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Data-Miner

Data-Miner Example	VSAM-Easy!	The COBOL Connection	Batch Access
Sample Print	The 4GL Connection	Online CICS Access	Other Facilities

Data-Miner Downloads & Documentation

Conversion Info

Overview

Data-Miner is a high performance software utility package that permits quick, easy access to SAM and VSAM files for selective searching, printing, extracting, updating, dumping and copying of file data without programming. Data-Miner is valuable both in production and development environments. It consolidates utility functions associated with file searches, data manipulation and report generation into one easy-to-use product. Data-Miner reduces the costs associated with having to learn and use many complex and unrelated utilities by giving you one simple product to accomplish most of your day-to-day data handling and reporting tasks.

Data-Miner has a number of quick and easy commands for carrying out common tasks.
They include:
COPY one file to another
DELETE or INSERT records in a file
EXTRACT parts of records into a new file
PRINT a report from a file
DUMP a file to the printer

Record selection
Any of Data-Miner's functions can be limited to a group of records with simple selection commands such as:
LAST=1000 to stop after 1000 records have been read
ONLY BALANCE>0 to select only records with a positive balance
SKIP NAME=JONES AND CITY=LONDON to skip records you aren't interested in

Modifying records
Data-Miner can change the contents of records before they get written. For example, you can say:
BALANCE=BALANCE + SALE or
AMOUNT=0 or
NAME="xxxxxx"

Writing records
Records can be written to a new file, inserted into an existing file, or updated. Data-Miner can change file organization, recording medium, block size, record length or record content while copying data to a new dataset. So, for example, it is easy to create a KSDS from a sequential file.

Quick Report writer
Data-Miner offers two ways to print a report. It has a simple PRINT command and a more powerful report writer. The PRINT command produces a formatted report of selected fields from the input file. Records can be selected or skipped when printing so that you get a report of just the data you want. For example, this script would produce a report of the people who owe us more than $1,000:
PRINT
INPUT=VSAM FILENAME=ACCOUNTS
* The next line includes our record layout for this file
INCLUDE ACCREC
ONLY BALANCE>1000
SELECT ACCTNO NAME BALANCE

That's all there is to it.

Dumping a file
Intended mainly for programmers, the DUMP function produces a character/hex dump of the input file or the output file or selected records from them. The SHOW command does the same for individual fields.

Detailed Report writer
When a more "industrial strength" report is required, the Data-Miner report writer is up to the job. It can sort the report into any order you like, summarise fields, do control breaks and print totals. You also have more control about where fields appear on the print line. A typical report layout looks something like:
REPORT ACCSTAT
ORDER LNM FNM
BREAK LNM
SUM BAL
LINE LNM FNM KEY BAL TALLY
TITLE 'ACCOUNT STATUS REPORT'

Mailing labels
The report writer is equally at home producing mailing labels. Just tell it how big the labels are, what information you want on them and how many there are across the page and it will print them for you.
REPORT ADDRLAB LABELS ACROSS 3 WIDTH 40 HEIGHT 5
LINE 1 INIT LNM LINE 2 ADDR
LINE 3 CITY LINE 4 STATE ZIP

Data-Miner Example

This example produces a formatted list of selected accounts showing account numbers and amounts. Selection starts at record number 200. Account numbers equal to 3333 are skipped. Amounts over $3,000 or less than 0 are flagged. Only the first 5000 matching records are required. A total of the amounts printed on the report is to be printed with a floating dollar sign at the end of the list.

Parameters
PRINT
INPUT=VSAM FILENAME=ACCOUNTS
ACCT_NO 1,4,C
AMOUNT 60,6,P,2
FLAG 100,3,C
DEFINE TOT_AMT 8,P,M5
FIRST=200
SKIP ACCT_NO = '3333'
ADD AMOUNT TO TOT_AMT
IF AMOUNT > 3000 OR AMOUNT <0
MOVE '***' TO FLAG
ENDIF
MAXRCDS=5000
SELECT *
TOT 'TOTAL PAY IS',1 TOT_AMT,17,9

Sample Print
ACCT_NO AMOUNT FLAG DATE 11-7-2005 PAGE 1
1234 7,775.25 ***
1234 2,495.33
2345 -1,995.43 ***
2345 6,001.15 ***
3987 4,999.99 ***
TOTAL PAY IS $19,276.29

Data-Miner/VE - VSAM-Easy!

