Release Information for Natural Version 9.1.1

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# Release Information for Natural Version 9.1.1

This document covers the following topics:

- Installation

- Migrating Applications to Version 9.1

- New Features

- Changes and Enhancements

- Natural Development Server

- Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call)

- Natural Security

- Notice of Future Changes

## Installation

### System Requirements

The system requirements for the current version of Natural are now listed in the Installation documentation.

### Compiler Used to Build Natural

With Natural for Windows Version 9.1.1, a different compiler version was used to build and test Natural: Microsoft Visual Studio 2015. See also Compiler Used to Build Natural in the Installation documentation.

## Migrating Applications to Version 9.1

Applications that were created with Natural for Windows Version 3.1 and above can be executed with Version 9.1.

## New Features

### System Variables

The following system variables are now available:

Variable | Description
--- | ---
`*EDITOR` | The new `*EDITOR` system variable returns information on whether the Natural program, data area and map editors are enabled (activated).

## Changes and Enhancements

### AT BREAK Statement

The behavior of an `ESCAPE` in an `AT BREAK` statement has been changed due to compatibility reasons with Natural for Mainframe.

When an `ESCAPE ROUTINE` or `ESCAPE BOTTOM` is processed in an `AT BREAK` statement, the `AT BREAK` processing is stopped. If there are multiple `AT BREAK` blocks in the processing loop, no further `AT BREAK` statement is executed for the current processing loop.

When the processing loop is terminated and an `ESCAPE ROUTINE` or `ESCAPE BOTTOM` is processed in the final `AT BREAK` processing, the `AT BREAK` processing is stopped and no further `AT BREAK` block is executed.

Refer to `AT BREAK` in the Statements documentation for further details.

### EXAMINE Statement

The syntax of the `EXAMINE` statement has been enhanced with the following effects:

- An `EXAMINE` statement with a multi-character wild character (* or %) at the beginning or at the end of the search-pattern, matches now only to the next delimiter (if delimiters are used). This can lead to a different result.

- In general, a mirrored `EXAMINE` now delivers the mirrored result. That means, if you swap the characters (first to last, etc.) of the inspected field and of the search-pattern, and change the direction from `FORWARD` to `BACKWARD`, the resulting field contains the swapped value of the non-mirrored `EXAMINE`.

Refer to `EXAMINE` in the Statements documentation for further details.

### ETID Parameter

The behavior of the `ETID` parameter has been changed. If the ETID is not specified, neither in NATPARM nor dynamically, Natural uses the setting of *INIT-USER to fill the ETID. This also applies now, if Natural Security is used.

If you want to use the ETID from Natural Security, you have to set the `ETID` parameter to OFF.

Refer to ETID - Adabas User Identification in the Parameter Reference documentation for further details.

### CATALL Command

The option to automatically renumber the source-code lines of sources that were saved or stowed is now deactivated by default. If you want to use automatic renumbering, you now have to activate this option. Refer to `CATALL` in the System Commands documentation for further details.

### Statistical Information in NATBPMON

When using the command line version of the Buffer Pool Monitor (`NATBPMON`), additional statistics (hot fix level, read-only and swap status) are displayed when issuing the `STATUS` command in NATBPMON. Refer to Statistical Information About the Buffer Pool in the Operations documentation for details.

### Profiler Utility

> Summary of Executed Source Lines

>   The Natural Profiler utility now provides the option to generate a summary of source lines executed in a Natural object. The summary shows how many events occurred during execution of a source line and the CPU and elapsed time spent executing the line.

>   For more information, see Line Summary in the section Using the Profiler Utility in Batch Mode.

> Transaction Response Time Evaluation

>   The Natural Profiler utility now provides the option to evaluate transactions and generate a transaction summary. The summary shows how many events occurred during execution of the transaction and the response time used by the transaction.

>   For more information, see Transaction Summary in the section Using the Profiler Utility in Batch Mode.

## Natural Development Server

Natural Development Server is released with the same version number as Natural for Windows.

## 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 9.1.1, an enhanced Natural RPC Version 9.1.1 is delivered. This version contains error corrections. New functionality is not provided.

## Natural Security

The following enhancements are provided with Natural Security Version 9.1.1.

- Administrator Services

- Unlocking Locked Users

- Password Phrases

- Password Rules

- Passing Natural User ID to Adabas

- Authentication Options

- Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

### Administrator Services

The menu structure of Administrator Services has been revised slightly. In particular, User Preset Values and Library Preset Values are now two separate menu items.

### Unlocking Locked Users

User Preset Values provide a new option Automatically unlock users after nn hours, nn minutes. If you use the Lock User Option, you had to unlock every locked user manually. With this option, you can specify a time interval after which locked users are unlocked automatically: A locked user ID will then be unlocked nn hours and nn minutes after which the locking occurred.

### Password Phrases

In addition to "regular" passwords of up to 8 characters, Natural Security now also supports the use of password phrases, that is, passwords which are longer than 8 characters. The use of password phrases is activated by the new option Password phrases active in the User Preset Values section of Administrator Services.

Several Password Phrase Options are available to control the use password phrases.

In conjunction with password phrases, the new logon-related user exit `LOGONEX0` is used instead of `LOGONEX1`; see Logon-Related User Exits.

See also Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) below.

### Password Rules

In the Password Options section of User Preset Values, the option Minimum no. of non-alphabetical characters has been replaced by the two new options Minimum no. of numeric characters and Minimum no. of special characters.

### Passing Natural User ID to Adabas

A new option Pass Natural User ID (*USER) to Adabas is available in the Libary Preset Values section of Administrator Services. It determines which user ID is passed to Adabas to be used as Adabas login ID: the value of the Natural system variable *USER or that of the Natural system variable *INIT-USER.

### Authentication Options

User authentication via an LDAP server is now also possible with `AUTO=ON`: If technical user support is defined and the Natural session is started with the Natural profile parameter `AUTO=ON`, the user ID is LDAP-verified.

The following components of the LDAP security profile have been changed:

- LDAP Options 1: The field Log level, which could be set to 0 (logging not active) and 1 (logging active), now provides a value range of 0 to 6 for selective logging of various items.

- LDAP Options 2: The Technical user support fields Credential and Key value have been renamed to Path to output file and Path to key file respectively.

- LDAP Options 3: The field Default separator has been removed.

### Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

For the handling of password phrases, two new APIs are available:

- NSC--PH can be used to check password phrases.

- NSC--PHS can be used to check and change password phrases.

The existing API NSC-US has been enhanced: The parameter `PPARM4` can be used to set a password phrase in a user security profile (see example program `PGMUS001`).

To set the user ID and password phrase for an Natural RPC service request, you use the new API `USR9171` provided in the library `SYSEXT`.

## Notice of Future Changes

### Compiler Used to Build Natural

It is planned to change the compiler used to build Natural in the upcoming version of Natural for Windows. A switch to Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 as the build compiler is intended. It may be possible that this change influences the behavior of customer programs written in language C.

### On this page

- Installation
- Migrating Applications to Version 9.1
- New Features
- Changes and Enhancements
- Natural Development Server
- Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call)
- Natural Security
- Notice of Future Changes