This section describes work files and valid formats that apply to the unload, load and scan functions of the Object Handler.
See also Work File Options in the section Settings.
Note:
 Whenever the name of the work file exceeds the space
                         available, choose PF11 and enter a longer name of up to 253
                         characters. Alternatively, position the cursor at the field Work
                            file and choose PF1 (Help).
                  
This section covers the following topics:
The following table lists the work files used by the Object Handler.
| File | Explanation | 
|---|---|
| Work File 1 | Used for the unload, load and scan functions. Contains the data unloaded. | 
| Work File 3 | An internal report file. | 
| Work File 4 | Used when the option Write report (see
                                    Work File and
                                       Report Options in Settings) is set.
                                    Write report is the default setting for object processing. Contains report data. | 
| Work File 5 | The target file for the Adabas FDTs (Field Definition Tables) loaded. | 
| Work File 6 | Used for the load function if the option
                                    Write restart
                                          information (see Set Additional
                                       Options in Settings) is set. Contains restart information. | 
| Work File 7 | Only used if Entire Connection is installed and if
                                    Use PC File is selected on the
                                    Options screen (see also
                                    Set Additional
                                       Options). Work File 7 must be defined as Entire Connection work file to be used for the unload, load and scan functions. Contains the data unloaded. | 
| Work File 8 | Only used if Entire Connection is installed and if Use
                                       PC File is selected on the Options screen (see
                                    also Set Additional
                                       Options). Work File 8 must be defined as Entire Connection work file to be used for the unload, load and scan functions. Used as internal file for processing Entire Connection commands. Note: The number of the work file can be changed with user exit routine
                                        OBJHEX03 (see
                                        Batch Condition Codes and User
                                           Exit Routines) or with the options
                                         | 
| Work File 9 | An internal work file. | 
| Work File 10 | The trace work file. Used when the trace mode is set. See  | 
There are two file formats for unloading objects in the source environment into work files and for loading them from work files into the target environment: an internal format and the Transfer format. Work files must be of internal format to transfer binary data. Work files must be of Transfer format to transfer text data.
This section covers the following topics:
The internal format is an internal record layout for work files that are used to transfer Natural sources and cataloged objects, error messages, command processors, Adabas FDTs (Field Definition Tables) and non-Natural objects from one environment to another.
Use work files of internal format to transfer objects
                        between identical platforms. Use portable work files of
                        internal format if you want to transport objects between different UNIX,
                        OpenVMS or Windows platforms, for example, from a little-endian machine to a
                        big-endian machine. See also Portable work
                              file in the sections Settings,
                        Portable Natural Generated
                           Programs (Programming Guide) and
                        DEFINE WORK FILE
                        (Statements documentation).
               
The Object Handler uses internal format by default. When
                        using the internal format (Transfer format option not
                        selected), Work File 1 must be of binary format. To achieve this, omit the file
                        extension or use the file extension .sag.
               
With the internal format activated, Natural objects are read from the source environment and written to a Natural work file by using the unload function of the Object Handler. This work file can be transported to another environment with standard file transfer services. In the target environment, the objects can then be read from the work file and loaded into the local file or database system with the load function of the Object Handler.
Note:
 Work files created by the utility NATUNLD on the
                           server, must be processed in internal format. The work files must be created on
                           a server of the same platform where NATUNLD was applied.
                  
See also Transfer format in the section Settings.
The Transfer format is a general record layout for work files that contain load or unload data. This format is platform-independent and can be used to transfer the sources of Natural objects, Natural command processor sources, error messages and Adabas FDTs from one hardware platform to another and between UNIX, OpenVMS, mainframe and Windows platforms.
With the option Transfer format set, the unload function of the Object Handler reads Natural objects from a hardware platform and then restructures them.
Formatted records are written to a Natural work file that can be transported to another platform with standard file transfer services. On the target platform, the load function of the Object Handler then reads the objects from the work file and loads them into the local file or database system. The objects read from the work file are restructured according to the structure of the new hardware platform.
If Transfer format is specified (option Transfer
                           format set), Work File 1 must be of text (ASCII) format. To achieve
                        this, a file extension must be used, but not the file extension
                        .sag.
               
Transfer format is also used to unload or load sources of
                        Natural objects in Unicode/UTF-8 (Universal Transformation Format, 8-bit form).
                        If you specify the corresponding unload option (WORKFILETYPE set
                        to UTF-8 in command mode or
                        Unicode work
                              file in menu mode), all object sources will be unloaded
                        into a work file in UTF-8. If you specify the corresponding load option
                        (LOAD-CODE-PAGE
                        in command mode or Use load code
                              page in menu mode), all object sources in UTF-8 will be
                        converted with the specified code page when they are loaded into a Natural
                        system file.
               
Use Transfer format to process work files created by the utility SYSTRANS. Work files that contain object sources encoded in UTF-8 cannot be processed with SYSTRANS.