This document covers the following topics:
The system requirements for the current version of Natural are now listed in the Installation documentation.
Natural for UNIX is now installed using the Software AG Installer. For more information, see the Installation documentation.
When installing with the user "root", you are no longer prompted for an "SAG user". Owner and group of the installed Natural files will always be "root" and will not be set to the "SAG user".
The version directory has been removed.
The nat directory has been renamed to Natural.
The Software AG Installer now uses $NAT_HOME
for the directory in which Natural is installed
(<install-dir>/Natural).
The environment variables NATDIR and
NATVERS are no longer required for starting
Natural.
The Natural utilities which have used these environment variables
have been adapted. The Object Handler now provides
NATROOT as a new valid input value.
Natural now determines from which directory it has been started
and automatically uses the appropriate local configuration file
(natural.ini). By default,
natural.ini is located in the Etc
directory which is located within the Natural installation directory. If
required, you can still set the environment variables
NATDIR and NATVERS,
for example, to simplify the start of Natural in your environment or to ensure
compatibility with your existing shell scripts in the Natural Version 8.3 environment.
The default port number which is used by the Natural Web I/O Interface daemon has changed from 2800 to 2900.
With Natural for UNIX Version 8.3.1, different compiler versions were used to build and test Natural. For detailed information, see Compilers Used to Build Natural in the Installation documentation.
Applications that were created with Natural for UNIX Version 3.1 and above can be executed with Version 8.3.
The utility SYSEXT provides the following
new application programming interface (API):
| API | Description |
|---|---|
USR8208 |
This API terminates an EntireX Broker
of version 5 or above by using the Command and Information Service of EntireX
Broker. It also returns version information on the EntireX Broker and the
Command and Information Service itself. For older versions, the same method as
in USR2075N is used.
|
It is now possible to print to an Entire Output Management container file without using the spool of the operating system. The enhancements described below are available for this purpose.
In the parameter file, you can now define "NOM" as the output medium for a report. See Report Assignments in the Configuration Utility documentation.
In the global configuration file, you can now define NOM printer profiles. See Printer Profiles in the Configuration Utility documentation.
Using the
DEFINE
PRINTER OUTPUT operand1 statement,
you can now assign additional reports with the name
"NOM".
For more information on how to print from Natural to Entire Output Management, see the Entire Output Management documentation.
The return code handling of batch Natural processing has been changed:
A TERMINATE nnn
statement now causes nnn to be always set as the
return code of a Natural run.
The return code set by a TERMINATE statement now
overrides the return code 61 which is set due to a runtime error.
Error message NAT9987 now appears in the file identified by
Natural parameter CMPRINT if a Natural run was stopped
by a TERMINATE statement.
Review your batch procedures and check whether there are dependencies related to the above mentioned changes.
A new exit code 91 is available. It is issued when a connection to the Natural Web I/O Interface is not available. See also Natural Exit Codes in the Operations documentation.
To improve the migration of Natural applications, the sequence in
which the system command CATALL
catalogs the Natural objects has been changed. The following table compares the
new sequence with the old sequence as used in Version 6.3.
| New Sequence as of Version 8.3.1 | Old Sequence in Version 6.3 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DDMs | DDMs |
| 2 | Global data areas | Global data areas |
| 3 | Local data areas | Local data areas |
| 4 | Parameter data areas | Parameter data area |
| 5 | Copycodes * | Classes |
| 6 | Texts * | Maps |
| 7 | Functions | Dialogs |
| 8 | Subprograms | Subroutines |
| 9 | Subroutines | Subprograms |
| 10 | Helproutines | Functions |
| 11 | Maps | Adapters |
| 12 | Adapters | Helproutines |
| 13 | Programs | Programs |
| 14 | Classes | |
| 15 | Dialogs |
* Copycodes and texts are processed as of Version 8.3.
- Compact Mode
The Object Handler now provides the compact mode, which can be used to perform unload, load or scan functions in only two steps. In compact mode, you can specify all basic processing instructions in two input maps. Additional input maps for further processing instructions can still be used but are optional to call. You can start a function in compact mode but also continue in compact mode during advanced-user or wizard processing to skip any remaining processing steps.
