Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 to Issue ACL Commands

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2 Copyright 1998 ACL Services Ltd. All rights reserved No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, information storage, retrieval, or transmission, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. This manual may contain dated information. Use of these materials is based on the understanding that this manual may not contain all the information, or the most current information relevant to situation or intended application. Support and update services are available from ACL, by separate written agreement. Published August 1998 by: ACL Services Ltd 575 Richards Street Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 2Z5 Telephone: Fax: Web: info@acl.com Printed in Canada ISBN ACL and Audit Command Language are registered trademarks of ACL, or one of its subsidiaries or licensors. Other brands or products referenced in the software, or associated with it, are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and should be treated as such. Use of a term in this manual should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

3 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 The ACL for Windows Reference Manual provides the following: Information on ACL commands, including: instructions on issuing ACL commands a description of each command an explanation of command dialog boxes the command mode syntax for each command practical examples A glossary of frequently used terms in ACL Appendices containing useful information Reference information on most of the items from the Data, Analyze, and Tools menus For more information: On how to use ACL, see the ACL for Windows User Guide. Some commands can only be accessed in command mode through the Command Log window and do not have an equivalent dialog box. However, you may be able to use other ACL dialog boxes or windows to achieve the same effect. The dialog box contents describe parameters that you can use in both command mode syntax and dialog boxes. Each dialog box has an illustration and a description of its contents. Dialog boxes are shown as they would appear when selected from the appropriate menu. The examples for the commands are shown with the default preference settings in effect. For more information: On factory defaults, see Setting Preferences on page 7-1 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. 1-1

4 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual Parameters you can only use in command mode syntax for which there are no equivalent dialog boxes are described in Common Parameters on page Note: Command-mode-only commands are clearly marked at the beginning of their descriptions. If you are an ACL for Windows user, you will probably not use command mode and can ignore the related references to it. If you do intend to use command mode, you must understand the conventions. The conventions for describing the command mode syntax are in Symbols and Conventions on page 1-4. For more information: On using ACL in command mode, see Command Mode on page 8-38 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. For easy reference, the commands are listed alphabetically, with each command beginning on a new page. Issuing Commands You can execute commands in ACL a number of different ways, depending on your skills and work preferences. Using Menus You can issue ACL commands by selecting either Data, Analyze, Sampling, or Tools from the menu bar, choosing a command, and then specifying options in dialog boxes. Using menus eliminates keyboards and helps you avoid errors. A command that is not applicable to the task at hand is disabled and appears grayed out in the menu. Using the Button Bar You can issue ACL commands by clicking a button in the button bar. A button for a command that is not applicable to the current task appears grayed out and does not respond when you click it. 1-2

5 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 For more information: For details on using the button bar, see Button Bar on page 2-6 in the ACL for Windows User Guide and Setting Up the Button Bar on page 7-19 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. Note: You can autoexecute many commands by first clicking in the column heading of an appropriate fields and then clicking a command button or choosing a command from a menu. Because the Autoexecute Commands preference is turned on by default, the command executes automatically. Using Command Log window You can also enter commands directly into the Command Log window. If the command is correct, it will execute immediately. If the command is incorrect, ACL will display an error message, and then show the appropriate dialog box. If you do not know the entire command syntax of a command, you may type the parts you do know and click the (Edit the Command) button. You can press Ctrl -z to undo the last typing you did. When finished, click [OK] in the dialog box. 1-3

6 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual Using Batches and Groups Batches and groups are ways of combining and storing commands to make processing faster and more efficient. Batches and groups can be used together, and are a powerful combination. A batch is a series of ACL commands stored in a batch file in an ACL document. This series of commands can be executed repeatedly and automatically. You can structure a batch to run unattended or to prompt the user for information each time it is run. Batches are especially useful for repeat applications and for creating standard routines for field personnel or analysts to use. A group is a series of commands that is processed in a single pass of the file. You enter groups in a batch, then run the batch to execute the commands. Using groups can greatly increase processing speed. You can also use groups to program with ACL, and to process special and complex files. If you are a new ACL user, you may want to become more familiar with the basics of ACL before creating and running groups. For more information: See Advanced Techniques, Command Mode, and Last Result on pages 8-1, 8-38 and 5-49 respectively in the ACL for Windows User Guide. Symbols and Conventions To help you use this manual more efficiently, the way information is presented has been standardized. Symbols Used in This Manual Represents a key that performs a specific function. For example, represents the key labeled Enter or Return on your keyboard. [Button] Represents a button or a tab in a dialog box that performs a specific function. For example, [OK] represents the button labeled OK. 1-4

