URL: http://www.firstbasesoftware.com/man/man1/dbcgen.htm
Last modified: 12 September 1995
Copyright © by FirstBase Software.
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This tool uses a FirstBase index to generate the output in sorted order. If this index is detected to be out of date or non-existent, it will be regenerated automatically. An index is out of date if either the database or the index dictionary have changed.
The -b flag will run the FirstBase tool in batch mode, suitable for shell scripts. This mode produces no output on the terminal, thus can also be used when running the process in the background. The -y flag will run the tool at the terminal without pausing to ask the user if existing files can be destroyed and without displaying a 'picture' of the requested task.
The -B flag will enable the fastest throughput of records from the database. In this case, the entire database is used, and the dbcgen generation is speeded up by internal record buffering. Note that an index will be NOT be used with record buffering, and record locking is disabled. However, the -i argument is still required so that dbcgen can locate the the conversion dictionary (dbdcnv(1)).
The following discussion refers to using the generator interactively without the batch mode or yes mode flags.
Dbcgen(1) first displays an image of the converted database-to-be and its file name. The user has a chance to abort here. After the database conversion, dbcgen(1) creates a new database dictionary for the new database.
Dbcgen can change the size, shape and structure of a valid FirstBase database. Existing database fields can be lengthened, shortened, or deleted. New fields can also be added. See dbdcnv(1) for more conversion details.
Note: dbclean(1) is automatically run at the completion of this program to create a map file for the new database.
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