For further information, see the section Compact Mode in Object Handler in the Tools and Utilities documentation.
- New Profile Handling
The handling of the Object Handler profile has been enhanced. Now the internal Object Handler command
PROFILEprovides functionality to set individual parameters in the Object Handler profile.For further information, see Profile Settings in the Object Handler documentation.
- New Option
The Object Handler now provides the new option
Report-Option-1that allows you to restrict the report data to error messages only or to split the report into the success messages and into error messages (in batch mode only).- New Profile Parameters
The Object Handler provides the following new profile parameters:
Default-Report-Option-1
Allows you to define the default setting for the optionReport-Option-1. For further information, seeDefault-Report-Option-1in the Object Handler documentation.Default-Report-Direct-Command
Allows you to define the default report form in direct command mode (batch and online mode). For further information, seeDefault-Report-Direct-Commandin the Object Handler documentation.- XRef Setting in Utility Profiles of Natural Security Checked
The load function of the Object Handler now checks the setting of the XREF option against the setting of the new Natural Security Xref option for utility profiles when loading cataloged objects in the internal format. See XREF option with Natural Security in the Object Handler documentation for more information.
The
OBJHEX02user exit routine has been enhanced accordingly: the newCAT-REJECTED-XREFparameter contains the number of cataloged Natural objects that were rejected because of XRef reasons (no XRef data, not documented in Predict, invalidFDICsystem file).- New Report Mode
For direct commands, the Object Handler provides the new report option
REPORT-MODEto select a layout for the reports to be written. You can choose between a short report to display the most relevant data in the first 80 columns of the report line, and a large report (default) to display data as in previous Natural versions. You can change the default with theDefault-Report-Modeprofile parameter of the Object Handler.- Process Statistics about Object Types - New User Exit Routine
The Object Handler now also provides statistics about the types of Natural object (for example, programs or subroutines) processed during an unload, a load or a scan function. The new statistics are displayed on an extra report screen when the option
Display-Statistics(see Profile Parameters in the Object Handler documentation) is active or when theSHOW STATISTICScommand is issued (see Commands for Navigation and Special Functions in the Object Handler documentation).You can obtain and further process the statistics data on the object types by using the new
OBJHEX04user exit routine. See also User Exit Routines Available in the Object Handler documentation.
Natural Development Server is now released with the same version number as Natural for UNIX.
The following changes and enhancements are provided with Natural Development Server Version 8.3.1.
A new optional start option is available which defines the types of clients which are permitted to connect to the server:
-c[lient][=]<type>
where <type> can be one of the following:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
NAT |
Only Natural for Windows (Natural Studio) clients are permitted to connect to this server. |
ONE |
Only NaturalONE clients are permitted to connect to this server. |
ANY |
Both Natural for Windows (Natural Studio) and NaturalONE clients are permitted to connect to this server. |
If this start option is not specified, the server will use
ANY as the default. If a client which is not permitted tries to
connect to the server, error NAT7742 will be issued, indicating
that the current IDE is not permitted.
See also Starting the Development Server in the Natural Development Server documentation for UNIX, which is available separately.
The file NDVSERVER.LOG (located in the subdirectory Natural\Prof), which is used to terminate the started Natural development servers, has been renamed to NDVSERVER.PRU. Existing entries inside the NDVSERVER.LOG file are not migrated to NDVSERVER.PRU.
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 8.3.1, an enhanced Natural RPC Version 6.3.4.9 is delivered. This version only contains error corrections. New functionality is not provided.
The following enhancements are provided with Natural Security Version 8.3.1.
- Password History
The field User password history in Library and User Preset Values > User Profile Items can now be set to asterisk (*) to allow the activation of password history for individual users.
- Batch ETID
The security profiles for users of types A, P, M and E provide a new ETID Batch field. This field is used to specify an ETID for a Natural batch-mode session, if this is to be different from the one used for an online session. See Components of a User Profile in the Natural Security documentation for more information.
- Additional Options - Groups/Members
The Groups/Members field is now also available for users other than groups in the user maintenance functions Add User, Copy User and Modify User.
- Copy With Links
The Copy Library function, when used with the With Links option, now handles DDMs correctly as documented.