7 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 Represents a button that performs a specific function or command. For clarity and brevity, buttons are referred to throughout the manual by their icon. For example, represents the Extract command. Indicates a command for advanced users of ACL. Note: Calls attention to important information. For more information: Indicates a reference to further information on a related subject. ; Indicates : Indicates the menu selections required to access the command. the command mode syntax for the command. Indicates the button bar icon for the command. For example, this icon would appear next to the title of the Histogram section. Text Formatting Conventions UPPERCASE lowercase italics Brackets< > Braces{ } Uppercase indicates the parameters in each command. Lowercase italics represents a user-specified entry. In Command Mode syntax, angle brackets indicate that the entry within the brackets is optional. In Command Mode syntax, braces indicate a set of choices from which one must be chosen (choices are separated by a vertical bar ). 1-5

8 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual Bar Dots... Required In Command Mode syntax, a bar indicates that a choice between options must be made (usually associated with braces { } ). In Command Mode syntax, dots indicate that the preceding item may be repeated. This notation describes the contents of a dialog box. It indicates that the parameter must be specified in order to execute the command. A message box prompts you to supply the required information. Use of Numbers and Bullets 1. Numbered lists indicate a series of steps required to complete a task. Bullets highlight a list of points in which sequence is not important. Summary of ACL Commands ACCEPT : ACTIVATE : AGE ;#: ASSIGN : CALCULATE : Allows an ACL batch program to prompt the user for information when the batch is run. Activates a workspace and temporarily adds a set of field definitions to the existing set of fields in the current input file. Produces aged summaries of data in a graph or text format. Stores a value as a variable conditionally or unconditionally. Computes and displays the value of an expression. 1-6

9 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 CLASSIFY ;#: CLOSE : COMMENT ;#: COUNT ;#: DEFINE FIELD : DEFINE RELATION ;#: DEFINE REPORT : DELETE and DELETE HISTORY : DIALOG ;#: DISPLAY : Counts the number of records falling into each unique class of a character field and accumulates field totals for each class. Closes an open input file. Inserts a remark or explanation into the log file without affecting processing or execution. Counts the number of records in the current input file, or only those records that meet a specified condition. Creates a new field. Defines relationships to other data files in your ACL document. Lets you process and analyze the information from several files at the same time. Creates a new report or allows you to edit an existing report. Removes unwanted fields, variables, batches, formats, or files. For example, DELETE HISTORY removes the file history. Prompts for user input with custom dialog boxes that control how a batch is run. You can include radiobuttons, checkboxes, and dropdowns in the custom dialog boxes. Dialog is an enhancement to ACCEPT. Displays information about your current ACL environment. 1-7

10 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual DO BATCH ;#: DO REPORT : DUMP ;#: DUPLICATES ;#: ELSE ;#: END ;#: EVALUATE ;#: EXPORT ;#: EXTRACT ;#: FILE HISTORY ; FIND : GAPS ;#: Runs an ACL batch. Prints an ACL report. Displays the contents of a file or the current record in hexadecimal, ASCII, and EBCDIC format. In menu mode, this file browser lets you specify parameters and view the results in one window. Tests for duplicates in the key field records. Provides an alternate set of commands when a Group If test is false in a conditional group. Closes or finalizes a Group or Loop command. Determines the effect of errors in sampling results. Creates a file which can be used by other software programs for further processing. Extracts selected records or fields from the current file and copies them to another file. Shows when and how a file was created. Use the Set History command to set the number of history entries. Locates the first record in an indexed input file that has an index key value equal to, or greater than, a specified value. Tests for gaps in the key field sequence. 1-8

11 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 GROUP ;#: HELP ;#: HISTOGRAM ;#: IF : IMPORT : INDEX ;#: JOIN ;#: LIST : LOCATE : LOOP ;#: MERGE ;#: OPEN : Executes a series of ACL commands with only one pass of the input file. Provides online explanations of ACL commands, field types, functions, and features. Produces the distribution of records over the values of a field, or expression, in a graphical format. Applies a condition that must be met in order to execute the next command. Copies an ODBC database table into your ACL document. Creates an index file that allows direct access to the records of an input file in logical rather than physical order. Combines fields from two sorted input files into a third file. Displays selected output data in a columnar list format. Moves to a specified record number, or to the first record meeting a specified condition. Processes the same record more than once. Combines two sorted files with identical record structures into a third file. Opens a new input file. 1-9

12 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual PASSWORD : PAUSE : PROFILE ;#: QUIT : RANDOM ;#: REFRESH : RENAME : REPORT ;#: SAMPLE ;#: SAVE : SEARCH ; SEEK : Requests a password for password protected files. Displays a message to the user. Provides summary statistics on one or more numeric fields in the input file. Ends an ACL session. Generates random numbers. Updates an ODBC database table to its current data. Changes the name of a field or file. Creates and formats a report. Sets different fonts for the report header, footer, column headings, data, and subtotals. Creates record or monetary unit samples from a population within an input file. Stores field definitions in a workspace. Moves directly to the specified records in a file. Moves directly to the first record containing a specified search key in an indexed file. 1-10

