Dictionary-IV is the repository where application designers store the descriptions and definitions of data elements, file formats, screens, menus, views, messages and help. It is the foundation for every Thoroughbred development environment and the basis of Thoroughbred’s three-tier architecture: character and graphical applications can share the same program code.
What it defines
- Global Dictionary: every system-wide data element, with its name, type, validation rules, default value and access rules for security. Any item defined here is treated the same way wherever it is used.
- Screens: layout, color and other display attributes. A screen can combine windows and fields, and fields can be data entry, lookup, calculated or scrolled.
- Views: multiple records shown as rows and columns. File-wide commands can change the whole file or selected groups of records.
- Menus: access security, function selection and online help for each menu choice.
- Messages: one central store for user messages, including their text, position and display parameters.
- Help: context-sensitive help for menus, database maintenance, data entry and messages.
- Formats: the data items and keys within a logical or physical file.
- Links: the relationships between files, Formats, Screens and Views. A Link lets you set up several logical schemes over the same physical files.
Dictionary-IV also holds Report and Query definitions, programs, and XSchema definitions used by TS XML DataServer.
Open data access
Because a Link can point to a Thoroughbred file or to a table in another database, Dictionary-IV applications can run against Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server or MySQL. Data described in Dictionary-IV can also be exposed to ODBC applications such as Excel through TS ODBC DataServer.
How it fits
Dictionary-IV is part of the OPENworkshop and IDOL-IV product sets, and Thoroughbred Basic programs can call it directly. VIP for Dictionary-IV turns Dictionary-IV screens, views and menus into a Windows graphical interface without code changes, and Web OpenWorkshop does the same in a web browser.