

  Generates the absolute (positive) numeric values of the elements in a dynamic array.

• ADSS function

  Adds the elements in two dynamic arrays.

• DIVS function

  Divides the elements in one dynamic array by those in another.

• MODS function

  Divides the elements in one dynamic array by those in another, calculating the remainders.

• MULS function

  Multiplies the elements in two dynamic arrays.

• NEGS function

  Negates the elements in a dynamic array.

File Information Functions

Two new DataBasic functions return information about a specified Reality file:

• The FILEPATH function returns the path of the file referenced by a specified file variable.
• The FILEINFO function returns other information about the file referenced by a specified file variable.

Named Common Sections

Two new TCL commands are available:

NC.LISTThis displays a list of the named common areas that have been defined and their current states.

NC.RESETThis resets one or more named common areas.

In addition, when you log to a different account, any open files referenced by variables in named common sections are closed.

Debugger

The debugger displays a runtime error message if a variable is referenced before it has been assigned a value. The form of the message now includes the variable name, and depends on whether the variable is a simple variable, a vector entry or an array entry.

Default Compiler

The default DataBasic compiler is a new version that supports all the new features described in this topic. Note that code generated by this compiler cannot be run on earlier versions of Reality.

History Enhancements

The DataBasic history feature provides a mechanism to log history data to allow reporting and analysis of the usage of DataBasic programs, subroutines and external user functions. You create a separate HISTORY data section in your source files, and this section is used by the system to log the history usage of the code whenever it is complied and catalogued.

When any local source item is compiled and catalogued, a history log item with the same DataBasic program name is automatically written to the HISTORY data section of the source file (if such a section exists). Any previous history item is overwritten. The log item comprises the attributes shown in the following table (compilation is logged in attributes 1-7, cataloguing is logged in attributes 8-14).

Attribute	Description
1	Date of successful compilation (internal format)
2	Time of successful compilation (internal format)
3	PLID of successful compilation
4	ID of user requesting compilation
5	Account of successful compilation
6	Location of source (filename - including the data section, if appropriate)
7	Source item ID
8	Date of successful catalog (internal format)
9	Time of successful catalog (internal format)
10	PLID of successful catalog
11	ID of user requesting catalog
12	Account of successful catalog
13	Location of executable object (filename)
14	Executable item ID

The following dictionary definition items are supplied in the dictionary of the global POINTER-FILE. If cataloguing to the global POINTER-FILE then an item is created in the POINTER-FILE,HISTORY data section in addition to any in the source's HISTORY data section.

• DH.COMP.DATE - Date of successful compilation

• DH.COMP.TIME - Time of successful compilation

• DH.COMP.PLID - PLID of successful compilation

• DH.COMP.USER - ID of user requesting compilation

• DH.COMP.ACCT - Account of successful compilation

• DH.CAT.DATE - Date of successful catalog

• DH.CAT.TIME - Time of successful catalog

• DH.CAT.PLID - PLID of successful catalog

• DH.CAT.USER - ID of user requesting catalog

• DH.CAT.ACCT - Account of successful catalog

Proc Error Messages

If a Proc is called from another Proc with the P command, the result might not be as expected; in particular, on completion of the called Proc, it will not return to the calling Proc. In this version, this problem can be harder to identify and solve, in that a Proc could call a TCL Macro which calls a Proc, etc., so error messages have been added to warn the user of this situation. On emulations, these are enabled by default; they can be enabled or disabled as required with the TRAP.EMBEDDED.PROC environment option.

Global POINTER-FILE

A new account will no longer contain a Q-pointer to the global POINTER-FILE, so it is no longer necessary to delete this before creating a local pointer file. Note however, that to access the global pointer file, you must include the account name (SYSFILES). For example:

LIST /SYSFILES/POINTER-FILE

Administration

Reality's command logging features (Audit and Support logs) have been enhanced to give the administrator greater control over what is logged and how the information is presented. For details, refer to the descriptions of the AutditTclLog, SupportTclLog, SizeTclLog and TimeTclLog database configuration parameters.

System Information

Two new commands, SYSINFO and WHAT, provide information about your Reality system that can be used for diagnostic purposes.

Installing Updates

• The way in which Reality updates are installed on Windows hosts now works in a similar way to on UNIX. This permits the installation of a single update if necessary without having to install a complete service pack. For details, refer to the Installing Updates section in the Reality on Windows Installation Guide and the install_fix host command.

• It is now possible to remove Windows updates with install_fix. Note: After removing an update, you must run SYS-UPDATE on each database to update the system files.

• On UNIX, it is no longer necessary to provide install_fix with the full path to the required update or the directory containing the updates.

Auto File Size

Dictionaries can now be marked for auto file size.

Documentation

Online Documentation

• The appearance of the Online Documentation has changed, although the content is substantially the same. In particular, the navigation features (Contents, Index, Search and Glossary) work slightly differently. For more information, see the How to use the Online Documentation topic.