This glossary includes definitions of reporting language terminology and general computer terminology used in this Primer.
Query command that displays the names of fields in an identified data source.
Query command that displays a list of fields created with the DEFINE command.
Query command that displays the fields in a HOLD file Master File.
Query command that lists the Joins currently in effect.
Query command that displays the meaning of a specified error message. You replace the n with the error message number in question.
Query command that displays the release in use.
Query command that displays SET parameters and option settings.
Provides an interactive interface to data aggregated at multiple levels by presenting the sort fields within an expandable tree. By default, the report will present the highest dimension or sort field (BY value) and the aggregated measures associated with each value. You can use the tree control to open or close each dimension and view the associated aggregated values.
Keyword that starts a sort phrase. ACROSS uses the order of values in the first highest-order sort field to control the order of records. Each unique sort field value produces a column across the page.
Designed for offline analysis. When using an active report, you can interact with data, using analysis options similar to those found in an Excel workbook. Since no connection to a server is required to view the data or use the analysis options, you can save and use the report anywhere. Analysis options include filtering, sorting, charting, and much more.
Keyword used in a DEFINE command to add to, rather than erase, existing temporary fields created with a previous DEFINE.
Verbs that group data (SUM and COUNT). SUM adds the value of data values and COUNT counts the number of those values. WRITE is a synonym for SUM.
Process of grouping records to produce summary information, not individual values.
Term that identifies format of fields and type of data stored in those fields. The letters of the alphabet, numbers, punctuation marks, and other special symbols can all be stored in an alphanumeric field. Numbers stored in alphanumeric fields cannot be used in calculations.
Logical operator used in conditional statements to screen records. This operator requires that each and every condition connected by it be true in order for a record to be retrieved.
The word AND used outside of a WHERE or WHEN condition is optional for clarity.
Keyword that changes the default title of columns in a report. The AS phrase consists of AS followed by a new title enclosed in single quotation marks (').
Parameter used with the SET command that controls the naming of fields in HOLD files.
Keyword that changes the default position of footings from two lines below the last line of output to the bottom of each page when used in conjunction with FOOTING.
Keyword that starts a sort phrase. BY uses the order of values in the highest-order sort field to control the order of records. Each value in the sort field is displayed in a row on the page.
Displays sort field values for every row.
Keyword that changes the default position of headings and footings from left-justified to centered. CENTER is used in conjunction with HEADING and FOOTING.
A sequence of characters enclosed in single quotation marks (') or double quotation marks ("), depending on the command with which it is used.
Any type of chart produced by the GRAPH command. A chart presents the same kinds of information as tabular reports, but in a wide variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional chart types. Charts allow you to present information graphically, using such visual cues as color, size, and position to convey relationships between measures (numeric fields to be aggregated) and dimensions (categories) and to identify trends and outliers.
Vertical collection of data.
Command used with a verb command to produce totals for all columns that contain numeric values. When used with the ON TABLE phrase, COLUMN-TOTAL produces totals for specified columns that contain numeric values. When used with ROW-TOTAL, it produces a matrix report.
Any instruction issued to WebFOCUS, App Studio, or FOCUS that performs an action.
Command that creates temporary fields AFTER records have been retrieved. These are not real fields. They apply only to the request in which they are created.
Process of connecting one alphanumeric field value to another. The two types of concatenation are weak, which maintains trailing blanks in the field to which you are concatenating, and strong concatenation, which eliminates trailing blanks in the field to which you are concatenating.
Phrase initiated by the WHERE keyword that specifies requirements or conditions in conjunction with logical and relational operators to screen unwanted records and select desired ones.
Relational operator used in a WHERE phrase to screen alphanumeric records. CONTAINS ensures that records containing the specified literal are retrieved. OMITS is the reverse of CONTAINS.
Aggregating verb command that counts the number of non-distinctive values that exist for any field or fields specified by it.
Information used to create reports. The data for the EMPLOYEE data source is stored in units called fields.
One or more files used to store and maintain a collection of related records.
Command that translates characters stored in a field into a user-supplied value.
Predetermined setting that causes automatic action. Many defaults can be changed.
Command that creates temporary fields BEFORE a request is written. Treated just like real fields, these last for an entire session and can be used to sort and select records.
Fields used for sorting and categorizing data. The fields are usually, but not always, alphanumeric fields.
Present data in the reporting language, commonly called verbs. PRINT and LIST display each record: PRINT displays individual data, LIST displays individual data in a numbered list. SUM and COUNT process multiple records: SUM returns a single value, typically the sum total. COUNT counts and displays the number of data occurrences.
Enables you to create links from report data (including headings and footings) as well as graphic images (such as a company logo or product image), to other reports, procedures, URLs, or JavaScript functions.
