This document describes how Natural data types are mapped to Software AG IDL files by the Software AG IDL Extractor for Natural. It covers the following topics:
For more information on Natural syntax, refer to the Natural documentation.
The IDL Extractor for Natural maps the following subset of Natural data types to Software AG IDL data types.
In the table below, the following metasymbols and informal terms are used for the IDL.
The metasymbols "[" and "]" enclose optional lexical entities.
The informal term number (or in some cases number1.number2) is a sequence of numeric characters, for example 123.
| Natural Data Type | Software AG IDL Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Anumber |
An |
Alphanumeric |
A DYNAMIC |
AVn |
Alphanumeric variable length |
Bnumber |
Bnumber |
Binary |
B DYNAMIC |
BV |
Binary variable length |
C |
not supported | |
D |
D |
Date |
F4 |
F4 |
Floating point (small) |
F8 |
F8 |
Floating point (large) |
I1 |
I1 |
Integer (small) |
I2 |
I2 |
Integer (medium) |
I4 |
I4 |
Integer (large) |
L |
L |
Logical |
Nnumber[.number] |
Nnumber[.number] |
Unpacked decimal |
Pnumber[.number] |
Pnumber[.number] |
Packed decimal |
T |
T |
Time |
Unumber |
Unumber |
Unicode |
U DYNAMIC |
UV |
Unicode variable length |
Depending on the Natural syntax and the Natural server implementation, user interaction may be required to get correct extraction results. User interaction can also simplify or modernize the extracted IDL. As a result, the user-defined mapping is contained in a Designer file with extension .cvm that contains Natural-specific mapping information. See Server Mapping Files for Natural in the Designer documentation. The following is covered:
See Step 6: Redesign the Interface for Natural Subprograms (Optional) for more information.
The Natural library from where Natural programs are extracted is used
as the IDL library name. See library-definition under Software AG IDL Grammar in the IDL Editor documentation.
The Natural program name is used as the IDL program name, see program-definition under Software AG IDL Grammar in the IDL Editor documentation.
For source extractions, Natural
parameter names are kept and used as IDL parameters, see simple-parameter-definition and
group-parameter-definition under Software AG IDL Grammar in the IDL Editor documentation.
For object extractions, Natural programs
must be compiled (cataloged) with the compiler option SYMGEN=ON to
keep original Natural parameter names. Otherwise, generic parameter names are
generated (PARAMETER-1,
PARAMETER-2, etc.).
In Select Natural Sources (see Step 3: Select the Natural Subprograms from NaturalONE Project if you are extracting from NaturalONE projects or Step 5: Select Natural Subprograms from RPC Environment if you are extracting from a Natural RPC environment), you can choose special characters ($, #, &, @, /, £, æ, Æ, ø, Ø, å, Å) in Natural parameter names to be replaced by underscores. See Rules for Coding Group and Parameter Names.
In most Natural subprograms, parameters have no specification for a direction. Missing a direction is unproblematic for local calls. For remote RPC calls, however, specifying the direction helps to reduce data sizes.
If you redesign the interface, you can define IDL directions in Step 6: Redesign the Interface for Natural Subprograms (Optional) using the mapping operations Map to In, Map to Out, Map to InOut.
Otherwise, IDL directions can be inserted at top-level parameters
(level 1) using a Natural line comment in the Natural subprogram (CALLNAT)
interface definition (DEFINE DATA PARAMETER), example:
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #IN-FIELD-1 (P9) /* IN 1 #OUT-FIELD-1 (P9) /* OUT 1 #INOUT-FIELD-1 (P9) /* INOUT 1 #INOUT-FIELD-2 (P9) 1 #IN-GROUP-1 /* IN 2 #IN-GROUP-FIELD-1 (A10) 1 #OUT-GROUP-1 /* OUT 2 #OUT-GROUP-FIELD-1 (A10) 1 #INOUT-GROUP-1 /* INOUT 2 #INOUT-GROUP-FIELD-1 (A10) 1 #INOUT-GROUP-2 2 #INOUT-GROUP-FIELD-2 (A10) 1 #INOUT-GROUP-3 2 #INOUT-GROUP-FIELD-3 (A10) /* OUT END-DEFINE
If no direction is specified (such as in #INOUT-FIELD-2
and #INOUT-GROUP-2 in the example above), the default direction
INOUT applies.
