ACR/Summary 4.1 Release Notes

ACR/Summary 4.1 enhancements include:

File Hashing Can be Restricted to Records Matching a Key Value

You now have the option to specify a key value, start position, and length for a hash record, so that only the records that match the specified key value will be hashed.

Naming and Expansion of Extraction Variables

Extraction variables, which are used to store extracted data for further processing, have been enhanced in the following ways:

• You can now assign meaningful names to extraction variables when you define them. These names will appear in the Job Window on the mainframe or in the GUI interface if you are using the products for Windows or UNIX. When you are ready to reuse the value stored in an extraction variable, you can select the variable you want from the list of named variables.
• Extraction variables can now be formatted to accommodate extended data. When you specify extended format for an extraction variable, it can store packed decimal numbers up to 16 bytes long (30 digits) or text up to 80 characters long.

With this enhancement, you can translate extended data using an external translation table in either of two ways: 1) define an input-output parameter that refers to the extracted data, or 2) define an input-output parameter that refers to an extraction variable and indicate that the extraction variable is extended.

Trace Report for External Translation Tables

When you use access mode 6 or 7, you can now request a Trace Report for the processing of an external translation table. This report shows the following:

• The definitions for building the table.
• The details of each translation attempt.
• The processing of each definition against each record in the external data source, including the values that were selected and loaded into the table columns.

Conditional Calculated Items

Calculated items are now more versatile because you can define them as conditional. A conditional calculated item will be processed only if one of the following is true:

• The standard rule that references the item is processed and is in balance.
• The conditional rule that references the item is processed and the condition is met.