13 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 SEQUENCE ;#: SET ;#: SIZE ;#: SORT ;#: STATISTICS ;#: STRATIFY ;#: SUMMARIZE ;#: TOP : TOTAL ;#: VERIFY ;#: Determines if key fields in the current file are in sequential order and can detect and report duplicates and/or missing items in the sequence. Changes the status of the system conditions which determine how ACL operates. For example, use Set Century to set the start of century to process dates with 2-digit years correctly for the 21 st century, Set Filter to apply a filter to subsequent commands, and Set History to set the maximum number of File History entries. Determines an appropriate sampling size. Sorts the current input file into ascending or descending order based on specified key fields. Calculates descriptive statistics on one or more numeric fields in the current input file. Counts the number of records falling into specified intervals (strata) of numeric field values and totals one or more numeric fields for each stratum. Generates a record count and numeric field value totals for each distinct value of key character fields. Moves to the first record in the current input file. Totals numeric fields or expressions in the current input file. Checks for data validity errors in the current input file. 1-11

14 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual Common Parameters You can include parameters in most ACL commands to either limit how much of the active file is to be processed or limit the execution of a command or batch. Choosing Fields from a Selected Fields Dialog Box For ACL commands available through a dialog box, you can choose fields by clicking the [Command Name On] (such as [Index On] button in the command dialog box). For example, select Data from the menu bar and choose Sort to display the Sort dialog box. Click [Sort On] to display the Selected Fields dialog box. You can specify the input key fields or expressions to be used for sorting. Note: You should select the appropriate radiobutton before you select fields. The Ascending and Descending radiobuttons only relate to the fields you select after you select the appropriate radiobutton. 1-12

15 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 Ascending Descending Indicates the key field should be in ascending order. The default is Ascending. If you have changed the default to Descending, be sure to select Ascending before moving fields from the Available Fields to the Selected Fields list in the Selected Fields dialog box. If you are indexing a file on more than one key field, the sort order does not have to be consistent from one field to the next. For example, you can index Keyfield1 in ascending order and Keyfield2 in descending order. Indicates the key field should be in descending order. Be sure to select Descending before moving fields from the Available Fields to the Selected Fields list in the Selected Fields dialog box. If you are indexing a file on more than one key field, the sort order does not have to be consistent from one field to the next. For example, you can index Keyfield1 in ascending order and Keyfield2 in descending order. Choosing Parameters from a Dialog Box For ACL commands available through a dialog box, you choose parameters by clicking the [More] tab to display More options for that command: 1-13

16 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual ALL FIRST NEXT WHILE Selects all records. Selects a specified number of records, starting from the beginning of the file. Selects a specified number of records, starting at the current position of the file. Selects records or executes a command while a specified condition is true. It takes the form of While test, where test is any expression that evaluates to a true/false value. When you click [While], ACL displays the expression builder: 1-14

17 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 By default, ACL commands automatically execute from the beginning of a file. Specifying a While test will override the default, allowing processing to start from the current location. The file is positioned immediately after the end of the range unless the end of the file (EOF) is encountered, in which case the file is repositioned to the start. Because While can cause processing to be interrupted before reaching the end of the file, While cannot be used as a parameter for a command in a group. SUPPRESS OTHERS BREAK Default: No Suppression. Check this box to suppress reporting of any items outside the aging periods you specified. This checkbox is only available with certain commands. Causes the < (Minimum value) and (Maximum value)> headings and values to be suppressed. Clicking Break calls up the Expression Builder and allows you to produce new command output each time a change in the specified key break field occurs. You must specify a character field. This option is only available with certain commands. For meaningful results, your file must be sorted on the key character fields. 1-15

18 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual To break on one field, type the field in the text box or click [Break] and select the field from the Selected Fields dialog box. To break on more than one field, separate the fields with a + sign. Click [Expr] in the Selected Fields dialog box to display the expression builder. To break on a numeric field, you must first use the STRING( ) function to convert it to character format. For more information: See STRING( ) on page For meaningful results, your file should be sorted on the same fields, and in the same order, as those specified in this option. Append To Existing File For commands that can send the output to a file, the [More] tab has an Append To Existing File checkbox. Check this box to bypass the dialog box that asks if you want to overwrite or append to an existing output file. 1-16

19 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 If you uncheck this option and the output file exists, a dialog box asks if you want to overwrite or append to the existing file. If the output file does not exist, ACL creates the file. Note: Be sure the two file structures are identical before using this option. ACL appends your output to the existing file regardless of the file structure of the two files ACL does not display the Append To Existing File checkbox for commands that do not append the output to existing files, such as the Index command. [Output] The [Output] tab lets you send output to the screen, a printer, a graph, or a text file. The Output options you choose remain selected until you change them or quit ACL. Graph Select this radiobutton, to have ACL display the results in a graph. The default is a 3D bar graph. You can select 2D or 3D bar graph, stacked bar graph, pie graph, or line graph formats. You can change the title of the graph or rotate the pie graph. 1-17

