Introducing Super Natural

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# Introducing Super Natural

This chapter gives an overview of Super Natural's capabilities.

This section covers the following topics:

- What is Super Natural?

- Reporting Transactions

- Prototypes and Exits

- User Defaults

- Application Connections

- Maintaining Data

## What is Super Natural?

Super Natural is a product for extracting and processing data from mainframe or PC files. Using Super Natural, it is easy to perform both simple and complex tasks. The main task of Super Natural is to extract data from a database according to the selection criteria you define and to present it in the form of reports. To do this you need no detailed knowledge of programming so Super Natural is also suitable for occasional users. You can process the report data you obtain either within Super Natural or externally. For example, you can send the report data to a PC, or to an office information system.

## Reporting Transactions

Reporting transactions are the most important part of Super Natural. Super Natural's main task is to obtain data from a file and present it in the form of a report. Super Natural can access data held in one or more database files, in PC files and work files. Reporting transactions provide you with the framework necessary to tell Super Natural which data you want.

### Worksheet

The Worksheet provides the basis for creating reports. You use the Worksheet as follows:

- To select the fields you want to use from the file or files you have chosen

- To determine how the data is displayed in the report.

Different versions of the Worksheet appear according to your user default settings and the transaction mode you are using. The following version of the Worksheet appears for a reporting transaction with the default settings supplied with Super Natural:

     14:51                      ***** Super Natural *****                18.Dec.1998
     SN3011                           - Worksheet -                           Friday

     Ref DB    Field Name                         Seq   S/C  Func Def  Info Del
     BI        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BJ        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BK        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BL        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BM        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BN        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BO        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BP        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BQ        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BR        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BS        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BT        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BU        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __
     BV        ________________________________   ___   ___   __   __   __   __

     Enter "*" in Fieldname column to select fields or enter NEXT
     Command ===>
     Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
           Help  Next  Exit  Incl        Flip  -     +           Sel   Run   Canc

### Editors

Super Natural offers a variety of editors for use when creating transactions. All the editors function in the same way apart from the Layout Editor.

#### Full-Screen Editors

- Selection Editor
  Used for specifying selection criteria. Selection criteria tell Super Natural which records it should read in the database.

- Calculation Editor
  Used for specifying calculations which should take place when the transaction is run.

- Logical Conditions Editor
  Used for editing logical condition statements comprising IF, THEN, and ELSE clauses.

- SQL SELECT Editor
  Used for specifying selection criteria using SQL-SELECT statements.

The following is an example of a full-screen editor:

     14:53                      ***** Super Natural *****                18.Dec.1998
     SNZUL-S                       - Selection Editor -                       Friday

           1  < NAME = 'MEIER'                                               >    1
           2  <                                                              >    2
           3  <                                                              >    3
           4  <                                                              >    4
           5  <                                                              >    5
           6  <                                                              >    6
           7  <                                                              >    7
           8  <                                                              >    8
           9  <                                                              >    9
          10  <                                                              >   10
          11  <                                                              >   11
          12  <                                                              >   12
          13  <                                                              >   13
          14  <                                                              >   14
          15  <                                                              >   15

     Define selection lines or use CONTINUE
     Command ===>
     Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
           Help  Next  Exit  Field Check Flip  -     +           Cont  Run   Canc

#### File Description Editors

- PC File Description Editor
  Used for defining file layout if you are using data from a PC file.

- Work File Description Editor
  Used for defining file layout if you are using data from a work file.

- User File Description Editor
  Used for defining user file layouts.

The following is an example of a file description editor:

     11:41                       ***** Super Natural *****               04.Jan.1998
     SNZUL-UF                - User File Description Editor -                 Monday

               Fieldname                           Format  Length  Dec.Places  Key
           1 <                                  >
           2 <                                  >
           3 <                                  >
           4 <                                  >
           5 <                                  >
           6 <                                  >
           7 <                                  >
           8 <                                  >
           9 <                                  >
          10 <                                  >
          11 <                                  >
          12 <                                  >
          13 <                                  >
          14 <                                  >
          15 <                                  >

     Command ===>
     Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
           Help        Exit              Flip  -     +                       Canc

#### Layout Editor

- Layout Editor
  Part of the tool Natural Report Manager used for editing the layout of Super Natural reports during creation and modification. The Layout Editor is similar to the Natural map editor.

