Natural Advanced Facilities - Introduction

#### Search Results

Search

# Natural Advanced Facilities - Introduction

This document covers the following topics about Natural Advanced Facilities:

- General Information

- Terminology

- NATSPOOL Objects

- Starting NATSPOOL

- Invoking a NATSPOOL Function

## General Information

Natural Advanced Facilities consists of `NATSPOOL`, the spooling and report management system. `NATSPOOL` manages Natural program output, thus enabling the output (that is, a report) to be directed to a physical printer. `NATSPOOL` also supports the Natural hardcopy facility.

All reports are stored in the spool file. A report may be directed to the physical printer in one of the following ways:

- automatically at the end of the program which generated the report; or

- by using the corresponding `NATSPOOL` functions.

In IMS TM environment, the spool file must be an Adabas file. In CICS environments, it may be an Adabas file or a VSAM file (Natural for VSAM must be installed in this case).

## Terminology

This section explains the most important terms used in this documentation.

Allocation Table | Describes an output destination and a form which can be assigned to a logical printer. The allocation table specifies the allocated physical printer(s) and optional parameters which are used to spool reports.
Application | Describes a library which can be used from the `NATSPOOL` application.
Calendar | Defines non-working and working days of a year. The calendar is used to compute the retention date for reports. A calendar can be assigned to logical printers.
Cluster | A group of logical printers.
Header Page | A user-designed page which can be assigned to an allocation. The reports spooled for this allocation will start with this page.
Logical Printer | Describes the characteristics of reports. The logical printer is referenced as (rep) in a `WRITE` or `DISPLAY` statement contained in a Natural program. rep can be a value from `1` to `31`.
NTCC Table | Describes the replacements for user-defined and standard attributes. The replacements are used to rework report data for printer-dependent spool output.
Physical Printer | The alphanumeric name of a printer and the technical information which is used to build up a connection and to spool the reports. In a CICS environment, this is the TCT name. In an IMS TM environment, this is the LTERM name.
Queue | All reports created for the same allocation (Destination/Form).
Report | Natural program output identified by a job number.
Spool File | The physical file for all reports and objects. The database ID and file number must be specified either in the Natural parameter module or dynamically by using the Natural profile parameter `FSPOOL`.
User Profile | A set of logical printers to be used during a Natural session. A user profile may be specified either in the Natural parameter module or dynamically, by using the Natural profile parameter `NAFUPF`. If Natural Security is installed, the user profile can be specified for a library or user entry.

## NATSPOOL Objects

The following illustration shows the logical connections between `NATSPOOL` objects.

A maximum of 31 logical printers and one logical printer for hardcopy may be defined for one user.

A maximum of 16 physical printers may be allocated to each logical printer. In the above diagram, a total of 48 printers may be allocated to User 1, and a total of 16 printers to User 2.

Each logical printer requires 2 KB of storage, which is allocated at Natural initialization. Natural executes a 2 KB `GETMAIN (REQM)` command for each printer (n) where

    NTPRINT (1-n), AM=NAF

If the thread size (CICS) or the roll-slot size (IMS TM) is not large enough, a Natural error message is issued and Natural is not initialized.

The `BUS` (buffer usage statistics) command can be used to obtain information on the sizes of the buffers allocated by Natural Advanced Facilities. The following information is provided:

    PRINTnn

which contains the buffer for printer nn.

#### Example - Active User 1:

A `WRITE (1)` statement issued by User 1 causes the report to be printed on Printer 1, a `WRITE (2)` statement causes the report to be printed on Printer 2, and a `WRITE (3)` statement causes the report to be printed on Printer 3.

#### Example - Active User 2:

A `WRITE (1)` statement issued by User 2 causes the report to be printed on either Printer 4 or Printer 5, depending on which printer is in `FREE` status. If both printers are in `FREE` status, the first printer in the allocation table is used (for example, Printer 4 in the above diagram).

## Starting NATSPOOL

To start NATSPOOL

- Enter the Natural system command `SYSPOOL`.

The Natural Spool Administration menu appears with the cursor positioned in the `Command` line.

    Time 12:39:35        *** Natural Spool Administration ***      Date 2022-04-06
    User SAG                            M e n u                    File 19999/1241

          Administration                            Information

          10 Reports/Queues                         20 Cross-Reference
          11 Devices                                21 Statistics
          12 Abstracts                              22 Look at Spool File
          13 Applications                           23 CALLNAT Handling
          14 Change Spool File

          Maintenance                               Control Functions

          30 Spool File Properties                  40 Check Spool File
          31 Objects                                41 Logging Data
          32 Mass Update                            42 Create Test Reports
          33 Hardcopy Allocations                   43 Delete Reports by Date
          34 Transfer Objects

    Enter function, mark with cursor, or press a PF-key.
    Command ===>
    Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
          Help        Exit  Repor Devic Flip  Abstr Appli Cross Stati Look  Canc

The individual `NATSPOOL` functions are described in detail in individual sections of this documentation.

## Invoking a NATSPOOL Function

To invoke a function, proceed in any of the following ways

- Enter a command (and object type) in the `Command` line.

  Or:
  enter a number in the `Command` line.

  Or:
  select a function with the cursor.

  Or:
  press the PF key assigned to a function.

### Command Line

#### Command and Object Type

To invoke a function, enter a command (and object type) in the Command line.

For example, to display the device status (Function 11), enter `DISPLAY DEVICE` in the `Command` line.

To display a list of available commands, enter an asterisk (*) or a question mark (?) in the `Command` line. To display a list of all available object types for a specific command, mark this command in the list with any character.

#### Number

On a selection screen or window, each function is prefixed by a number.

To invoke a function, enter the number of this function in the Command line. For example, to invoke the function Layout of Spool File, enter `30` in the Command line. The Layout of Spool File window will then appear.

In the Layout of Spool File window, each function is prefixed by a number and can also be invoked by entering the corresponding number. For example, to invoke the function Display Last Modification, enter `8` in the Command line of this window.

If you know the number of a function which is listed in a window, you can also directly invoke this function. To do so, concatenate the individual numbers with a period in between. For example, to invoke the above mentioned function Display Last Modification directly, enter `30.8` in the Command line.

### Cursor Selection

To select a function with the cursor, place the cursor on the number of a function and press Enter.

### PF Keys

Most functions are assigned to PF keys.

The PF-key lines at the bottom of the screen indicate which function is assigned to which PF key. To invoke a function, simply press the PF key assigned to this function.

For example, on the `NATSPOOL` menu, the function Reports/Queues is assigned to PF4.

The following PF-key assignments apply for most `NATSPOOL` screens:

Key | Name | Function
--- | --- | ---
PF1 | Help | Invoke the online help facility.
PF2 | Menu | Invoke the `NATSPOOL` menu.
PF3 | Exit | Leave the current function and apply all modifications made.
PF6 | Flip | Switch to display of keys PF13 to PF24 and back.
PF12 | Cancel | Leave the `NATSPOOL` application.
PF13 | %H | Hardcopy function.

### On this page

- General Information
- Terminology
- NATSPOOL Objects
- Starting NATSPOOL
- Invoking a NATSPOOL Function