20 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual ACL does not store changes to the graph. To store your changes, you can save the graph as a bitmap file or copy it to the clipboard and paste it elsewhere. For more information: See Changing Graph Options on page 5-41 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. Note: ACL always displays and prints graphs on one page, which may make some graphs difficult to read. For more information: To change graph properties see, Changing Graph Labels on page 5-40 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. ACL still creates the character-based output in the command log as before. The graph output is an addition to, and not a replacement of, the characterbased output. You can recreate a graph from any command in the command log that can send its output to a graph. All commands that can create a graph display the line <<< Graphable Data >>> under the command in the Command Log window. To create a graph from the command line in the command log, double click the result in the command log. You can create graphs of the Age, Classify, Histogram, and Stratify commands from old command logs in previous versions of ACL. Open the command log, re-execute the command and specify the output to a graph. For output to a graph, you can specify a title and subtitle in Graph Properties. 1-18

21 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 Note: Batches cannot send their output to graphs. If a batch command is set to output to a graph, the output is written in text format in the command log. For more information: Graph Output Option on page 5-34 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. File If you select the File radiobutton, specify the name of the output file. Click [Name] to display the Save File As dialog box to specify a file name. For output to the screen, printer, or text file, you can also display or print a header centered at the top and/ or a footer centered at the bottom of each page. For the Report command, you can send the output to an HTML file that you can use on the Web. For more information: See HTML Output on page 5-29 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. Use Output File This option lets you use the new file created by the command right away as your input file. If you uncheck this checkbox, you continue to use the original input file after you run the command. Adding Parameters in Command Mode For ACL commands available only in command mode only, you add the parameters to the command mode syntax. For more information: On working in command mode, see Command Mode on page 8-38 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. 1-19

22 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual APPEND Use the Append keyword in command mode to add your command output to the bottom of the existing output file. You can achieve the same effect by checking the Append to Existing File checkbox, on the [More] tab. Be sure the two file structures are identical before using this option. ACL appends your output to the existing file regardless of the file structure of the two files. For example: EXTRACT RECORD TO create-file-name APPEND EOF FOOTER HEADER IF Causes the complete command to be executed one additional time after the end of the file has been reached. This parameter is only specified if all fields are variables relating to earlier records. Displays or prints a footer centered at the bottom of each page. This overrides any values set by the special FOOTER variable. Displays a header centered at the top of each page. This overrides any values set by the special HEADER variable. Selects only certain records from a file or limits the execution of a command. Allows you to apply this command to only those records that meet a specified condition. To specify the condition, either type it directly into the text box, or click [If] to display the expression builder to help you build an expression. For more information: See Expression Builder on page 6-1 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for details. 1-20

23 Using This Reference Manual Chapter 1 Note: OPEN If you are working with an input file to which a global filter has been applied, the [If] condition is applied in addition to, not instead of, the filter. Opens a new file as part of a command. For commands that create a file, include the Open keyword at the end of the command to open the new file right away. There is no need to issue a separate command. If an input file is already open, ACL closes the file before executing the command. For example: EXTRACT RECORD TO create-file-name OPEN TO Sends the output from a command to a new file with a user-specified name. You can use up to 31 characters for the file name. For file storage purposes, long names are compressed to eight characters. 1-21

24 Chapter 1 Using This Reference Manual Contacting ACL If you have a question about using ACL, first refer to these resources for information: ACL for Windows User Guide Online Help Your company s internal ACL technical support center, if available If you still can't find the solution to your problem and you are a supported user, in North America you can contact ACL Technical Support by telephone at (fax: ). If you have access to the World Wide Web, you can contact ACL s Technical Support at and click the Online Technical Support button to fill in the Online Technical Support Request Form. Overseas users can call their local authorized ACL distributor and/or support center. If you have access to the Internet, you can get online help at or send to support@acl.com. When contacting ACL concerning problems, be sure to have the following information on hand: The serial number of your copy of ACL (select Help from the menu bar and choose About ACL) The type of hardware you are using and whether it is connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) A description of what happened and what you were doing when the problem occurred The error message, if any, displayed by ACL 1-22