Enables you to create a PDF document that contains a summary report plus detail reports, where the detail reports contain all the detail data for designated fields in the summary report.
Function that changes the display of alphanumeric fields, extracts part of a field, or changes alphanumeric fields to integer fields or integer fields to alphanumeric fields.
Source of data for reports in this Primer. EDUCFILE contains sample data about company in-house courses.
Source of data for reports in this Primer. EMPDATA contains sample data about company employees.
Source of data for reports in this Primer. EMPLOYEE contains sample data about company employees.
Provides a way to generate multiple worksheet reports using the XLSX output format. By default, each of the component reports from the compound report is placed in a new Excel worksheet.
Source of data for the Financial Modeling Language (FML) report in this Primer. FINANCE contains sample financial data for balance sheets.
Command that terminates and executes a report request and breaks connection to the data source named in the TABLE FILE command.
Key used to transmit WebFOCUS, App Studio, or FOCUS commands on some systems.
Process of transmitting commands to WebFOCUS, App Studio, or FOCUS. Requires pressing of either ENTER or RETURN key, depending on system used. Synonymous with issuing commands.
Message produced and displayed each time a mistake is made. Mistakes can be typos or misuse of commands.
Command used to execute a FOCEXEC.
Calculation or equation provided by the user for use with commands and phrases, such as COMPUTE, DEFINE, WHEN, and WHERE.
Unit of a data source that stores data called field values. Each field in a data source has a name and the field names are usually unique.
Name that identifies fields in a data source. Often used synonymously with field. Field names specify which fields contain the data values to include in a report.
Field name used as a variable (changes when the field value changes) in headings and footings.
Value contained in a field. For example, the name Banning is a value in the field named LAST_NAME.
Extension of the reporting language, which produces reports with interrelated columns and rows.
Specifically designed to handle the task of creating, calculating, and presenting financially oriented data, such as balance sheets, consolidations, and budgets. You design the content of the report on a row-by-row basis. This organization provides a number of advantages, including easily defined inter-row and inter-column calculations, formatting on a cell-by-cell basis, and saving individual rows and row titles in extract files.
A set of commands that can be edited, saved, and executed at any time. This set of commands is stored as straight text. No formatting codes or codes created by many word processors are allowed.
Command that produces and displays a page footing on each page of a report. The footing contains text supplied by you, and by default, is positioned left-justified and two lines below the last line of output.
Term used to identify the length of a field and the type of data it contains. Alphanumeric and numeric are two types of formats often used.
Symbols such as dollar signs ($) and commas (,) that are not stored in a data source, but are included in the display of records.
Presents detailed information in a form-like context that is often used with letters and forms. You can use free-form reports to position headers, footers, free text, and fields precisely on a page, customize your headers and footers by including fields as display variables, and incorporate prefix operators in your headers and footers to perform calculations on the aggregated values of a single field.
A collection of commands that enables you to produce reports in chart form.
Group of commands, starting with the GRAPH FILE command and ending with the END command, that produces a chart.
Command that produces and displays a page heading at the top of each page of a report. The heading contains text supplied by you, and by default, is positioned left-justified at the top of each page.
The first sort field specified in a report, also called the primary sort field. This produces the first column of a report and is used to control the ordering of records.
Command that creates extract files. HOLD files contain output from report requests in a format specified by you, for example, XLSX, PDF, PPTX. A Master File may be created, depending on the format used.
Command that groups records in a report into specified ranges. This command is added to a sort phrase and is used only with numeric sort fields.
See "entering commands."
Source of data for reports in this Primer. JOBFILE contains sample data about company job positions.
Command that links two or more data source so they can be accessed as if they were one, even though they remain physically separate.
Any single word of syntax.
Relational operator used to screen alphanumeric records only. LIKE can be used in conjunction with a mask character, that is, the percent sign (%) and the underscore (_). LIKE ensures that only records matching the specified mask are retrieved.
Parameter used with the SET command that controls the number of lines of a report that are printed on a page.
Verb command that displays and numbers data in specified fields.
See "test value."
Component of a conditional statement that joins more than one condition. Examples of logical operators are AND and OR. The AND operator requires that each and every condition connected by AND be true before a record is retrieved. The OR operator requires that at least one condition connected by OR be true before a record is retrieved.
String of characters used to act as a filter for data in a field when used with the EDIT function, and used to act as a conditional basis of comparison when used with WHERE. Masking characters for screening records are the dollar sign ($), percent sign (%), and the underscore (_).
File that describes the structure and contents of data sources and HOLD files. The Master File consists of statements, called declarations, that name each part of the file and describe its characteristics.
Merges two or more data sources. The command creates a new data source (a HOLD file), into which it merges fields from the selected records. You specify which records to merge and which to eliminate.
A type of report produced using BY and ACROSS together in a single request, or the Financial Modeling Language (FML). A matrix displays values in rows and columns.
