Batch programming is today very rarely the focus of the software development processes. Nevertheless, experience from real-world projects shows that there are always large scale processing to be done and their results have to be displayed and printed in an precise manner such as bank statements, invoices, delivery notes and the like.

ADS is the ideal tool for the creation of batch programs, offering a proven and highly efficient set of functionality that is focused on sequentially processing files, creating reports and following the structured programming approach to development.

ADS encapsulates all technical aspects of batch programming. Generators take care of the entire process control, file processing and report writing. Data access is specified on logical level in the exact same way as in online programs. This clearly defined separation between application-specific coding and the technical code elements enables a simple migration to new platforms by the simple process of regenerating for the new target platform.

The key ADS tools for batch programming are introduced below:

SPP – Structured Programming

SPP implements structured programming completely and also offers a pseudo data manipulation language that is tailored to database access in ADS. The program contains standardized, target system neutral commands for input and output, independently of the database management system below.

PSD – Data Structure Design

PSD supports the use of data structure based program design with the processing of a non-procedural description language and the generation of a standardized program skeleton that the programmer fills with application code.

DETAB – Decision Tables

Decision tables are an important tool for the clear description of complex situations and operations. DETAB supports a sophisticated decision table technology in analysis and programming, detecting discrepancies and redundancies during the analysis at generation time and informs you about overlapping data and compression options.

GRU – Group Processing

GRU automates the concept of record group processing with generation of a program skeleton that the programmer fills with application code. The generator handles all of the program control code including exceptions.

REPORT – Lists and Reports

In REPORT the developer describes the contents and form of the list, line-by-line, field by field. He merely defines what the list should contain: he uses the functions of REPORT to do this, and can also insert any editing instructions into the list definition. REPORT takes care of everything to do with the physical production of the report, including the editing, form feed control as well as of the printout of captions and footers.