The base dictionary contains the definition of the underlying database used by DP4 to store the structure of a database. The Database Creation utility copies the base dictionary tables from the BD database to create a new database. You don't need to install the BD database on the end user system.
The base dictionary tables are normally hidden. However, you can view and even update the tables in almost exactly the same way as the application database tables using DP4 facilities such as Browser, QA Build, Report Writer or Importer. To do this, run the DP4 utility program from the command line with the command tail −BASEDICT. Press <Ctrl+P> on the table entry field, and the base dictionary tables are shown with the preface @, such as @NAME_TABLE. Take great care when updating base dictionary records for a database as the tables are critical to the operation of a DP4 system, and an incorrect change might damage your database irreparably.
Internally Tables, fields and roles are identified by unique numbers. @NAME_TABLE records associate names with thse numbers, so that you will not usually need to know what the internal numbers are. This scheme allows several names to be associated with a single table, field or role.
Numbers are allocated as follows:
|
0 to 4095 |
Reserved for BD fields, roles, tables and reserved words |
|
4096 upwards |
Available for application tables, fields and roles |