Format

      DEFINE  FILE_ELEMENT  type-name  element-name

              [ DESCRIPTION IS /*text*/ ]  [ AUDIT IS /*text*/ ]

              [ STORETYPE INTERNAL                                ]
              [ STORETYPE EXTERNAL  MCS_STOREDIN IS quoted-string ]
              [                                                   ]

              [ MCS_IMPORTED FROM quoted-string ]

              [                  {n              } ]
              [ property-name IS {quoted-string  } ]  ... .
              [                  {               } ]

              END  [ FILE_ELEMENT ] type-name [ element-name ] .

1  –  Parameters

1.1  –  type-name

    Specifies the type (MCS_BINARY or an MCS_BINARY subtype) of the
    file element you are creating. See the Oracle CDD/Repository
    Information Model Volume I for more information on these types.

1.2  –  element-name

    Specifies the file element you are creating.

1.3  –  text

    Adds information. Within the DESCRIPTION clause, this is
    information documenting the file element; within the AUDIT
    clause, it is a history list entry. Valid delimiters are /* */
    or double quotation marks (" ").

    You can use Japanese to document comments in the DESCRIPTION or
    AUDIT clause for a field. To do this, use the SET CHARACTER_SET
    command, and set the character_set of the session to DEC_KANJI.

1.4  –  quoted-string

    Sets the value (a string enclosed in quotation marks) for the
    property you are specifying.

1.5  –  property-name

    Specifies the property whose value you are setting.

1.6  –  n

    Sets the numeric value for a property.

2  –  Description

    The DEFINE FILE_ELEMENT command creates a file element.

    Before you issue the DEFINE FILE_ELEMENT command, you must define
    and set a context. The SHOW CONTEXT command indicates whether you
    have completed these steps.

    You control file element definitions as soon as you define them.
    To do this, issue the following commands before you define a file
    element:

    1. DEFINE PARTITION, which creates a partition

    2. DEFINE CONTEXT, which associates this partition with a
       specific context

    3. SET CONTEXT, which identifies this context as the current
       context and implicitly controls all subsequent definitions

    Since a file element is a controlled element, the DEFINE FILE_
    ELEMENT command creates the initial version of the file element.
    The RESERVE and REPLACE commands create new versions.

    The STORETYPE clause indicates whether or not the file is stored
    internally (in Oracle CDD/Repository) or externally. If you do
    not specify STORETYPE, the default is external.

    If you add, change, or delete a property from the file element,
    the property you specify must be a defined or inherited property
    for the file element's type. See the Oracle CDD/Repository
    Information Model, Volume I for a list of these properties.

    Errors occur if you do not specify the MCS_STOREDIN property for
    a file element whose STORETYPE is EXTERNAL. CDO requires this
    property for external files.

3  –  Examples

  CDO>  DEFINE FILE_ELEMENT MCS_BINARY PARSER_TABLES
  cont>   STORETYPE EXTERNAL
  cont>   MCS_STOREDIN IS "CDD$DISK:[SMITH]PARSER_TABLES.DAT".
  cont> END FILE_ELEMENT MCS_BINARY PARSER_TABLES.

      In this example, the DEFINE FILE_ELEMENT command includes a
      STORETYPE EXTERNAL clause. CDO creates an external file element
      PARSER_TABLES stored in CDD$DISK:[SMITH]PARSER_TABLES.DAT.