Release Information for Natural Version 6.3.4

This document covers the following topics:

New Features

Adabas 6 (Open Systems) and Adabas 8 (Mainframe) Support

With Natural Version 6.3.4, a new database driver ADA2 is delivered that supports features introduced with Adabas 6 (Open Systems) and Adabas 8 (mainframe). This includes support of Adabas large objects fields, Adabas LA fields and extended Adabas buffer lengths.

See also Adabas Database Management Interfaces ADA and ADA2 in the Programming Guide.

Changes and Enhancements

Natural Studio

Data Area Editor Options

It is now possible to use mixed case field names in the data area editor when working with a mainframe source in a SPoD environment. See Data Area Editor Options in Using Natural Studio.

Natural Web I/O Interface Service

Logging

An enhanced logging information system is now provided. See Logging Information in the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation.

Service Commands

The following additional Natural Web I/O Interface service commands can now be specified:

  • nwosvcd -help

  • nwosvcd -show

  • nwosvcd -config -logging=option

See Natural Web I/O Interface Service Commands in the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation.

Natural Web I/O Interface Client

Java Version for J2EE Server

The prerequisite for using the Natural Web I/O Interface client on a J2EE server has changed. It is now required that Java Runtime 5 or above is installed.

Tracing

It is now possible to define a different trace directory for IIS.

It is now possible to enable tracing for a session on a J2EE server (Sun Application Server and JBoss Application Server). To do so, you set the trace attribute in a session definition to "true".

See Tracing in the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation.

Logging

In case of problems with the Natural Web I/O Interface client or Natural for Ajax on a J2EE server, you can now enable logging and thus write the logging information to an output file. See Logging (J2EE only) in the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation.

Terminal Emulation in a Remote UNIX Environment (SPoD)

For a VT (UNIX) session, it is now possible to define individual screen sizes. When a screen size other than the default screen size (24*80) is required, open the configuration file NATSHARE411.SAG using the Configuration Manager. Then duplicate the session named "NATURAL-VT" and define the required screen size in the duplicated session.

Moreover, the environment variables COLUMNS and LINES have to be set to the new screen size before the Natural Development Server is started. If the procedure template natdvsrv.tpl is used for invoking the Natural Development Server during system startup, the environment variables can be defined in the template.

Notice of Future Changes

The following changes are planned for future versions of Natural.

Default Setting for Adabas Database Driver

With Natural Version 6.3.4, the database driver ADA is still used by default.

With a future version of Natural, the default setting for the database driver will change to ADA2.

Handling of the TF Parameter

With a future version of Natural, the handling of the TF parameter will be changed.

Currently, it is only possible to use the asterisk (*) notation for the database ID (DBID) and file number (FNR) of the production database. In a future version, it will also be possible to use the asterisk notation for the database ID and file number of the test database. It may then be possible that your applications will behave in a different way.