Fields used in summations and other calculations. The fields are usually numeric fields.
Concatenates data from data sources with dissimilar Master Files in a single request.
Command used with SUBTOTAL, SUB-TOTAL, SUMMARIZE, and RECOMPUTE to display subtotal lines only when the specified sort field contains more than one record.
Report request that uses more than one verb command at a time. Requires use of LIST or PRINT only once in report and as last verb.
Character used in a report to indicate that no data exists for that field. The default NODATA character is the period (.).
Command that suppresses the printing of a field.
Command that suppresses display of grand totals in a report.
Term that identifies the format of fields and type of data stored in those fields. Numeric data consists of decimal and integer numbers used in calculations.
Relational operator used in a WHERE phrase to screen alphanumeric records. OMITS ensures that only records lacking the specified literal are retrieved. CONTAINS is the reverse of OMITS.
Logical operator used in conditional statements to screen records. Requires that at least one condition connected by OR be true in order for a record to be retrieved.
Footing produced and displayed by the FOOTING command two lines below the last line of output on each page of a report. The footing contains text supplied by you.
Heading produced and displayed by the HEADING command at the top of each page of a report. The heading contains text supplied by you.
Command used in conjunction with a sort field that controls when a new page is created. Each time the sort field changes values, a new page is created.
Term that refers to hardware as well as software, that is, the type of machine and operating system used to run WebFOCUS, App Studio, or FOCUS.
Creates a data source containing the output of a report request, and downloads the HOLD data source and the optional Master File to a client computer or browser. As with a HOLD file, you can specify a variety of file formats.
In a sort phrase, you can restrict the number of sort values displayed. With the PLUS OTHERS phrase, you can aggregate all other values to a separate group and display this group as an additional report row.
Provides an additional set of tools that make it easy to control the precise placement of objects and data in the report output. With a precision report, you can quickly create a layout that is perfectly aligned for a preprinted form, such as a Bill of Sale or a tax form, and that automatically breaks out one record per report page.
Perform calculations directly on the values of aggregated fields.
See "highest-order sort field."
Verb command that displays data in specified fields.
Command that starts with a question mark (?) and provides information about aspects of the product and the reporting session, including SET parameter settings, temporary fields created with the DEFINE command, and names of fields stored in a data source.
An upper and lower limit used to screen records. A range is created using the relational operators FROM...TO, or a combination of GT and LT, or GE, and LE.
Indicates the numeric rank of each row.
Command that computes subtotals based on user-supplied calculations. New values are displayed each time the specified BY field value changes.
Command that displays totals for columns containing numeric values, and recalculates temporary fields containing information, such as ratios, using subtotals each time a specified sort field changes values.
A collection of fields stored together as a unit.
Keyword used in a WHERE phrase that retrieves a specified number of records that meet the specified test conditions.
The component of a conditional statement that determines the type of comparison made between a field or calculation and another field, a test value, or a calculation. EQ, LT, and LIKE are examples of relational operators.
Command that changes the default page numbering of reports from consecutive to renumbering the page number as 1 each time the specified sort field changes values. Page numbering is consecutive within each section of the report.
Result of a report request.
Footing produced and displayed by the SUBFOOT command two lines below the last line of output on the last page only of a report. The footing contains text supplied by you.
Heading produced and displayed by the SUBHEAD command at the top of the first page only of a report. The heading contains text supplied by you.
Group of commands, starting with the TABLE FILE command and ending with END, that produces a report.
A collection of commands used to create reports, invoked by the TABLE FILE command.
Process performed by WebFOCUS, App Studio, or FOCUS, based on instructions in report requests. The data source specified in the TABLE FILE command is searched for records that satisfy the specified instructions and conditions. Records that satisfy the instructions are included in the report.
Key used to transmit commands to WebFOCUS, App Studio, or FOCUS on some systems.
Horizontal collection of data.
Command used in a verb phrase to produce totals for all rows in a report containing numeric values. ROW-TOTAL used in an ON TABLE phrase produces totals for specified rows in a report containing numeric values. When used with COLUMN-TOTAL, ROW-TOTAL produces a matrix report.
Source of data for reports in this Primer. SALHIST contains information about employee salary history.
Creates a SAVE file in BINARY format. As with a HOLD file, you can specify a variety of formats suitable for use with other software products.
Identical to a HOLD command, except that it does not create a Master File, and ALPHA is the default format. You can specify a variety of formats suitable for use with other software products.
Process of selecting a subset of records by eliminating those that do not satisfy conditions specified in a WHERE conditional statement.
A comparison that starts with WHERE and provides a condition that must be met in order for records to be retrieved.
Sort field identified after the primary sort field. Also called lower-level sort field.