25 Commands Chapter 2 ACCEPT : The Accept command allows an ACL batch to prompt for information when a batch is run. This command can only be issued in Command mode. For more information: See Command Mode on page 8-38 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. Accept is useful in creating application batches for repeated use when you want ACL to prompt you for specific variable input. For example, you may want to be prompted for sampling intervals, file names, department numbers, or report headers and footers each time a batch is run. Accept is included in a batch at the time it is created. When the batch is subsequently run and the Accept command is encountered, the associated prompt strings are displayed in a dialog box. ACL suspends execution of the batch and waits for you to enter a response into a dialog box text box. Clicking [Cancel] in the prompt dialog box cancels the execution of the batch. ACL stores the response in a variable as a character value. Note: Accept is not a valid command within a group. To prompt the user for a file name or a keyword, you must refer to the variable name as a macro. For more information: For a full discussion of interactive batches and using macros in batches, see Using Interactive Batches on page 8-8 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. ACCEPT 2-1

26 Chapter 2 Commands : For more information: For more complex user input from a batch, please refer to DIALOG on page Command Mode Syntax ACCEPT prompt-string <FIELDS field types> TO variable-name <,... > prompt-string Specifies the message to be displayed to the user, prompting for information to be entered when the batch is executed. The prompt string must be surrounded by quotes and should be brief. Each separate Accept command generates a separate prompt dialog box. Including more than one prompt string in a single Accept command line results in more than one prompt in a dialog box. FIELDS Allows for the text box in the prompt dialog box to be replaced by a dropdown containing: character fields (C) numeric fields (N) logical fields (L) date fields (D) character variables (c) numeric variables (n) logical variables (l) date variables (d) views and reports (xr) batches (xb), or input files (xf); or any combination thereof. For example, FIELDS CNLD generates a dropdown containing the names of all fields; and FIELDS cnld generates a dropdown containing the names of all variables. The field types must be surrounded by quotes. 2-2 ACCEPT

27 Commands Chapter 2 For more information: For details on the Fields keyword, see Using Interactive Batches on page 8-8 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. TO variable-name Assigns the user response to the prompt-string to the specified variable-name. A character variable will be created. Specifies the variable name for storing the user response for use in subsequent commands in the batch If the named variable already has a value, this will be used to initialize the edit box. Example To create a batch named RANSAMP that prompts the user for a file name, a field to be sampled, a sampling interval, and a random start value, use the Accept command. The batch appears as follows: When you run the batch, the first dialog box prompts you for the file name: ACCEPT 2-3

28 Chapter 2 Commands Subsequent dialog boxes ask you for the field to be sampled. Notice that as a result of using the FIELDS keyword, there is a dropdown for choosing the numeric field to be sampled. The interval value: And the random start value: Note: Including the prompts for the field to be sampled, the interval value, and the random start value in the same command line in the batch creates the following dialog box: 2-4 ACCEPT

29 Commands Chapter 2 ACL displays the result of the batch in the Command Log window: Select INVSAMP from the Select Input File dialog box to see the sampled records. For more information: For details on creating and using macros with the Accept command, see Using Macros in Batches on page 8-27 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. ACCEPT 2-5

30 Chapter 2 Commands ACTIVATE : Activate is used when you have a set of fields stored in a workspace that are used with a variety of input files. This command can only be issued in Command mode. For more information: See Command Mode on page 8-38 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. For example, Activate allows you to use computed fields while using a dbase file. Also, when working with multiple record type files, you can store the definition for each record type in a separate workspace. If you plan to deal with only a few types at a time, you can activate the appropriate workspaces. Activate brings all fields in the specified workspace into the present environment only for the current session. To make the activated definitions a permanent part of the input file definition you must use the Save command before a new file is opened, or before the session is terminated. The Activate command temporarily adds a set of field definitions, contained in a workspace, to the existing set of fields for the current input file. For more information: See Activating a Workspace on page 8-94 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for details. Note: Making changes to workspace fields while a workspace is activated causes the fields to be automatically saved with the input file. To use the Activate command, it is important that you understand how workspaces operate. For more information: On workspaces, see Workspaces on page 8-92 in the ACL for Windows User Guide and SAVE on page in this manual. 2-6 ACTIVATE

31 Commands Chapter 2 : Command Mode Syntax ACTIVATE <WORKSPACE> workspace-name <OK> WORKSPACE workspacename OK Indicates that a workspace is to be activated. Specifies the name of the workspace you want to activate for your current document. Indicates that a field in the input file with an identical name to one in the activated workspace is to be overwritten without confirmation. A field can not be replaced if it is referenced by a computed field. Default: Confirmation before replacing field. Example This example uses Activate to activate a workspace, INVMARG, containing computed fields that calculate the unit margins and unit percent margins for items in an inventory file. To display the contents of the file prior to activating the workspace, type the following into the Command Log text box: ACL displays the contents of the file in the Command Log window. ACTIVATE 2-7

32 Chapter 2 Commands To activate the workspace, using the Activate command, type the following in the Command Log text box: Reissue the Display command to reveal the file contents after activating INVMARG, and scroll down to the bottom of the window. The two fields activated, LOC05 and CITY, appear as the last two fields in the display. 2-8 ACTIVATE

