Sesame Library | Terminology inSesame

As you know, Q&A has a very simple data-related structure because it's basically a flat-file database manager. This means that the database stores all the information about a single category of entity (for example, customers, inventory items, sales orders, invoices, insurance policies, patients, or the like). This allows for a structure made up of the following elements:

1. Database: The top level file or container that stores all the information (data) on all the entities that fall within the category.
2. Record: The "subdivision" of the database that contains all the information about each individual entity in the database.
3. Form: The screen design that displays each record for data entry, searching and so foth, which is made up of all the individual pieces of the total information defining one of the items in the database (record).
4. Field: The individual "information blanks" in each form or record that store the pieces of data which, when taken as a whole, define a record. (For example. name, address, city, state, phone, title, and so forth).

You can, of course, tie several of these databases together with Lookup programming, custom menus, macros and so forth to create complete applications.

Because Sesame databases can be hierarchical in structure, the simple flat-file breakdown above no longer suffices to describe how the product can be made to work. An "information unit" in a Sesame system can hold more than just the data about a single entity, so we've had to define a new structural breakdown. Sesame will be able, in a single information structure, to store all the information about several related items such as customers, invoices, sales, and inventory. This will enable you to create an entire process definition -- an application -- made up of all its parts in a single file. In light of this, we will be using a structure with the following breakdown and associated terminology:

1. Application: The top-level container of all facets of all of the data structures and information in the defined information unit. This is similar to using several databases in Q&A tied together by XLookup programming, custom menus, and macros.
2. Record Definition: The structure of the container that stores all the information about one or more of the items in the information unit and their relationships to each other. This will be similar to having one or more databases in Q&A. You might have a Record Definition for your customers and your inventory, both of which will be parts of your overall Sales Application.
3. Form: The screen design for the presentation (data entry, searching, and so forth) of the data in any of your Record Definitions. A record definition might have multiple form views which will allow you to look at different presentations of the same basic data in the application. The Form is like a combination of both the Database and the Form in Q&A.
4. Sub-Form: A sub-structure in Sesame that allows you to view more than one part of the information on a single screen. (For example. the main form might show the invoice, and the sub-form might show the details of the individual line items that make up that particular invoice. In Q&A, each of these would be a separate database).
5. Record: The container for all of the information about one of the items on a form or sub-form.
6. Field: The individual information blanks in each record that store the pieces of data (name, address, city, state, phone, title, and so forth) which, when taken it total, define that record .

Remember, while at first glance this new structure might look more complex, the fact is that for simple flat-file Sesame applications, it is essentially the same structure as Q&A. That is, there will be a single Record Definition with a single Form composed of Records that are made up of Fields -- altogether familiar territory.