Release Information for Natural Version 6.3.14

This document covers the following topics:

Supported Operating Systems

As of Natural Version 6.3.14, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 are also supported, in addition to the operating systems listed in the section Supported Operating Systems of the release information for Natural Version 6.3.1.

New Features

Application Programming Interfaces

The utility SYSEXT provides the following new Natural application programming interface (API):

API Description
USR6308N Retrieve system files defined in the global configuration file (Natconf.cfg).

Changes and Enhancements

No More Renumbering for Constants Containing Line Number Patterns

When a Natural source program is renumbered, any four-digit numbers that are contained in a constant are no longer renumbered. See also Renumbering of Source-Code Line Number References in the Programming Guide.

*ERROR-LINE System Variable

The *ERROR-LINE system variable is now reset to 0 when another Level 1 program is executed. For further information, see the System Variables documentation.

Specification of FSEC System File

The following Natural application programming interfaces (APIs) now provide the option to specify an FSEC system file:

API Description
USR1055N List objects in a library
USR1056N List DDMs on the FDIC file or in a library
USR1057N Read Natural source code into an array
USR1058N Read DDM source code into an array
USR2019N Read or save Natural source code from/to the source area
USR4201N Maintain data area sources
USR4206N List objects in a library
USR4208N Read or write a Natural resource
USR4212N Analyze data area
USR4215N Get list of resources in a Natural library

For information on API handling, see SYSEXT Utility in the Tools and Utilities documentation.

Natural Web I/O Interface Client

The Natural Web I/O Interface client is now delivered in the Version 1.3.12.

Supported applications servers and servlet containers in this version are:

  • JBoss Application Server 4.2

  • Oracle GlassFish Server 3.1

  • Tomcat 6 and 7

Supported browsers in this version are:

  • Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10

  • Mozilla Firefox Extended Support Release 10 and 17

    Note:
    Only the Extended Support Releases of Mozilla Firefox are explicitly supported.

  • Safari 5.1 on Windows and Mac OS X

  • Google Chrome

    Note:
    The Google Chrome support is based on Google Chrome Version 19. Due to frequent version upgrades of Google Chrome, compatibility of the Natural Web I/O Interface client with future versions of Google Chrome cannot be fully guaranteed. Possible incompatibilities will be removed during the regular maintenance process of the Natural Web I/O Interface client.

See also Installing the Natural Web I/O Interface Client in the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation.

Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call)

Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is available as a separate subcomponent of Natural. It has its own version number. This measure takes into account that Natural RPC is a cross-platform component and makes it possible to provide new Natural RPC versions independent of new Natural versions for the various platforms supported.

With Natural Version 6.3.14, an enhanced Natural RPC Version 6.3.4.8 is delivered that replaces the existing Natural RPC Version 6.3.4.6.

The following changes and enhancements are available.

Application Monitoring

The Natural RPC now supports application monitoring on the client and on the server side.

Natural Security

The following enhancements are provided with Natural Security Version 6.3.14:

Administrator Services

Access To Current FSEC

Administrator Services provides a new general option Access To Current FSEC. It determines whether the Natural Security data stored on the FSEC system file may be accessed - via application programming interfaces - from a Natural Security session running with another FSEC system file. For details, see Access To Current FSEC in the Natural Security documentation.

LDAP Security Profile - New Field

The LDAP security profile provides a new field NSC User ID, which determines how user IDs not defined to Natural Security are handled.

LDAP Security Profile - FDT Enhancement

The Adabas file definition table (FDT) of the FSEC system file contains the following enhancement: The field LI is now defined as a descriptor. This enhancement is only relevant if you use the LDAP security profile option Support user names as IDs. To be able to use this option in conjunction with an already existing FDT (that is, an FDT of an older version), you have adjust the existing FDT and define the field LI as a descriptor in it. If you do not use this option, you can continue to use the existing FDT without having to make any adjustments.

Application Programming Interfaces

NSCDEF

The NSCDEF application programming interface provides the new PPARM1 parameter, which can be used to specify an FSEC system file. This allows you to check whether an object is defined on the specified FSEC system file and whether the security profile of the object is identical to that on the current FSEC system file. For more information, see the PGMDEF example program and the TXTDEF text object in the SYSSEC system library.

Notice of Future Changes

The following changes are planned for a future version of Natural.

CATALL Command

To improve the migration of Natural applications, the sequence in which the system command CATALL catalogs the Natural objects will be changed with Natural Version 8.3.1 for Windows. The following table compares the new sequence with the current sequence.

  New Sequence as of Version 8.3.1 Current Sequence
1 DDM DDM
2 GDA GDA
3 LDA LDA
4 PDA PDA
5 Function Class
6 Subprogram Map
7 External Subroutine Dialog
8 Helproutine External Subroutine
9 Map Subprogram
10 Adapter Function
11 Program Adapter
12 Class Helproutine
13 Dialog Program

Natural Reporter

With Natural 8.3, the Natural Reporter will no longer be part of the Natural installation. Instead, the Natural Reporter will be available for download.