Footing produced and displayed by the SUBFOOT command at the end of each section of a report. A section is produced each time a specified sort field changes values. The footing contains text supplied by you.
Heading produced and displayed by the SUBHEAD command at the beginning of each section of a report. A section is produced each time a specified sort field changes values. The heading contains text supplied by you.
Overrides default actions that govern your WebFOCUS, AppStudio, or FOCUS environment.
Command that inserts a blank line between each line of a report when used with a field in a verb phrase. When used with a sort field, SKIP-LINE inserts a blank line between each section of a report. A section is created each time the sort field changes values. Only one SKIP-LINE may be used in a single request.
Field identified in a BY or ACROSS phrase. The order of values in the sort field is used to reorganize records in a report. The first sort field identified produces the first (left-most) column of a report. Subsequently identified sort fields produce the subsequent columns in the same order they are specified.
Process of ordering data in default or specified order using BY and/or ACROSS.
BY and ACROSS are the two sorting keywords that start a sort phrase. BY sorts fields and displays their values down the page in rows. ACROSS sorts fields and displays their values across the page in columns.
Display of number of records and lines included in a report produced by executing a request.
See "character string."
See "concatenation."
Enables you to format and produce attractive reports that highlight key information. With StyleSheets, you can specify various characteristics of your report and format report components individually.
Command that produces a footing below each section of a report. A section is defined each time a specified sort field changes values, when used in conjunction with a sort field. The footing contains text supplied by you. When used with a non-sort field, SUBFOOT produces a report footing that appears only on the last page of a report.
Command that produces a heading above each section of a report. A section is defined each time a specified sort field changes values, when used in conjunction with a sort field. The heading contains text supplied by you. When used with a non-sort field, SUBHEAD produces a report heading which appears only on the first page of a report.
Command that displays a total for columns containing numeric values only when a specified sort field changes values. SUBTOTAL is used in conjunction with a sort field and can be specified in a BY or ON phrase.
Command that displays a total for columns containing numeric values only when a specified sort field, and any preceding sort fields change values. SUB-TOTAL can be specified in a BY or ON phrase.
Aggregating verb that acts on multiple records and returns a single value, typically the sum total. If used with an alphanumeric field, SUM displays only the last value retrieved for that field. WRITE is a synonym for SUM.
Command that displays totals for columns containing numeric values and recalculates temporary fields containing information, such as ratios, using subtotals each time a specified sort field, or preceding sort fields (higher level) changes values. SUMMARIZE can be specified in a BY or ON phrase.
Text editor provided on your system.
Variable that represents values supplied automatically. An example of a system variable is TABPAGENO.
See "reporting language."
Command that provides two functions. It invokes the reporting language and identifies the source of data for subsequent reports.
Generates a multiple worksheet report where a separate worksheet is generated for each value of the first sort field (BY) in the report.
Variation of the TABLE command that provides a fast method of retrieving data that is already stored in the order required for printing and requires no additional sorting. Using TABLEF, records are retrieved in the logical sequence from the data source.
System variable that turns off the default page number location and provides a page number for each page of a report. You incorporate TABPAGENO into the commands that create page, section, and report heading or footings.
Displays information in rows and columns. This is the basic report type, incorporating the fundamental reporting concepts. Most of the other report formats build on these concepts.
A field created using the DEFINE or COMPUTE command.
Expression used in a COMPUTE or DEFINE command to indicate how to calculate values for the new temporary field.
A user-supplied value in a conditional statement to which records are compared before being retrieved. All literal test values that are dates or alphanumeric must be enclosed in single quotation marks (').
Parameter used with the SET command that controls the naming of column titles in HOLD files.
When used in an IN-GROUPS-OF phrase, TOP sets an upper limit within which all records with greater values than that amount are grouped.
Blanks that occur in a field value when the value is shorter than the field length. The blanks occur at the end of the value.
Command used with a sort field that inserts underlines after each section of a report. A section is defined each time the sort field value changes.
A reporting language command that indicates how to display data in specified fields. PRINT, LIST, COUNT, and SUM are all verb commands.
See "concatenation."
Keyword that controls when subtotals appear in a report based on user-supplied conditions. WHEN is used in conjunction with the field specified in the preceding SUBTOTAL, SUB-TOTAL, RECOMPUTE, or SUMMARIZE commands.
Keyword that starts a WHERE phrase used to select records based on specified conditions. Only records meeting the specified conditions are retrieved and included in a report.
Keywords that screen aggregated values produced by SUM or COUNT.
Keyword that performs operations on a field value within the scope of a sort field value. These calculations take place regardless of the summarizing commands in a request.
Aggregating verb that acts on multiple records and returns a single value, typically the sum total. If used with an alphanumeric field, WRITE displays only the last value retrieved for that field. SUM is a synonym for WRITE.
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