33 Commands Chapter 2 AGE ; Note: Use the Age command to produce aged summaries of data. This summary may be based on the current date or a specified cutoff date. Age is commonly used to classify invoices by the number of days they have been outstanding as of the fiscal year-end, or the current date. Click or select Analyze from the menu bar and choose Age. The number of records in each age classification is displayed in an ACL generated column entitled COUNT. You can accumulate totals from numeric fields for each age classification. You must specify a cutoff date to use as a reference in determining the age of a date field value or the aging will be based on the current system date. Often, the date selected will be the fiscal year-end or the date of issuing the Age command. You can specify start points and a final end point for your aging classifications, such as 0, 90, 120, and so on, or accept the default settings of 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 10,000 days. These defaults are set in date preferences. AGE 2-9

34 Chapter 2 Commands [Age On] Required Specifies the input file field or expression to be aged. Select the field from the dropdown, or click [Age On] to display the Selected Fields dialog box. For meaningful results, select a date field or expression, such as one containing due dates or transaction dates. [Accumulate Fields] Cut-off Date Periods Required [If] Generates a total for each age classification in the numeric fields or expressions selected. Select the fields from the list box, or click [Accumulate Fields] to display the Selected Fields dialog box. Allows you to specify the date to which dates in the [Age On] field will be compared. Often, the cutoff date will either be a period or fiscal year-end, or the date at time of processing. Cutoff date must be specified in YYMMDD format regardless of the format of the date field. Default: Current system date. Allows you to specify the starting point for each range. The last number entered is interpreted as the end point for the last range. Enter the values one per line in the Periods text box. Use 10,000 days to isolate items with invalid dates which default to Jan 1, 1900 (about 35,000 days). Default: 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 10,000 days. You can change the default periods for all your Age commands in the Date Options Preference. Defines a test that filters out all records that do not meet the test. See Common Parameters on page 1-11 and IF on page 1-9. For information on building expressions, see Expression Builder on page 6-1 in the ACL for Windows User Guide AGE

35 Commands Chapter 2 [More] [Output] For more information on [More] see Choosing Parameters from a Dialog Box on page For more information on [Output] see [Output] on page : Command Mode Syntax AGE <ON> date-field-name <CUTOFF yymmdd> <ACCUMULATE numeric-field-name> <INTERVAL> Interval-start-point <,...> Interval-end-point <KEY break-field> <+...> <IF test> <WHILE test> <FIRST NEXT range> <TO create-file-name SCREEN GRAPH PRINT> <HEADER heading> <FOOTER footer> <SUPPRESS> <APPEND> Example To determine whether accounts receivable are collectible, it is crucial to know the aging of outstanding balances. This example ages the records in an accounts receivable file based on the due date field, accumulating the transaction amount field, using December 31, 1997, as the cutoff date, and accepting the default setting for the period intervals. AGE 2-11

36 Chapter 2 Commands ACL displays the result in the Command Log window: The results indicate that $217, of the outstanding balance is not yet due. These balances comprise 33.03% of the total number of records and 46.30% of the total accounts receivable balance. Each aging category can be analyzed in a similar manner. Any significant overdue balances warrant further investigation. For example, items aged over 10,000 days (25 years overdue) are likely to be invalid date fields AGE

37 Commands Chapter 2 ASSIGN : You can use the Assign command to store a value as a variable. You can also attach a condition to the Assign command. This command can only be issued in Command mode. For more information: See Command Mode on page 8-38 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. Assign is typically used in a batch where you want to change the value of a variable. If Assign is issued without a condition, the assignment automatically takes place. Assign can be used as a separate command or in a group. An Assign command in a group performs the assignment each time the command is encountered, if the test evaluates true for that record at least once per record. If you assign a value to a variable name that already exists, and: Note: the variable is used within a computed field or the assignment is made inside a group, then the value assigned is adjusted to the specifications previously defined for that variable; the length is padded/truncated or the decimals are adjusted if required, or the variable is not used in a computed field, or is assigned outside a group, then the previous value and its specifications are overwritten. ACL recognizes several special variables such as HEADER and FOOTER. If character values are assigned to either of these two variables, they are automatically used as page headers or footers if a header or footer is not otherwise specified. This automatic page formatting feature remains in effect until the variables are deleted or until the end of the current session. Be aware of these variables when using the Assign command. You can also create new and edit existing variables using the expression builder. For more information: See User-Created Variables on page 8-90 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for details. ASSIGN 2-13

38 Chapter 2 Commands : Command Mode Syntax <ASSIGN> variable-name = expression <IF test> Use the following syntax when creating variables: ASSIGN ASSIGN is optional in the command syntax. Because the = sign is the assignment operator in ACL. variable-name=expression is interpreted automatically as an assignment. variable-name Specifies the name of the variable to be created. All field naming conventions apply. For more information: See Working with Functions on page 6-28 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for details. expression <IF> Specifies the value to be assigned to the variable. All ACL expression conventions apply. When the If test is false, the assignment is not made. If there is no test, or the test is true, the assignment is made. Example 1 Takes the value of the product class for the current record and assigns it to a variable named MPRODCLS. Type the following into the Command Log text box: Because MPRODCLS is a variable, its value will not change unless explicitly changed by another Assign command ASSIGN

