Syntax

The following topics are covered below:

General Information

Each Entire Event Management logical record is represented by one entry in external format. Each record is enclosed in OBJECT=keyword and END-OBJECT. Every record which contains a keyword with an alphanumeric value assignment is closed with a semicolon (;). If a string contains a semicolon, it is doubled (;;).

Example:

OBJECT=CONSOLE;
...
END-OBJECT;

encloses a Logical Console definition.

Each field is represented by keyword + value.

Example:

NAME=Test;
TIME-TO=235959
SW-ACTIVE=X;

A keyword must be immediately followed by an equal sign (=). Everything following the equal sign (=) until the next keyword is assumed to belong to the field. The equal sign (=) should not appear in the value itself, but is accepted anyway.

Several keywords and fields may appear on one line.

The sequence of fields within a record is without meaning.

Formats

Name Description
A = alphanumeric

Unchanged (or in apostrophes ' '). EBCDIC/ASCII digits.

Natural Edit mask using e.g.: ZZZ9.99 must be valid input for the Natural VAL function. Maximum 2 digits.

N = numeric
D = date Format: YYYYMMDD, where YYYY = year, MM = month, DD = day.
T = time Format: HHIISS. (hours 0 to 24).
DT = date and time Format: YYYYMMDDHHIISS (Natural type T).
L L = logical value Represented in the database by A1 containing "X" or blank. As external value: "Y", "N", "yes", "no", "true", "false" in upper or lower case.

Multiple Fields

Keywords which correspond to multiple fields may appear several times in the external format record.

Example

TREE-SEQUENCE=0001
TREE-SEQUENCE=0002

Periodic Groups

Periodic group fields for one object must follow one another. A group identifier must precede a group entry.

Example

VAR-ASSIGNMENT VAR-NAME=V1;VAR-POSITION=4

VAR-ASSIGNMENT is the group identifier and defines two subsequent parameters: VAR-NAME and VAR-POSITION.

During input, the internal group counter is incremented if the group identifier occurs.

For multiple fields and groups it is possible that other fields are defined between them, since the import processing keeps track of the highest used index.

Comments

Lines starting with an asterisk (*) are treated as comments.

Furthermore, line comments can be appended or inserted starting with /*.

The comment must end with /*, if inserted. /* is accepted as the beginning of a comment only at the beginning of a line or following at least one blank space.