Data-Miner/VE is an easy to use, general purpose VSAM module that simplifies and standardizes access to VSAM files. Data-Miner/VE provides full VSAM access from programs written in most programming languages, including fourth generation languages (4GL) such as NATURAL and Focus. Data-Miner/VE also provides a more powerful, easier and more efficient way of accessing VSAM from programs written in languages such as COBOL and PL/I.
Data-Miner/VE is a standardized VSAM interface. It provides consistent VSAM access across applications and processing environments, and reduces VSAM training requirements for your programming staff. VSAM expertise is no longer required to access VSAM files! Data-Miner/VE is based on the premise that VSAM users should be able to use VSAM without extensive VSAM training.

Data-Miner/VE also:
Increases VSAM functionality. It adds additional VSAM commands and functions to programs accessing VSAM while simplifying VSAM coding.
Improves programmer VSAM productivity. Data-Miner permits programmers to easily access VSAM files from any program written in any language (including COBOL, PL/I, NATURAL, Assembler and most 4GLs).
Enhances your programmers' VSAM proficiency. Data-Miner/VE reduces the frequency of VSAM programming errors, simplifies VSAM request processing and provides consistent VSAM error codes and handling. Data-Miner/VE ensures that correct VSAM commands are always issued even if the programmer doesn't specifically request them.
Makes COBOL and PL/I easier to use and manages all the complexities involved with accessing VSAM files. Inexperienced and proficient programmers alike are freed from considering most technical aspects of using VSAM. Programmers need to know fewer commands and handle fewer errors when they access their VSAM files with Data-Miner/VE.

The 4GL Connection

Data-Miner/VE gives 4GL users the ability to read and write VSAM files. Over 100 users of Software AG's fourth generation language (NATURAL) have used Data-Miner/VE to access VSAM files with full power and exceptional reliability. Users can bring all the power and productivity of their 4GL programming language to the VSAM world, making VSAM a full partner to their Data Base Management System (DBMS).

The Data-Miner and 4GL partnership optimizes development efforts by:
Requiring only one programming language for all application development and increasing programmer productivity by 10:1 over COBOL and PL/I;
Coupling the productivity of your 4GL with the efficiency of VSAM and permitting users to quickly satisfy report requests and requests for VSAM information;
Accessing VSAM and DBMS files at the same time in the same program, eliminating the need to maintain redundant copies of VSAM files in your DBMS;
Delaying (or avoiding altogether) unneeded conversion of VSAM files to DBMS, allowing users to easily handle VSAM files that they don't wish to migrate to the DBMS.

The COBOL Connection

In addition to providing VSAM access from languages that do not have native access to VSAM, Data-Miner/VE also provides simpler VSAM access from languages such as COBOL, PL/I and Assembler. Data-Miner/VE makes VSAM access easier and more flexible in COBOL and PL/I programs. Data-Miner/VE offers an extremely simple syntax using standard program calls. Programmers no longer have to know anything about VSAM and its complex protocols.
In addition to being simpler to use, Data-Miner/VE lets users do things that are either difficult in COBOL or totally impossible. Some of these functions include: automatic loading to empty files, backward browsing in the middle of a file, reset to empty on the fly and automatic retrieval of record lengths for variable length records. Data-Miner/VE makes COBOL/VSAM access faster and more efficient.

Online CICS Access

Data-Miner/VE works both for batch and for CICS programs, bringing new simplicity to the job of the online transaction programmer.
Application programs can access VSAM files and CICS temporary storage queues through a standard program CALL and a single parameter. All programming languages that can call Assembler sub-routines are supported.

Batch Access

Data-Miner/VE supports VSAM access for batch environments. All programming languages that can call assembler sub-routines are supported. The batch facilities provide easy access to VSAM files from any program written in any language and executed in batch mode. Batch programs access VSAM files through a standard program CALL with a single parameter that is identical in form no matter what function is being performed.

Other Facilities

Data-Miner/Online is an online VSAM editing system designed to be used by programmers as a development and testing aid. All VSAM and temporary storage read/write functions are supported under CICS. Records can be displayed in either alphanumeric or hexadecimal format. Records can be read by key, browsed, added, updated and deleted without any knowledge of Command Level syntax or VSAM commands. PF keys are available for most screen functions.
CICS Editor
Data-Miner's Online CICS Editor lets you retrieve up to 500 VSAM or temporary storage queue records at once for browsing, deleting and updating. No changes are made to the file until you say you are ready for the update to take place.
ISPF editor
Under zOS, the Data-Miner ISPF editor lets programmers browse and edit any dataset that they have access to. Editing can be done in character, hex or both making it an ideal tool for incorporating test conditions into datasets quickly.