39 Commands Chapter 2 Example 2 Use the following command in a batch, to assign a value of 1 to the variable SAMPLE_QTY whenever MCOUNT is less than 10: If MCOUNT is greater than or equal to 10, no action is taken by ACL. This means that the value of SAMPLE_QTY remains unchanged. If the variable did not previously exist, it will not be created. ASSIGN 2-15

40 Chapter 2 Commands CALCULATE : The Calculate command computes and displays the value of an expression. This command can only be issued in Command mode. For more information: See Command Mode on page 8-38 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. The result of Calculate may be a character, logical, numeric, or date value. By separating the expressions to be evaluated with commas, several calculations can be performed simultaneously. Calculate provides the functionality of a calculator combined with access to ACL functions, variables, and the data in the current record. In a numeric calculation, the result has as many decimal places as does the expression component with the greatest number of decimal places. For example, the result of /12.0 has four decimal places. For more information: See Fixed Point Arithmetic on page 6-9 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for more details. Whenever you use Calculate without providing for the result, by using the AS modifier, ACL names the result with the expression name. For more information: On the use of AS on page 8-45 of the ACL for Windows User Guide. Prerequisites If the expression contains an input file field value, the appropriate input file must first be opened. Use the Find, Seek, or Locate commands to move to the record to be analyzed by Calculate. For more information: Please see FIND on page 2-71, SEEK on page 2-170, and LOCATE on page CALCULATE

41 Commands Chapter 2 : Command Mode Syntax CALCULATE expression <AS expression-name> <,...> expression You can specify any valid ACL expression subject to the prerequisites above. For more information: See Expression Builder on page 6-1 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for details on the order of precedence of evaluation of ACL expressions and a list of valid operators. expression name Allows you to specify a name for the result of the Calculate command. The name must be surrounded by quotes or be a valid character expression. Default: the expression string. Example 1 To quickly calculate 4.7 multiplied by 18.5 using ACL, type CALC 4.7*18.5 in the command log text box: Click or press Enter to calculate the result. Choose Last Result from the Command Log window dropdown to display the result: Note: ACL rounds the result. CALCULATE 2-17

42 Chapter 2 Commands For more information: See Fixed Point Arithmetic on page 6-9 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for more details. Example 2 Calculate the gross margin and gross margin percent for the current record. Using previously defined fields for the sale price and unit cost, calculate the unit gross margin and gross margin percent for the current record. Name the results appropriately, and then type the following into the Command Log text box: Choose Last Result from the Command Log window dropdown to display the result: 2-18 CALCULATE

43 Commands Chapter 2 CLASSIFY Use the Classify command to count the number of records relating to each unique value of a character field and to accumulate totals of specified numeric fields for each value. The number of records for each value is displayed in an ACL generated field, named COUNT. The limit on the number of totals depends on the available RAM in your computer, but is normally 50,000 or more. There are about 20,000 totals per megabyte as set by the Max RAM preference. Classify works on unsorted data and is particularly useful for quick data scanning and summarizing. You can use Classify in a wide variety of circumstances. For example, Classify can rapidly generate a trial balance from unsorted ledger transactions. Classify can also replace the need to perform separate Sort and Summarize operations. ; You can tell ACL to place the results of the Classify command in a new input file for further analysis and reporting with ACL, or direct results to a printer or the screen. Click or select Data from the menu bar and choose Classify. For more information: This command can be Autoexecuted. For more information on the Autoexecute Commands preference, see Command Options on page 7-9 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. CLASSIFY 2-19

44 Chapter 2 Commands [Classify On] Required [Accumulate Fields] Specifies the input file character field or expression to be classified. Select the field from the dropdown, or click [Classify On] to display the Selected Fields dialog box where you can select fields and build expressions. Specifies the numeric fields or expressions to be totalled by ACL for each class. Select the fields from the list box, or click [Accumulate Fields] to display the Selected Fields dialog box where you can select fields and build expressions. For more information: On the Selected Fields dialog box, see Choosing Fields from a Selected Fields Dialog Box on page 1-12 and Selection/Edit Dialog Boxes on page 2-15 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. [If] Defines a test that filters out all records that do not meet the test. See Common Parameters on page 1-11 and IF on page CLASSIFY

