Glossary

access descriptor

a SAS/ACCESS file that describes data that is managed by SAS, by a database management system, or by a PC-based software application such as Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, or dBASE. After creating an access descriptor, you can use it as the basis for creating one or more view descriptors. See also SAS/ACCESS view and view descriptor.

area

an entity-type that consists of a collection of information in the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.

batch mode

a method of executing SAS programs in which a file that contains SAS statements plus any necessary operating environment commands is submitted to the computer's batch queue. After you submit the program, control returns to your computer, and you can perform other tasks. Batch mode is sometimes referred to as running in the background. The program output can be written to files or printed on an output device.

browsing data

the process of viewing the contents of a file. Depending on how the file is accessed, you can view SAS data either one observation (row) at a time or as a group in a tabular format. You cannot update data that you are browsing.

CA-DATADICTIONARY database

a collection of CA-Datacom/DB tables that have been organized within certain CA-Datacom/DB areas and files. The records in each table contain one or more FIELD entity-occurrences.

column

a variable in a SAS data file. Each SAS column can have the following attributes: name, type (character or numeric), length, format, informat, and label. In the ACCESS procedure, columns are created from CA-Datacom/DB fields.

column format

See format, SAS column.

column informat

a pattern or set of instructions that SAS uses to determine how data values in an input file should be interpreted. SAS provides a set of standard informats and also enables you to define your own informats.

compound field

a field that contains two or more simple fields or compound fields that are contiguous. A compound field can contain data of different types and lengths. Compound fields can also be repeated or can be contained by other fields. See also simple field.

data type

an attribute of every CA-Datacom/DB field that tells CA-Datacom/DB how much physical storage to set aside for the field and what type of data the field will contain. CA-Datacom/DB supports 16 types of character and numeric data. The CA-Datacom/DB data type is similar to the type attribute of SAS columns.

data value

in CA-Datacom/DB, a character value or numeric value that is stored in a field.

database

an organized collection of related data. A database usually contains named files, named objects, or other named entities such as tables, views, and indexes. In CA-Datacom/DB, a database is an entity-type that contains areas, files, records, and fields. Each DATABASE entity-occurrence has a name and attributes in the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.

database management system

a software application that enables you to create and manipulate data that is stored in the form of databases. Short form: DBMS.

DBMS

See database management system.

descriptor file

a type of SAS/ACCESS file that is used to establish a connection between SAS and files that are created and maintained by other software applications. Descriptor files describe data to SAS. To create descriptor files, you use the ACCESS procedure. There are two types of descriptor files: access descriptors and view descriptors.

editing data

the process of viewing the contents of a file with the intent and the ability to change those contents. Depending on how the file is accessed, you can view the data either one observation at a time or in a tabular format.

element

a CA-Datacom/DB unit of transfer between application programs and CA-Datacom/DB. An element consists of one or more contiguous CA-Datacom/DB fields.

engine

a component of SAS software that reads from or writes to a file. Each engine enables SAS to access files that are in a particular file format. There are several types of engines. See also interface view engine.

entity-occurrence

an instance of a particular entity-type. For example, defining a database involves storing information about the database in a DATABASE occurrence. Each database is listed by its unique name as an occurrence of the DATABASE entity.

entity-type

any of the following data structures in which CA-Datacom/DB data can be stored: databases, areas, fields, records, and elements.

field

the vertical component of a CA-Datacom/DB table, which other software vendors refer to as a column or as a variable. There are four types of fields: key field, simple field, compound field, and repeating field. Each field has a name as well as specific attributes such as data type and length.

file

a collection of related records that are treated as a unit. SAS files are processed and controlled by SAS and are stored in SAS libraries. In CA-Datacom/DB, each database contains one or more FILE entity-occurrences that comprise specific records, fields, and elements. The unique name and attributes of each FILE must be specified in the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.

index

in SAS software, a component of a SAS data set that enables SAS to access observations in the SAS data set quickly and efficiently. The purpose of SAS indexes is to optimize WHERE-clause processing and to facilitate BY-group processing. In CA-Datacom/DB, an index contains an entry for each key value in each record in a database. If a field is not indexed, the values are not indexed. However, the fields and key values can still be searched sequentially.

interactive line mode

a method of running SAS programs in which you enter one line of a SAS program at a time at the SAS session prompt. SAS processes each line immediately after you press the ENTER or RETURN key. Procedure output and informative messages are returned directly to your display device.

interface view engine

a SAS engine that SAS/ACCESS software uses to retrieve data from files that have been formatted by another vendor's software. Each SAS/ACCESS interface has its own interface view engine, which reads the interface product data and returns the data in a form that SAS can understand (that is, in a SAS data set). SAS automatically uses an interface view engine; the engine name is stored in SAS/ACCESS descriptor files so that you do not need to specify the engine name in a LIBNAME statement.

key

in CA-Datacom/DB, a field that enables you to quickly select and sequence data records. A key can be any combination of simple and compound fields and can be up to 180 characters long. The fields in the key do not have to be contiguous. See also Native Key and Master Key.

libref

a name that is temporarily associated with a SAS library. The complete name of a SAS file consists of two words, separated by a period. The libref, which is the first word, indicates the library. The second word is the name of the specific SAS file. For example, in VLIB.NEWBDAY, the libref VLIB tells SAS which library contains the file NEWBDAY. You assign a libref with a LIBNAME statement or with an operating system command.

