Version 4.2.6 for Mainframes
 —  First Steps  —

Getting Started with Natural

This document covers the following topics:


Invoking Natural's Main Menu

The main menu of Natural provides access to Natural development functions, environment settings, utilities and example libraries.

Start of instruction setTo invoke Natural's main menu

  1. Start Natural according to the procedures at your site.

    Depending on the default settings in your environment, either the Natural main menu or the NEXT or MORE command prompt appears.

  2. If one of the above command prompts appears, enter the following:

    MAINMENU

    The main menu appears.

    09:51:48                    *****  NATURAL  *****                    2007-03-20
    User SAG                        - Main Menu -                Library SYSTEM    
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                       Function                                                    
                                                                                   
                    _  Development Functions                                       
                    _  Development Environment Settings                            
                    _  Maintenance and Transfer Utilities                          
                    _  Debugging and Monitoring Utilities                          
                    _  Example Libraries                                           
                    _  Other Products                                              
                    _  Help                                                        
                    _  Exit Natural Session                                        
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
    Command ===>                                                                
    Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
          Help        Exit                                                  Canc

Top of page

Libraries

All Natural objects required for creating an application are stored in Natural libraries in Natural system files. There is a system file for system programs (FNAT) and a system file for user-written programs (FUSER).

Natural thus distinguishes system libraries and user libraries. The system libraries, which start with the letters "SYS", are reserved for Software AG purposes only. A user library contains all user-defined objects (for example, programs and maps) which make up an application. The name of a user library must not start with the letters "SYS".

The field Library in the top right-hand corner of the Natural main menu (and of many other screens) shows the name of the library where you are currently logged on.

Top of page

Issuing Commands

The input of a Natural command is not case-sensitive. After you have entered a Natural command, you choose the ENTER key. ENTER confirms the action and executes the command or invokes an extra confirmation window where you explicitly acknowledge command execution.

Top of page

Creating a User Library

You will now create a user library with the name TUTORIAL. This library is to contain all Natural objects that you will create in the course of this tutorial.

Start of instruction setTo create a user library

Top of page

Development Functions Menu

The Development Functions menu can be used to create and modify Natural objects.

Start of instruction setTo invoke the Development Functions menu

Top of page

Programming Modes

The programming mode is indicated in the Mode field at the top right-hand corner of the Development Functions menu.

Natural provides two different programming modes:

Important:
This tutorial requires that structured mode is active. If you try to run your program in reporting mode, END-IF, END-READ and END-REPEAT will cause errors.

If reporting mode is currently active, proceed as described below.

Start of instruction setTo switch from reporting mode to structured mode

You can now proceed with your first program: Hello World!

Top of page