- Copy Function Enhanced
The function Copy Link to All Special Links (function code
CU) has been enhanced and renamed; in addition to copying a DDM's links, it now also copies a DDM profile to all special links. See Copy Profile/Link to All Special Links in the Natural Security documentation for details.
- User ID "DBA"
If environment protection is active, the user ID "DBA" may be used to log on to the library SYSSEC, even if the environment is undefined. This makes it possible to define new environments.
- SYSOBJH
A new Xref option is provided to control how Predict cross-reference data related to objects processed with the SYSOBJH utility are handled. See Additional Options under Protecting Utilities in the Natural Security documentation for more information.
With Natural Development Server Version 8.3.1, a new start option is provided which defines the types of clients permitted to connect to the server. This option is also supported by Natural Security. The new Natural Security option Natural client access can be set in library preset values, user profiles (types Administrator, Person and Group), library profiles and special link profiles. It defines the types of clients permitted to connect to the server.
Possible values are:
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| N | Only Natural for Windows (Natural Studio) clients are permitted to connect to this server. |
| O | Only NaturalONE clients are permitted to connect to this server. |
| A | Default. Both Natural for Windows (Natural Studio) and NaturalONE clients are permitted to connect to this server. |
| P | Natural for Windows (Natural Studio) and NaturalONE clients are not permitted to connect to this server. |
If a client which is not permitted tries to connect to a library,
error NAT7742 will be issued, indicating that the current IDE is
not permitted.
The MOVE ALL statement is now documented with the
MOVE statement: see
Syntax 9 - MOVE
ALL. As a result, you can no longer select MOVE
ALL from the Quick Reference selection box of the
Statements
overview page.
The LIST COUNT system command is now documented with
the LIST system
command: see Syntax
Overview and
Displaying
Numbers and Sizes of Objects. As a result, you can no
longer select LIST COUNT from the Quick
Reference selection box of the
System
Commands overview page.
The features to be removed which have been announced in the Release Notes for Version 6.3 are no longer available with Version 8.3:
Remote debugging (that is debugging a native Natural for UNIX application from a Windows computer) is no longer supported. The Windows client is no longer delivered. Debugging a UNIX application is now only possible with NaturalONE, or with Natural for Windows (Natural Studio) when you are working in a remote UNIX environment using SPoD. Using the NaturalONE debugger, it is possible, for example, to debug Natural RPC applications or to debug workplace applications which have been created with Natural for Ajax.
See also Debugging in Using Natural.
SYSWEB is no longer supported. It is no longer
delivered on the product CD.
The interface SYSWEB3 is now to be used instead of
SYSWEB. If you have not already done so, you have to update your
programs written for SYSWEB to run with the SYSWEB3
interface. See Migrate
Natural Web Interface SYSWEB to SYSWEB3 in the
Web Technology documentation for further information.
NATNCVC is no longer be supported.
It is recommended that you use Local Versioning which is available with Natural Studio when you are working in a remote UNIX environment using SPoD. Using Local Versioning, you can use the source control system Concurrent Versions System (CVS) or Subversion (SVN) from within your Natural environment. To use this functionality, you must have the Subversion or CVS client part (svn.exe or cvs.exe) installed on your PC and you must have access to a Subversion or CVS repository server which has been installed locally or on a server. When you search the internet, you can find these Subversion or CVS components on several download sites. For detailed information on Local Versioning, see Natural Studio Extensions which is part of the Natural for Windows documentation.
The external sort program SyncSort is no longer supported.
Natural now determines from which directory it has been started.
Therefore, the Natural profile parameter NATVERS has
been removed.
The Natural profile parameter XADB was not
used and has therefore been removed.
The utilities NATUNLD, NATLOAD and SYSTRANS are no longer delivered with Natural. Thus, it is no longer possible to install these utilities by issuing the corresponding system commands for the first time. Use the Object Handler instead.
An interface to Entire Screen Builder is no longer provided. It is recommended to use ApplinX instead.
Remote debugging is no longer supported. Therefore, the system
command DEBUG is no longer required. It will be removed with a
future version of Natural for UNIX.
Remote debugging is no longer supported. Therefore, the profile
parameters RDACTIVE, RDNODE and RDPORT
are no longer required. They will be removed with a future version of
Natural.