tableBASE Command Summary

The following is a summary of the commands available to the programmer using the tableBASE Application Programming Interface. Commands are categorized into the following groups: Retrieval commands, Update commands, Table control commands, Library maintenance commands, and System control commands.

The parameters mentioned in the tables below are in addition to the TB-PARM and COMMAND AREA. Parameters within parentheses “(…)” are optional and may be omitted, but if a programmer needs to use a parameter that is preceded in this table by an optional parameter, the preceding parameter must be present, even if it is a dummy placeholder. If an optional KEY AREA parameter is omitted (commands FK, FG, FN, DK), the table key is extracted from the ROW-AREA. If other parameters are omitted, the defaults are used.

The meaning of the “Open Status” column is as follows:

Implicit Open 1: An OR command is performed implicitly with these commands if the ‘Allow Implicit Open of Tables’ setting in the SWITCHES run time option is Y.
Implicit Open 2: In batch, an OR command is performed implicitly for these commands if the ‘Allow Implicit Open of Tables’ setting in the SWITCHES run time option is Y. With online interfaces, an OW command must be issued before these commands.
Open: The table must be open when issuing these commands.
Open for Read: The table can be open for read when issuing the OW command. The RF command is performed on a table that is open for read.
Open for Write: The table must be open for write to perform these commands.
Closed: The table must be closed when issuing these commands.
Any Time: These commands may be performed at any time.
Note 1: CA command defines an alternate index on a tableBASE library.
Note 2: For backward compatibility with earlier releases, the base table must be open and the alternate index must be closed, unless the system alternate open option MULTIPLE-OPEN-INDEXES is set at installation time or in TBOPT to remove this restriction.

Each command is further classified by its TSR access type: read, write or none. This information is useful when implementing applications with VTS Gate, where security restrictions may limit the type of access allowed on a VTS-TSR. With the latest release, a VTS-TSR has a generation number associated with it and commands that actually access a VTS-TSR must have the START-TBUOW field set in order to access the current generation of the VTS.

The meaning of the “TSR Access Category” column is as follows:

Direct TSR Read: Performs read access to a local or VTS-TSR. For a VTS-TSR, the VTS name is in the TB-PARM.
Direct TSR Write: Performs write or update access to a local or VTS-TSR. For a VTS-TSR, the VTS name is in the TB-PARM.
Direct TSR None: Does not access a local or VTS-TSR. For a VTS-TSR, the VTS name is in the TB-PARM.
Linked VTS Read: Performs read access to a linked VTS-TSR, where the VTS name is in any or all of: LIB-LIST parameter, VTSFIRST, VTSLAST run time options.
Linked VTS Write: Performs write or update access to a linked VTS-TSR, where the VTS name is in any or all of: LIB-LIST parameter, VTSFIRST, VTSLAST run time options.
Linked VTS None: Does not access a linked VTS-TSR, where the VTS name is any or all of: LIB-LIST parameter, VTSFIRST, VTSLAST run time options.
Note 3: This is true only if the table is not open in the TSR of record and the ‘Allow Implicit Open of Tables’ setting for the SWITCHES run time option is Y. The TSR of record is a VTS-TSR with its name in the TB-PARM; if there is no VTS name in the TB-PARM, then the TSR of record is the local TSR.
Note 4: This is true only if the table is not open in the local TSR and the ‘Allow Implicit Open of Tables’ setting for the SWITCHES run time option is Y.
Note 5: This is true only if the table is not open in the local TSR.

