What is DDBuilder?What is DDBuilder?
DDBuilder is a utility that can quickly and easily define and create new BASIS data dictionaries, modify existing data dictionaries for use with PRO/5, Visual PRO/5, BBxPROGRESSION/4, and TAOS: The Developer’s Workbench. Additionally, it can define SQL Views for use by the BASIS ODBC Driver. DDBuilder runs under Microsoft Windows 95 and NT 4.0.
A data dictionary is an organized, formal description of data files that describes physical file attributes, such as record lengths and file types, as well as logical file attributes, such as column names and output masks.
Applications can be designed to query a data dictionary at run time, which eliminates the reliance on hard-coded program data structures. Because the application code can be data independent, data dictionaries can eliminate the necessity of changing I/O lists and string references in numerous programs. Rather, one change is made to the data dictionary, and a simple file update program is run.
DDBuilder lets the user exploit the power and convenience of a data dictionary without having to spend the time and resources to create a custom data dictionary utility.
The following can be done using DDBuilder:
Create and define data structures.
Open data dictionaries created in other applications, and modify them for use with BASIS products.
Create and define SQL views for the BASIS ODBC Driver.
Print a representation of the database structure and contents.