Specifications on a level greater than 1 (such as
#INOUT-GROUP-FIELD-3 in the example above) are ignored. Note that
in IDL directions are specified on top-level fields (level 1), see attribute-list under Software AG IDL Grammar in the IDL Editor documentation.
Specifications on IDL directions are only considered when extracting
from a source. If you are extracting from an object (compiled), as described in
Step 5: Select Natural Subprograms from RPC Environment, the default direction INOUT
always applies.
A redefinition is a second parameter layout of the same memory portion.
The parameter #BASE-FIELD is redefined by the fields
FILLER-1 thru R-P3-01.
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #BASE-FIELD (A161) 1 REDEFINE #BASE-FIELD 2 FILLER-1 (A4) 2 FILLER-2 (A60) 2 R-P1-01 (A1) 2 R-P2-01 (A10) 2 R-P3-01 (I4) END-DEFINE
With the extractor wizard you can select a single redefine path for
IDL usage (here the fields FILLER-1 thru R-P3-01) if
you redesign the interface. See Extracting Natural REDEFINES and
Step 6: Redesign the Interface for Natural Subprograms (Optional).
Legacy Natural subprograms often implement multiple functions in a single Natural subprogram. The function executed is often controlled by a so-called function code or operation-code field. See Extracting Multiple Interfaces under Examples for Redesigning the Extracted Interfaces.
With the extractor wizard you can extract the functions from the server as separate interfaces (IDL programs). In this way, the legacy server with a single physical interface can be
turned into a web service with operations, where the legacy functions match operations.
called with an object-oriented wrapper such as the Java Wrapper, the .NET Wrapper or the DCOM Wrapper, where the legacy functions match methods.
Note that every function in the Natural subprogram may have a different
interface described with REDEFINE syntax. Therefore, multiple interface
extraction is often combined with
Extracting Natural REDEFINES.
For more information, see Step 6: Redesign the Interface for Natural Subprograms (Optional).
This section describes IDL mapping for Natural arrays and groups:
Ordinary Natural arrays and groups with fixed/bound upper limits are
mapped to Software AG IDL fixed-bound-array definitions, see array-definition under Software AG IDL Grammar in the IDL Editor documentation.
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #ARRAY1 (I4/1:10) /* lower bound is fixed at 1, upper bound is 10 1 #ARRAY2 (A5/10) /* shortcut for (A5/1:10) 1 #GROUP1 (10) /* shortcut for (1:10) 2 #FIELD1 (I2) 2 #FIELD2 (A10) . . . END-DEFINE
For X-arrays (eXtensible arrays) the number of occurrences is flexible at runtime. The number of occurrences can be resized, that is, increased or reduced. It is defined by specifying an asterisk (*) for index bounds.
DEFINE DATA LOCAL 1 #X-ARRAY1 (A5/1:*) /* lower bound is fixed, upper bound is variable 1 #X-ARRAY2 (A5/*) /* shortcut for (A5/1:*) . . . END-DEFINE
Natural X-arrays are mapped to Software AG IDL unbounded-array
definitions, see array-definition.
Natural X-arrays with variable lower bounds are not supported by Software AG RPC technology, example:
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #X-ARRAY1 (A5/*:10) /* lower bound is variable, upper bound is fixed . . . END-DEFINE
In a Natural parameter data area (PDA), you can specify an array or
group with a variable number of occurrences. This is done with the index
notation 1:V. The maximum number of occurrences for such an array
is either passed to the subprogram using an extra parameter such as
#ARRAY1-LIMIT (see example below), or it can be accessed using the
system variable *OCCURRENCE.