     14:55                   *** NATURAL REPORT MANAGER ***              18.Dec.1998
     NRMEDIT                        - Layout Editor -                         Friday
                                                                       More:       >
       Transaction Fields                      Delimiter Class    Attrib.  Color
     1 PERSON-ID                      N8.0     Blank     Text     Default
     2 BIRTH-DATE                     N8.0     _         Text     Intensif
     3 SEX                            A1       (         Output   Default
     . NAME                           *G1      )         Output   Intensif
     4 SURNAME                        A20
     5 FIRST-NAME-1                   A20      Escape Char. = ,   Header Char. = &
     All   ---010---+----+----+---030-- ( Title ) +---050---+----+----+---070--- Typ
     (XXXXXXXX _SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS(XXX Ttl
     (XXXXXXXX _SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS(999 Ttl
               _SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS     Ttl
                                                                                 ___
                                                                                 ___
                                                                                 ___
                                                                                 ___
                                                                                 ___
                                                                                 ___
     You are on the first page.
     Command ===>
     Enter-PF1---PF2---PF3---PF4---PF5---PF6---PF7---PF8---PF9---PF10--PF11--PF12---
           Help  Set   Exit  Field Edit  Flip  -     +     Tech  <     >     Canc

## Prototypes and Exits

### Prototype Programs

Prototype programs are basic program frameworks for reporting or data maintenance transactions. The program framework for a transaction is generated in Natural reporting mode. A Natural programmer can use the program framework as a prototype for further development. Because it doesn't contain any code specific to Super Natural, a prototype program can be used like any other Natural program.

### User Exit Programs

User exit programs are usually written by the Super Natural administrator and can be used in the following ways:

- To carry out repetitive or complex tasks

- To carry out tasks which are repeated every time a particular file is accessed

- To perform many functions additional to the normal capabilities of Super Natural.

User exit programs are stored outside Super Natural but can be invoked and executed when a Super Natural transaction is run. A user exit program can be a Natural object (program, sub-program, sub-routine or map) or a Natural-callable program stored outside Natural. Super Natural enables the end user to invoke user exit programs from selected locations within a transaction.

## User Defaults

User defaults are set by the Super Natural administrator. You can change your user environment to suit your individual needs by modifying your user profile and/or your transaction modes.

### User Profile

Your user profile influences the appearance of screens, PF key settings, screen colors, how the date and time are displayed and many technical details concerning the environment, output and processing of transactions.

### Transaction Modes

Transaction modes control the basic conditions for reporting and data maintenance transactions.

#### Reporting Modes

There are six groups of modes for reporting transactions (reporting modes) which influence the following areas:

- Data Selection - how you select data. You can select data as follows:

- Using the Selection Editor

- Using the SQL SELECT Editor.

- Using the Work File Description Editor (for data from a work file)

- Using the PC File Description Editor (for data from a PC file)

- Data Change - allows you to edit each record separately when a report runs before sending it to a user file or a printer

- Report Type - how the report is to be displayed, for example as a list, graph or table.

- Report Level - allows you to obtain the data produced by standard functions at control breaks only

- Destination - where the data is directed (see diagram on following page)

- Run Mode - allows you to execute transactions online or in batch mode.

The following diagram shows which report destinations are available.

#### Data Maintenance Modes

There are three groups of modes for data maintenance transactions (maintenance modes) which influence the following areas:

- Transaction Type - determines whether you add records, delete records, update records singly or update multiple records

- Logging - determines whether a report is written containing the data that has been processed

- Logging Destination - where the log is directed.

## Application Connections

You can access other applications installed at your site directly from Super Natural:

### Application Programs

Using application programs you can access any application installed at your site directly from Super Natural.

## Maintaining Data

Data maintenance is the term used for creating user files and modifying, deleting, adding and copying data.

### User Files

You can use Super Natural to create your own files which are known as user files. There are two ways to create a user file:

- Copy an existing file

- Create an empty file

### Data Maintenance Transactions

You can use data maintenance transactions to add, update and delete records in user files.

The Super Natural administrator can restrict your access to files created by other users.

### On this page

- What is Super Natural?
- Reporting Transactions
- Prototypes and Exits
- User Defaults
- Application Connections
- Maintaining Data