Table 107. Retrieval Commands
Commands	Parameters		Open Status	TSR Access Category
SK – Search by Key	KEY AREA	—	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
FK – Fetch by Key	ROW-AREA	(KEY-AREA)	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
FC – Fetch by Count	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
FG – Fetch Generic	ROW-AREA	(KEY-AREA)	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
FN – Fetch Next by Key	ROW-AREA	(KEY-AREA)	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
GF – Get First	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
GL – Get Last	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
GN – Get Next	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4
GP – Get Previous	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Direct TSR Write – Note 3, Linked VTS Read – Note 4

Table 108. Update Commands
Commands	Parameters		Open Status	TSR Access Category
DK – Delete by Key	ROW-AREA	(KEY-AREA)	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
IK – Insert by Key	ROW-AREA	(KEY-AREA)¹¹	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
RK – Replace by Key	ROW-AREA	(KEY-AREA)¹¹	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
DC – Delete by Count	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
IC – Insert by Count	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
RC – Replace by Count	ROW-AREA	—	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
MT – Empty the Table	—	—	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write

Table 109. Table Control Commands
Commands	Parameters		Open Status	TSR Access Category
OR – Open for Read	(PASSWORD)	(GENERATION)	Any Time	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Read – Note 5
OW – Open for Write	(PASSWORD)	(GENERATION)	Closed, Open for Read	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
CL – Close Table	—	—	Open	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS None
RL – Release Table	—	—	Open for Write	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
RF – Refresh Table	—	—	Open for Read	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
ST – Store Table	—	—	Open for Write	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
GD – Get Table Definition	DEFINITION-BLOCK	(GENERATION)	Any Time	Direct TSR Read if there is no GENERATION parameter, Linked VTS Read – Note 5
DD – Dump Definition	DEFINITION-BLOCK	(GENERATION)	Any Time	Direct TSR Read if there is no GENERATION parameter, Linked VTS Read – Note 5
DT – Define Table	DEFINITION-BLOCK	—	Closed	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS None
CD – Change Table Definition	DEFINITION-BLOCK	—	Implicit Open 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
DV – Divert Table to a library where it doesn’t exist	DDNAME	—	Open	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
DW – Divert Table to a library where it does exist	DDNAME	—	Open	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
CN – Change Name (in region)	NEW-TABLE-NAME	—	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS Write
DU – Dump Table Contents	TBACC-DEF	TABLE-AREA	Implicit Open 1	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS Read – Note 5
CA – Create Alternate Index Definition	DATA-TABLE-NAME	ALT-DEFINITION	Note 1	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS None
IA – Invoke Alternate Index	(DATA-TABLE-NAME)	(ALT-DEFINITION)	Note 2	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS None

Table 110. Library Maintenance Commands
Commands	Parameters		Open Status	TSR Access Category
DG – Delete Generation	(PASSWORD)	(GENERATION)	Closed	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS None
XT – Eliminate Table (on library)	(PASSWORD)	—	Closed	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS None
CG – Change Generations to be kept	(PASSWORD)	NEW-GEN-NO	Closed	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS None
RN – Rename Table (on library)	NEW-TABLE-NAME	(PASSWORD)	Closed	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS None
NX – Get Next Table Name	(DDNAME)	(LIB-SPACE)	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
LD – List Directory	(DDNAME)	(DIR-SPEC)	Any Time	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS None
DL – Define New tableBASE Library	DDNAME	(LIB-SPACE)	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None

Table 111. System Control Commands
Commands	Parameters		Open Status	TSR Access Category
ML – Modify Library Search Order	LIB-LIST	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
LL – List Library	LIB-LIST	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
CS – Change Status	STATUS-SWITCHES	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
LS – List Status	STATUS-SWITCHES	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
LT – List Open Tables	LIST-BLOCK	(TABLE-STATS)	Any Time	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS None
LV – List VTS Settings	VTS-DATA	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
BN – Banner Retrieval	NAME-AREA	(RELEASE-LEVEL)	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
DE – Disengage Libraries	—	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
AL – Allocate	DDNAME	LIBRARY-ALLOC	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
UL – Un-allocate	DDNAME	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
SI – Set Indirect	INDIRECT-OPEN-CRITERION	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None
VS – Virtual Subsystem	VTS-NAME	—	Any Time	Direct TSR Read, Linked VTS Read
VV – Vary VTS	—	—	Any Time	Direct TSR Write, Linked VTS None
XX – Terminate tableBASE in Region	—	—	Any Time	Direct TSR None, Linked VTS None

¹¹ For backward compatibility, the table key is extracted from the ROW-AREA. If KEY-AREA is supplied, it is ignored.