Master Key

a field that enables you to prevent values in a key field from being duplicated and to prevent values in that key from being changed. Each record must have one Master Key. The Master Key can also be the Native Key.

member

a SAS file in a SAS library.

member name

a name that is assigned to a SAS file in a SAS library. See also member type.

member type

a SAS name that identifies the type of information that is stored in a SAS file. Member types include ACCESS, AUDIT, DMBD, DATA, CATALOG, FDB, INDEX, ITEMSTOR, MDDB, PROGRAM, UTILITY, and VIEW.

missing value

in SAS, a term that describes the contents of a variable that contains no data for a particular row or observation. By default, SAS prints or displays a missing numeric value as a single period, and it prints or displays a missing character value as a blank space. In a CA-Datacom/DB database, missing values are always represented by a blank space.

multi-user environment

a CA-Datacom/DB execution environment in which several users access a database at the same time, with queries and updates being handled simultaneously by a single copy of the software. See also single-user environment.

Native Key

a field that determines the order of the records in a CA-Datacom/DB table. Each table must have one Native Key. The Native Key can also be the Master Key.

record

the horizontal component of a CA-Datacom/DB table. A record is a set of fields that are treated as a unit. Records within a table are ordered by the Native Key. A record is analogous to a SAS row.

repeating field

a simple field or compound field that can occur more than once. Repeating fields can also be nested within other repeating fields.

row

a collection of data values that are associated with a single entity such as a customer or a state. Each row contains one data value for each variable. A row is analogous to a record in a CA-Datacom/DB table.

SAS column format

a pattern or set of instructions that SAS uses to determine how the values of a variable (or column) should be written or displayed. SAS provides a set of standard formats and also enables you to define your own formats.

SAS data file

a type of SAS data set that contains data values as well as descriptor information that is associated with the data. The descriptor information includes information such as the data types and lengths of the variables, as well as the name of the engine that was used to create the data. See also SAS data set and SAS data view.

SAS data set

a file whose contents are in one of the native SAS file formats. There are two types of SAS data sets: SAS data files and SAS data views. SAS data files contain data values in addition to descriptor information that is associated with the data. SAS data views contain only the descriptor information plus other information that is required for retrieving data values from other SAS data sets or from files that are stored in other software vendors' file formats.

SAS data view

a type of SAS data set that retrieves data values from other files. A SAS data view contains only descriptor information such as the data types and lengths of the variables (columns) plus other information that is required for retrieving data values from other SAS data sets or from files that are stored in other software vendors' file formats. SAS data views can be created by the SAS DATA step and by the SAS SQL procedure.

SAS library

a collection of one or more files that are recognized by SAS and that are referenced and stored as a unit. Each file is a member of the library.

simple field

a single CA-Datacom/DB field. See also compound field.

single-user environment

a CA-Datacom/DB execution environment in which each user has a copy of CA-Datacom/DB and has exclusive use of any database that he or she is currently accessing. See also multi-user environment.

table

a collection of data records and fields. In the CA-DATADICTIONARY database, the combination of one FILE entity-occurrence and one RECORD entity-occurrence describes a table. A table is equivalent to a SAS data file.

type

See data type.

URT

See User Requirements Table.

user ID

a string of characters that a user must specify correctly in order to gain access to the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.

User Requirements Table

a load module that is required by CA-Datacom/DB. The URT is loaded by the interface view engine and is passed to CA-Datacom/DB when a table is opened. It contains information about how the table is to be accessed. Various values in the URT, such as the number and size of buffers, can affect performance. Short form: URT.

variable

a column in a SAS data set or in a SAS data view. The data values for each variable describe a single characteristic for all observations (rows). Each SAS variable can have the following attributes: name, data type (character or numeric), length, format, informat, and label. In the ACCESS procedure, variables are created from the database product's columns or fields.

view

a generic term (used by many software vendors) for a definition of a virtual data set (or table). The definition is named and stored for later use. A view contains no data; it merely describes or defines data that is stored elsewhere. See also SAS data view.

view descriptor

a SAS/ACCESS file that defines part or all of the DBMS data that is described by an access descriptor. The subset consists of selected records in a CA-Datacom/DB table. See also access descriptor.