General Limitations and Precautions

The following are general limitations and precautions to be applied when using Data Editor.

1. Forcibly Terminating Windows

While Data Editor is running, terminating Windows may corrupt a file being manipulated.

2. Recovering Data from a Data File

If an error occurs in the system, Data Editor, or related software executed during a file operation using Data Editor, the recovery processing may be disabled and data in a file may be corrupted.  If an indexed file is corrupted without a backup copy, perform file recovery processing using the COBOL File Utility supplied with Fujitsu COBOL.

3. Free Disk Drive Space

Ensure that the disk drive that contains the data file has sufficient free space. A backup copy should be made, since data can be lost if insufficient disk space is encountered during a save.

4. COBOL Library (COPY Clause)

The COBOL library (COPY clause) used to manipulate a data file must be syntactically correct.

5. Information Settings of a Data File

The user may not be able to open a file if it has a different organization and attributes compared to the actual file.

6. Exclusive Use of a file

If a file being used by Data Editor is used by another application at the same time, a malfunction may occur.

7. Folder in Which to Create a Work File to be Used by Data Editor

The following files are created in this folder. Be sure to secure sufficient space for this folder.

- Work File for File Manipulation: Requires twice as much space as the file to be manipulated. To add or copy large amounts of data, the required work space is 2 x file size + Number of data entries to be added or copied x Record length x 2.

- Error File: A file containing errors occurring during COPY clause analysis will be output.

8. Number of Records that can be edited

You can edit (add, modify, or delete) up to 100,000 records at a time. If you edit a data file that has more than 100,000 records, split your editing into several sessions, wiht each editing session having 100,000 records or fewer. You can specify the number of records that you want to edit in the Select Record Range area in the Select Data File dialog box.

9. If the COBOL library and a Data File have different Record Lengths

If COPY clause record length > Data file record length The portion of data exceeding the COPY clause record length can be input, but it will be discarded. If COPY clause record length < Data file record length The portion of data exceeding the COPY clause record length cannot be input. For an additional record, the portion of data exceeding the COPY clause record length is set to NULL characters. For "Copy Record", the portion of data exceeding the COPY clause record length is not copied but set to NULL characters. If, in the indexed file, the key is defined in a portion exceeding the COPY clause record length, Add Record or Copy Record cannot be executed in the Record Format View.

10. Information File

If different folders contain data files with the same file name, each folder uses the same information file.

11. When the Data View is not displayed

Some menu items (File, View, and Help) are disabled when the Data View is not displayed in the lower right section of the Data Editor screen due to a window size reduction, etc.

12. Checking Free Disk Space When Saving Data

Data Editor checks free disk space when saving data. If a data file is to be saved to the drive where the Windows system has been installed, the following problems may occur because no correct value can be obtained:

- A message appears, indicating that the data cannot be saved although there is sufficient free disk space.

- Data is saved although there is not sufficient free disk space.  In this case, as many records of data as possible are saved.