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #ARRAY1-LIMIT (I4) /* extra parameter to pass the upper limit 1 #ARRAY1 (I4/1:V) . . . END-DEFINE
Natural variable arrays are mapped to Software AG IDL unbounded-array
definitions, see array-definition.
If the Natural server program uses a separate parameter such as
#ARRAY1-LIMIT (see the example above) instead of
*OCCURRENCE to determine the upper bound limit, it is required to
extract this extra parameter, too. At runtime, it is also required to
specify the number of occurrences in a calling RPC client.
In a Natural server program, Natural variable arrays
cannot be resized for direction INOUT, which means you can only reply the same number of occurrences to the RPC client.
cannot be used for direction OUT either, because they cannot be created (instantiated). You may get error 10204008 during extraction.
Natural arrays and groups with a mixture of fixed variable and eXtensible dimensions are not supported by Software AG RPC technolgy, example:
DEFINE DATA PARAMETER 1 #ARRAY1 (I4/1:10,1:*) /* first dimension fixed and second eXtensible 1 #ARRAY2 (I4/1:10,1:V) /* first dimension fixed and second variable 1 #ARRAY3 (I4/1:V,1:*) /* first dimension variable and second eXtensible . . . END-DEFINE
Natural levels are always kept. This means that the structure in the extracted IDL is the same as in the original Natural program.
UNIX or Windows
In UNIX or Windows RPC environments, Natural levels are
not kept. The IDL is extracted in a flat way,
where
all IDL parameters are at level 1
all Natural groups are removed
Natural fields within groups using repetition (PERIODIC GROUPS) are
mapped to IDL arrays
the dimension of Natural arrays within groups using repetion
(PERIODIC GROUPS) is increased in the IDL. For example, a one-dimensional array
may become a two-dimensional or three-dimensional IDL array depending on the
dimension of the group
z/OS
In z/OS RPC environments, the Natural programs must be compiled
(cataloged) with the compiler option SYMGEN=ON to keep Natural
levels, otherwise flat extraction is carried out.
For a parameter defined without OPTIONAL,
a value must be passed from the invoking Natural object, that is, the caller.
For a parameter defined with OPTIONAL, a
value can, but need not be passed from the invoking Natural object to this
parameter. With the SPECIFIED option, a Natural
server can find out at runtime whether an optional parameter has been defined
or not.
The IDL Extractor for Natural ignores the
OPTIONAL specification, that is, the parameter is
extracted as without the OPTIONAL specification. See the Natural documentation for more information.
EntireX RPC technology does not support optional IDL parameters. Using pure Natural RPC (Natural client to Natural server), Natural optional parameters are supported.
Setting parameters to constant values and suppressing them in the IDL is part of the redesign process of the extracted interface. This keeps the IDL client interface lean. See Set Constant under Examples for Redesigning the Extracted Interfaces.
EntireX and Natural RPC make sure the constant value is passed to the Natural server at runtime.
For more information, see Step 6: Redesign the Interface for Natural Subprograms (Optional).
Hiding or suppressing unneeded parameters in the IDL is part of the redesign process of the extracted interface. This keeps the IDL client interface lean and minimizes the amount of data to be transferred during runtime.
EntireX and Natural RPC make sure to provide low values as input for
suppressed parameters to the Natural server called (blank for IDL type A, zero
for numeric data types such as IDL I, N and P). No data is transferred between
an RPC client and the RPC server.
For more information, see Step 6: Redesign the Interface for Natural Subprograms (Optional).
Renaming a program to a different name in the IDL is part of the redesign process of the extracted interface.
You can adjust the short Natural name to a meaningful longer name for better readability.
See Extracting Multiple Interfaces where the original Natural name CALC is renamed to IDL
names ADD, SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY etc.
EntireX and Natural RPC make sure the original Natural server is called at runtime. For more information, see Step 6: Redesign the Interface for Natural Subprograms (Optional).