(Make naming, persistence, and usage consistent and predictable)
Content of extract files is determined by associating the filename (A-Z) with either a report frame or with an existing Ispec in the EXTRACTED.AS option used on the DETERMINE ACTUAL, EXTRACT, MATCH or SORT commands.
In Agile Business Suite an extract file is represented by an Attribute within the Model which is an instance of a File class. The ExtractFile is generated as a class for runtime. The ExtractFile runtime class is available for the following attributes, properties and methods.
The basic functionality which users require of extract files is:
Create a new file for writing
Open an existing (named) file to read
Open an existing (named) file to write
Keep the file after the report has finished
Discard the file at the end of report
Close and purge the file so that a subsequent EXTRACT command re-opens the file for writing and start at the beginning of the file
Sort the file
Process (read) two files together using the MATCH command
Delete a file
Empty (purge) a file
The following functions are provided by specific methods of the ExtractFile class:
<extractFile>.Create(filename)
<extractFile>.Open(filename, mode)
<extractFile>.Close(retain=no, purge=no)
<extractFile>.Delete()
<extractFile>.Restart()
<extractFile>.Position(recordNumber)
<extractFile>.Sort(SortKeyList*)
Success or failure is signaled in the normal LDL manner – Glb.Status is set to “****” on failure, otherwise cleared (to spaces).