45 Commands Chapter 2 For more information: On building expressions, see Expression Builder on page 6-1 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. [More] See Choosing Parameters from a Dialog Box on page : [Output] See [Output] on page Command Mode Syntax CLASSIFY <ON> character-field-name <TO create-file-name SCREEN GRAPH PRINT> <IF test> <WHILE test> <FIRST NEXT range> <ACCUMULATE numeric-field-list> <INTERVALS=n> <SUPPRESS> <HEADER heading> <FOOTER footer> <KEY break-field-expression> For more information: For a description of other parameters specific to issuing the Classify command in command mode, see Common Parameters on page Example To classify a sales transaction file by product number, use the Classify command. You may want to do this in order to determine which products are the top sellers and which are potentially obsolete. Accumulate fields for the quantity on hand and the transaction amount, and send the output to a file named PRODSALE. CLASSIFY 2-21

46 Chapter 2 Commands Note: The Classify command does not require the data to be sorted. The default view of the PRODSALE file appears as follows: 2-22 CLASSIFY

47 Commands Chapter 2 CLOSE The Close command closes an open input file, similar to clicking the (Close) button in the Overview window or clicking [None] in the Select Input file dialog box. : For more information: See Selection/Edit Dialog Boxes on page 2-15 in the ACL for Windows User Guide for details. This command can only be issued in Command mode. For more information: See Command Mode on page 8-38 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. You do not have to close an input file before opening another. ACL automatically closes an open input file before opening a new one. The file to be closed may be described by type (primary or secondary) or by name. If no parameter is specified, the primary file is closed. If you have defined relationships in your ACL document, the Close command will close both the primary and any secondary files, in addition to the related files. If you are closing a primary or secondary input file, ACL removes all corresponding field definitions from the current environment. Any changes to record definitions are saved before closing. ACL automatically closes the input file before executing the Open and Quit commands. If you are closing a Learn file, Close operates in the same manner as the setting Set Learn Off. Set Learn On Off, and Open and Close Learn are equivalent to selecting the Tools menu and setting the Batch Recorder On and Off. Note: You cannot use the Close command to close an ACL document. For more information: For more information on using the Batch Recorder, see Creating a Batch on page 8-2 in the ACL for Windows User Guide. CLOSE 2-23

48 Chapter 2 Commands : Command Mode Syntax CLOSE CLOSE {PRIMARY SECONDARY LEARN} CLOSE file-name INDEX LOG PRIMARY SECONDARY LEARN Closes the current index Returns the log file to the default Closes the primary file. Closes the secondary file. Closes the currently open Learn file. Example To close an open accounts receivable primary file named AR without opening a different file, type the following into the Command Log text box: The status bar will now indicate that no input file is open. You could also enter: CLOSE PRIMARY 2-24 CLOSE

49 Commands Chapter 2 COMMENT ; Use the Comment command to insert a remark or explanation into the ACL Log file without affecting processing or execution. Comment allows you to document a session, including such items as purposes, descriptions, and other required explanations. You can use Comment in batches or groups to add comments to the log. Click or select the Tools menu and choose Comment. It is good practice to include adequate documentation to help future users determine what has been done and the results. When not in a batch or group, the comment lines are recorded in the log at the time you enter them. In a batch or group, the comments are recorded as part of the batch file. They are included in the log file at the time the batch is run and displayed at the appropriate point in the results. : To use this command, type the comment into the text box and click [OK]. Command Mode Syntax COMMENT comment-line or COMMENT 2-25

50 Chapter 2 Commands COMMENT comment-line comment-line... comment-line Allows you to enter text into a log file, a batch or a group. When you include more than one comment-line, you must place a blank line after the last commentline to indicate that it is the last comment-line. If you do not leave a blank line, ACL will treat the following lines as comment-lines. Example At the appropriate point in a batch created to get a basic overview of inventory before an inventory count, type the following into the Comment text box: ANY NEGATIVE VALUES FOR QUANTITY ON HAND SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE CONTROLLER. The comment appears in the batch as follows: 2-26 COMMENT

51 Commands Chapter 2 After executing the batch, the comment appears in the results: Subsequent users of the batch will be able to follow the instructions in the comment. You can make comments as detailed as you like. COMMENT 2-27

52 Chapter 2 Commands ; COUNT Click or select Analyze from the menu bar and choose Count. Use the Count command to count the number of records in the current input file, or only those that meet a specified test condition. If no test is specified, the total number of records in the input file is displayed. If a global filter has been applied to a view, Count produces the number of records remaining in the file after the filtering condition has been applied. The total number of records in the file or the number of records matching the current global filter are displayed in the center of the status line. The Count command automatically stores its result in a variable named COUNTn (for example, COUNT1). When Count is issued as part of a group, the sequential command number is used in the variable name n. For example, if Count is the sixth command in the group, the resulting variable is named COUNT6. [If] Defines a test that filters out all records that do not meet the test. See Common Parameters on page 1-11 and IF on page For information on building expressions, see Expression Builder on page 6-1 in the ACL for Windows User Guide COUNT