Data Editor

Contents

• Detailed Features and Benefits
• An In-Depth Look at Data Editor
• Platforms Supported
• Frequently Asked Questions

Data Editor lets you create and manipulate the data files for your COBOL applications with an interactive, easy-to-use editor. Because Data Editor is focused on COBOL, it understands COBOL record descriptions and displays the data using the record descriptions from your COBOL programs. Data editing is fast and intuitive, allowing you to make your updates with minimal amount of effort.

Highlights

• Edit COBOL format and binary data files with data presented as defined in COBOL record descriptions
• Automatically create test data using the Data Generation feature to populate fields with variable values.
• Browse existing data files
• Set values for testing particular program conditions
• Verify updated data
• Search for values within fields
• Import data from, and export data to, XML data files.
  
  

Data Editor displays the item names and descriptions alongside the data contained in that item. It understands tables, re-definitions and record keys, and communicates these properties in its data displays.

Using these features you can see the data in the same manner you view data from the COBOL program. Data Editor is easy to use and helps you work quickly and effectively.

Fujitsu's Data Editor is one of the components of the NetCOBOL (previously called Fujitsu COBOL) Enterprise Edition. It supports Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP.

Select the View to Match Your Purpose

Data Editor offers highly configurable views of your data. There are two main formats - table format and record format.

In table format, Data Editor displays each record in a single row - like a spreadsheet display. Use this format when you want to compare item values across many records.

In record format, Data Editor displays one record at a time, with each elementary item occupying a single row. Use this format when you want to see as much data as possible on each record.

Data Editor also allows you to select:

• Which elementary items are displayed
• Whether to display level numbers, item descriptions, and offsets
• Which record definition or redefinition to use
• Whether or not to expand tables
• Whether or not to display the toolbar and status bar
• The font to be used
• Whether to edit in character format or hexadecimal

With all these options you control what you want to see, allowing you to focus on the information that is most important to you.

Related Tools

Data Editor is integrated with Data Converter so that data can be passed quickly and conveniently to Data Converter

Detailed Features and Benefits

The table below lists key features and benefits of Data Editor.

"+Vn" in the "New in:" column indicates a feature that contains new or improved elements as well as existing elements. When "+Vn" is in Italics, it refers to the italicized detail items. The number n indicates the release in which the new feature was introduced. V9 features are shown in red.

An In-Depth Look at Data Editor

The following sequence of screen captures lets you see the features of Data Editor at work.

Setting Up Data File Details
Setting Up Data Edit Sessions
Editing Using The Record View
Editing Using The Table View
Confirming Updates
Focusing on a Few Fields

Setting Up Data File Details
After selecting the file you wish to edit, Data Editor prompts you to provide information about the file. You setup these details by first specifying a COBOL library file that describes the file data. Data Editor analyzes the COBOL record layout so that it can present the data to you field by field.

After analyzing the library, you select the file's organization. Unless you have a special feature in your file, such as the data being in EBCDIC, that's all you need to do as Data Editor can pick up all of the information from the COBOL library and the data file header.

Setting Up Data Edit Sessions
Data Editor then gives you a choice of how to edit the data:

- You can update the file, meaning you can add, delete and change records.

- You can view the file, meaning that no updates are allowed

- You can add to the file, meaning that you can add new records but you cannot change any of the existing data.

When dealing with data files it is important to have these options as you don't want to accidentally change existing data when all you want to do is look at the data, or add some new values.

You also have the option to select what range of records should be loaded from the file, thus speeding up loading and letting you focus on the area of interest.

Editing Using the Record View
The record view lists all the data from a single record. You add and delete records in this view. Notice that the record key is indicated by coloring it in green.

Editing Using the Table View
The table view displays the data in a spread-sheet-like format. This makes it very convenient for comparing values in adjacent or nearby records. You can see in the snapshot below how data editor uses colors to make it clear which records have been updated, deleted or added.

Confirming Updates
Before any changes are saved, Data Editor shows you a summary of the number of updates, additions and deletions so you can confirm that only the changes you intended to make have been made.

Focusing on a Few Fields
Another important feature of Data Editor is the ability for you to display only a few fields - whether or not they are adjacent in the record description. In the snapshot below, two items, RECORD-KEY and RECORD-AMOUNT have been selected.

Platforms Supported

• Microsoft® Windows® 98
• Microsoft® Windows® Me
• Microsoft® Windows® NT
• Microsoft® Windows® 2000
• Microsoft® Windows® XP
• Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What file organizations does Data Editor support?

Answer: All the standard COBOL file organizations - sequential, line sequential, relative and indexed - and binary files for which there is no COBOL record description.

2. Which data types does Data Editor support?

Answer: All the COBOL data types that you can write to NetCOBOL files.

3. How safe/reliable is Data Editor?

Answer: Data Editor is a very safe and reliable tool for editing your data files. It creates a backup file so you can always recover to the state before your last edit session. Data Editor protects against changing data accidentally by:

• Indicating the changed records by changing the color of the data displayed.
• Reporting the number of changes, additions and deletions before you save the file.
• Providing View and Add modes of working that limit the changes you can make - either allowing no changes (View mode) or only allowing additions (Add mode).

4. Can I use Data Editor on files other than NetCOBOL files?

Answer: You cannot use Data Editor on structured files, such as indexed files produced by another COBOL vendor, nor on relational databases. Provided that you can supply a COBOL record layout description for the file, you can use Data Editor on fixed-length sequential files and line sequential files. Variable-length sequential files produced by other vendors are not supported as they will have their own file headers and different techniques of indicating the lengths of the records.

5. What is the maximum file size that Data Editor can handle?

Answer: Data Editor can handle files up to the limits of the COBOL system.

6. What is the difference between Data Editor and the Edit function in the COBOL File Utility?

Answer: The Edit function of the COBOL File Utility is a basic level function. It lets you edit files record by record, and can only display the data in simple character or hex formats. Data Editor lets you edit data field by field, understanding all the different data types and gives you well presented views of the data. COBOL File Utility gives you no indication of which changes you have made while Data Editor colors all changes and lets you confirm that you really want the changes to be made before closing the file. You can achieve the same results using both tools, but you are more likely to make the changes correctly, with greater speed and ease when using Data Editor.

7. Does Data Editor have a "replace all" function?

Answer: Yes, Data Editor has a replace all function. It will only change values within a selected field, and marks all records that are changed. We recommend this function is used with care, particularly on large files in which it may be difficult to confirm all changes were made correctly.