Changes to an IMS
database can affect descriptor files. You must modify or re-create the descriptors if changes
to the IMS database invalidate them. You use the ACCESS procedure to edit the affected
access descriptors and view descriptors, or to create new descriptors.
If a
view descriptor differs from the
access descriptor, you receive a message. Re-create or edit the view descriptor as required. If you
do not change your descriptor files, IMS might return incorrect data to you. If the
changes to the database involve numeric data, the procedure that uses the view descriptor
could terminate
abnormally. See
UPDATE Statement for information about editing descriptors.
Changing an item name
has no effect on existing view descriptors. However, before you make
other changes to IMS databases, consider the guidelines described
in the next section.