# filePro Terms

Action - On processing tables, operations such as lookups, string manipulation, restarts, requests for input from the user, messages, screen switching and math formulas.

Action line - The "Then:" line on a processing table or a line on a filePro menu to direct filePro what action to take.

Alien File - A non-filePro file from which data can be read or updated.

Alias - A name assigned to a field or lookup on a processing table so that the field or lookup can be referred to by another name. This is useful for lookups for shortening the lookup name e.g. lookup tmp = temporary_file where tmp is the alias.

Associated Fields - A "Real Field" that has a group identifier e.g. "A)", "A1)", etc. to provide a means of associating related data.

Box Functions - Simple operations for defining outlined boxes on a screen or report format.

Browse - Allows filePro to display as many as 18 records on the screen at one time. The user can then select a record to work on.

Browse Lookup - Allows the user to specify a browse to be performed on a lookup file or other files. Fields from the records selected are presented in a window on the current data entry screen.

Choice - A menu option.

Codes - Abbreviations used to stand for certain processes. See Print codes

Condition - The "If:" line in a processing table that allows you to test for values. If the condition listed ("If") line is "TRUE", then the action described on Action ("Then:") line is performed. If the condition is not met e.g. is "FALSE", the action is not performed. If the "If:" line is left blank, the condition is "TRUE" by default.

Cross Reference - A report that lists all lookup statements, fields and line information for a processing table. Refer to "Define Processing".

Date Expansion - Typing in a single character "/" in a filePro date field will expand to today's date.

Default - A specific value established by a program or process if the value is left blank or not entered.

Default Report - A report generated by filePro when leaving the "Define File" option of the filePro Main Menu.

Default Responses - A group of responses to prompts in filePro that application uses automatically.

Dummy Fields - In-memory variables that are used for temporarily storing, processing, displaying, and/or printing data. These can be either "SHORT" or "LONG" variable names. "A"-"Z", "AA"-"ZZ" can be used for "SHORT" variable names. Up to 64 alphanumeric characters can be used "LONG" variable names.

Edits - Specifies the type of data that a field may contain to improve accuracy for data entry or to save time. FilePro includes system edits to ensure proper dates, time, etc. and allows the programmer to create user edits.

Field - A field is a set of related characters: a category or type of information. Fields are the blanks you fill in when entering data. Examples of fields are: customer number, last name, first name, address, city, state, ZIP.

File - A set of related records. Examples of files are: customer information, products and invoices.

fPclient - The client side of the filePro Server/Client software that allows you to implement a GUI version of filePro e.g. fileProGI.

fPServer - The server side of the filePro Server/Client software that provides for a GUI version of filePro.

Fuzzy Search - Enables you to search for a record in filePro and retrieve "inexact" matches to your search value.

Index - A table used for rapid access to records within a file. Indexes are also used to merge file information using lookups.

Lookup - A filePro function that provides for merging file data.

Menu - A list of options you can use. Menus for complex applications may have sub-menus to organize the application. Examples of menus include Accounting Options, Payroll options, Inventory Control options and other options to allow quick access and control parameters required to properly execute your programs.

Pop-up Screen - A screen from another file that is displayed as a window in the current file. Pop-up Screens allow maintenance to other files without exiting a current screen.

Processing - A set of filePro instructions to tell filePro how to handle data entry, data manipulation and data output. A sequence of these instructions is called a processing table.

Real Fields - Fields where the values are permanently stored to disk. These fields are established with the "Define Files" option of the filePro Plus main menu, and are retrieved using a field number which is assigned when defining the file.

Record - A set of related fields. Examples of records are: information about a single customer, information about a single item, etc. Records are grouped into a file in filePro so that information is stored for more than one customer and more than one item.